• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

Really stupid questions about life as a SWO and anything else not aviation related [mod dog wuz hərə]

azguy

Well-Known Member
None
Regarding specialty career paths for SWOs--does anyone know if it's a good career option to take any of these? I'm also wondering out if anyone has any experience with the antiterrorism/force protection option.

SCPs are open to most, of not all, designators. It's not a SWO thing.

I'll let those in the career field speak to upward mobility. It's pretty mixed.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Regarding specialty career paths for SWOs--does anyone know if it's a good career option to take any of these? I'm also wondering out if anyone has any experience with the antiterrorism/force protection option.

Depends on what you mean by "good career option". If your ultimate goal is to captain a ship or be an admiral, I wouldn't bet on it. If you want to advance in ranks and eventually command something, then sure.
 

swerdna

Active Member
None
Contributor
Regarding specialty career paths for SWOs--does anyone know if it's a good career option to take any of these? I'm also wondering out if anyone has any experience with the antiterrorism/force protection option.

I've met quite a few who have switched from SWO to a field in the SCP (FAO, HR, PAO) and all seem to enjoy it. They do have different levels of competitiveness though, so can't say for sure if that would make it a good career option. BTW - once you go into one of these fields you don't go back.

The only anti-terrorism guys I've met were limited duty officers.
 

BigRed389

Registered User
None
I've met quite a few who have switched from SWO to a field in the SCP (FAO, HR, PAO) and all seem to enjoy it. They do have different levels of competitiveness though, so can't say for sure if that would make it a good career option. BTW - once you go into one of these fields you don't go back.

The only anti-terrorism guys I've met were limited duty officers.

SCP isn't the same thing as RL.
 

enlUSMC

It's SWOtastic
SCP isn't the same thing as RL.
Not going to lie, I'm a little confused at this point. Basically I'm just trying to explore different options as a SWO down the road. I've been doing some reading on SB and thought id toss out the question here.
 

BigRed389

Registered User
None
Not going to lie, I'm a little confused at this point. Basically I'm just trying to explore different options as a SWO down the road. I've been doing some reading on SB and thought id toss out the question here.

SCP: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/officer/Detailing/surfacewarfare/SPC/Pages/default.aspx
RL: http://www.public.navy.mil/BUPERS-NPC/OFFICER/COMMUNITYMANAGERS/RESTRICTED/Pages/default.aspx

You are way way way too early to think too hard about this stuff. And by too hard, I mean anything other than being aware it's a thing.

SCP isn't even an option until O-4.
RL can happen a little earlier, but requires a redesignation out of SWO into one of the RL communities listed above, and I would highly recommend not doing it without an opportunity to work with/research the specific RL community you're interested in first.
 

enlUSMC

It's SWOtastic
SCP: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/officer/Detailing/surfacewarfare/SPC/Pages/default.aspx
RL: http://www.public.navy.mil/BUPERS-NPC/OFFICER/COMMUNITYMANAGERS/RESTRICTED/Pages/default.aspx

You are way way way too early to think too hard about this stuff. And by too hard, I mean anything other than being aware it's a thing.

SCP isn't even an option until O-4.
RL can happen a little earlier, but requires a redesignation out of SWO into one of the RL communities listed above, and I would highly recommend not doing it without an opportunity to work with/research the specific RL community you're interested in first.
Thanks.
 

pmasters

Member
I asked a bunch of dumb questions on this thread back in its early days. Now after 4 years of successful service in SWOdom and only a short-but-not-short-enough time until I'm a reservist - I must say - you guys were right! SWO was every bit as bad as you said. Me and some of the helo pilots took a trip down my memory lane and read some of the more hysterical (but pretty accurate) descriptions an had a hell of a laugh. Didn't make sense at the time but I sure as hell get it now. Wish I would have listened!
 

enlUSMC

It's SWOtastic
I asked a bunch of dumb questions on this thread back in its early days. Now after 4 years of successful service in SWOdom and only a short-but-not-short-enough time until I'm a reservist - I must say - you guys were right! SWO was every bit as bad as you said. Me and some of the helo pilots took a trip down my memory lane and read some of the more hysterical (but pretty accurate) descriptions an had a hell of a laugh. Didn't make sense at the time but I sure as hell get it now. Wish I would have listened!
Like what, specifically?
 

pmasters

Member
Went through and found a couple posts that strike me now as some real-talk and sometimes pretty funny - listed below. Might not constitute a really representative sample as I've got underway internet at the moment and am not going to cruise the whole thread. Somewhere in here there is a totally hysterical description of the chaos that might ensue if SWOs carried firearms... that one was a gem.

Not to say that it was all awful or anything. Every cloud has its silver lining or something similarly cheesy. But in general I found that a lot of the skeptical/negative descriptions of SWO life/community I read on here before I became a SWO were, in general, pretty realistic. And often fairly amusing.

BigRed389 on page 3
FLYTPAY on page 5
C420sailor's picture on page 8
desertoasis quoted post and response on page 8
 

RGONZA14

Active Member
Can someone please elaborate on what things look like for SWO's after OCS? I've searched the forum but most of the answers I've come across are from several years ago, and I'm not sure if things have changed. Do you report to a ship immediately after OCS, or do you have some time off in between to figure out living arrangements? How long after you report to your ship do you return to Newport for SWOS?
 

Triumph_MAC

Well-Known Member
I've been in the Navy for 10 years now and have yet to spend any time on a ship, life as a "Green Side Corpsman", I've only read the stories form here and random spots I can find online about SWO life. Is there anyone out there that really enjoys being a SWO and have SWO's ever Lat moved to NFO or Pilot?
 

Playawon

Well-Known Member
I've been in the Navy for 10 years now and have yet to spend any time on a ship, life as a "Green Side Corpsman", I've only read the stories form here and random spots I can find online about SWO life. Is there anyone out there that really enjoys being a SWO and have SWO's ever Lat moved to NFO or Pilot?
While there is interesting information in the SWO thread. This website is primarily for naval aviators. I'm not up to date on the rules at Sailor Bob. But you are better off looking for information regarding SWO life in general over there.
 
Top