The SWO community traditionally doesn't care for anything outside of the "Big Gray Underway" CRUDES pipeline, career-wise, and RIVRON's never really going to be a big enough community to make it a mainstream SWO job. It's going to fall into the same category as ACUs - "cool, but not career enhancing".
I kinda doubt that the officers are actually driving the boats, Apocalypse Now-style; I say this under correction, but I'd imagine that would be the jealously guarded preserve of the squadron Craftmasters, and maybe they'll let LTJG Bob come along once in a while..but don't touch anything, sir.
PCs were on the ragged edge of respectability when I was a Shoe, but that was (1) seven years ago, and (2) when they were part of SpecWar, not the regular Surface Navy like now. Never hurts to be in command, unless you fuck it away, but PCs are still "oddball" boats and always seemed to be broke down.