What is the purpose of the Navy's after-action reviews?

The purpose of the Navy's after-action reviews is to evaluate operations and improve future performance. After-action reviews are comprehensive assessments conducted following military operations or training exercises. They are designed to analyze what occurred during the operation, identify what worked well, and pinpoint areas for improvement. This collective reflection helps in understanding the effectiveness of tactics, commands, and procedures used during the operation, ultimately leading to enhanced future performance and operational readiness.

This process is essential for fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the Navy. By objectively reviewing actions taken, units can glean valuable insights from both successes and challenges faced, ensuring that lessons learned are documented and applied in subsequent missions. The focus is on enhancing overall effectiveness rather than evaluating individual crew member performance or compliance with regulations, which have different objectives.