Little Creek, Va. (Oct. 14, 2016). Rear Adm. John Wade

Little Creek, Va. (Oct. 14, 2016). Rear Adm. John Wade (left), commander of the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) congratulates Lt. Sequoia Watson during a graduation ceremony for the second class of amphibious Warfare Tactics Instructors at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. Akin to Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOP GUN) for the Navy's best aviators, SMWDC is charged with increasing the tactical proficiency of the surface fleet by selecting an elite cadre of surface warfare officers to become warfare tactics instructors (WTI) -- the tactical best of the best. WTIs receive graduate-level tactical education and derive from three communities: integrated air and missile defense, amphibious warfare, and anti-submarine/anti-surface warfare.