SWO Pipeline

[Bugsmasher]

Ship selection at OCS for my class worked like this:

Week 8 or 9, all wannabe SWOs get put in a little conference room.
A "ship list" is given to the class with all the available billets to choose from.
Ship selection is in order of class rank, however, our class was able to work it out so that everyone got pretty much what they wanted. We were given a week to work it out amongst ourselves.

So I assume you don't go to the SWOSDOC in your homeport after checking onboard your ship?

We were told nothing at SWOS about any extra classes at homeport, and they are not in our orders. Nobody's sponsor has mentioned them either. Some people have orders to intermediate schools like Strike-O and Legal-O, if that's what you mean. Others whose ships are deployed are being helo'ed out immediately, so no extra school for them. Where did you hear about month long SWO classes at the homeports?

 

[m0tbaillie]

Ship selection at OCS for my class worked like this:

Week 8 or 9, all wannabe SWOs get put in a little conference room.
A "ship list" is given to the class with all the available billets to choose from.
Ship selection is in order of class rank, however, our class was able to work it out so that everyone got pretty much what they wanted. We were given a week to work it out amongst ourselves.

What did the billet-to-SWO ratio look like for your class? That is, how many SWOers did you have in your class and what did the breakdown of billets look like (CONUS vs OCONUS)?

Just trying to get an idea of how difficult it'd be to get sent to a ship in FDNF..

Thanks!

 

[navy09]

We were told nothing at SWOS about any extra classes at homeport, and they are not in our orders. Nobody's sponsor has mentioned them either. Some people have orders to intermediate schools like Strike-O and Legal-O, if that's what you mean. Others whose ships are deployed are being helo'ed out immediately, so no extra school for them. Where did you hear about month long SWO classes at the homeports?

None of the guys that just graduated from my unit had it in their orders either. VADM Curtis started it last summer when he took over as SURFOR. Seems like it would be redundant to send you through what I'm sure amounts to very similar training.

I can't find the message, but here's an article about it.

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=38926

 

[Praying4OCS]

Gonna pick SWO.

First time Ive heard that one. Pick being a Naval Flight Officer, don't pick being a SWO.

 

[Bugsmasher]

None of the guys that just graduated from my unit had it in their orders either. VADM Curtis started it last summer when he took over as SURFOR. Seems like it would be redundant to send you through what I'm sure amounts to very similar training.

I can't find the message, but here's an article about it.

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=38926

Interesting, I'd never heard of that. I'm going to email my SWOS class advisor and see if he can explain what the deal is. Standby to standby.

 

[CAMike]

Strike "O" and Legal "O" classes???

SWO stuff sure has changed since I've was there. We used to have to go the ship after SWOSCOLCOM (14 wks) and figure it out there for ourselves. No classes and VERY limited gouge. If newer SWO's around here have good gouge to share- then please share-listen and take heed!

As a dinosaur SWO I can only offer a couple of things, and I hope these "big picture" lessons are still relavant.

1. The SWO culture as a whole tends to lead our young JO warriors to think that towing the line and being in the top 5% is the main goal of a career officer. I submit to you that there are others things to consider. That is being the best leader that you can be is actually the main goal. Depending on your command (CO/XO)- that may or may not be the commands main goal. I know it sounds crazy but you should think beyond the folks that tell you only the fitreps count. Be true to yourself and strive to be the best people and equipment manager that you can be. You have a better than 50/50 chance that the command will see you for who you are and not the tool that you might have tendancies to lean towards.

2. If you think you're going to be a career SWO and you "ADAPT" to the typical SWO mentality, you risk becoming a "TOOL". So what is a "tool"?
A Tool is a person in the late 0-3, early O-4 realm of life that will sacrifice common sense as a manager if the immediate results means that he/she will receive better grades/fitreps than his/hers peers. Specifically "tools" are those who consistently quote policy over using common sense in decision making. He or she tool will think of promotion above all else and will not think of post decision consequences. Said tool will also alienate subordinates both O and E alike to achieve said supposed successful ends.

I don't mean to lecture here, but I keep hearing about the tools who never seem to get diluted via the gene pool- even through subsequent MIL generations! We live a very different world nowadays where having a job for 20 years is NOT the norm.

3. "Tool" isn't necessarily limited to SW. It can permeate other communities (Aviation) as well but I'm not experienced enough in that field to comment authoritatively.

AW's here -please provide real world examples of "Tooldom" and why it's really a road to the dark side of life.

I hope we can finally break the cycle of "Tooldom" and get a group of warriors that are more concerned about the success of the MISSION and the future SUCCESS of our people rather than the short term goal of self promotion.

Man O man do I have great memories of tools who succeded short term but failed miserably long term. Don't be shortsighted.

Rant Off.

Mike

 

[HAL Pilot]

^ Good stuff and it can be true anywhere in the Navy.

 

[phrogpilot73]

^ Good stuff and it can be true anywhere in the Navy.

Same for the Corps. Some of the best Officers I have ever met are terminal O-4s. In the end of the day, they can look at themselves in the mirror and know they did right by their Sailors/Marines. That's more important than command in my book.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Rufio, you're a true SWO-daddy. Any more gouge on when ship selection is supposed to be?

andrews7: Welcome to the dark side. Check out sailorbob.com, it's a SWO forum. Let us know if you have any more questions.

Nothing of yet. Supposedly we're supposed to get the ship list within the next few weeks.

 

[Bugsmasher]

Okay, I found out the deal with the intro classes in San Diego and Norfolk. The course is essentially the same curriculum as the SWOS Intro class that OCS grads do in Newport. It's easier to have USNA and ROTC ensigns do the course at their homeports rather than having to go TAD to Newport.

In short, all new SWO ensigns get a 3-4 week introduction course.
OCS goes to SWOS at Newport.
USNA/ROTC goes to their homeport.

 

[rickthebrowning]

I noticed on the first page that someone said you get to choose the type of ship you want to be on. While choosing the ship, do they tell you where its homeport is? If it doesn't, are you allowed to try and pick your homeport and then just have the Navy designate what ship you are on?

 

[navy09]

I noticed on the first page that someone said you get to choose the type of ship you want to be on. While choosing the ship, do they tell you where its homeport is? If it doesn't, are you allowed to try and pick your homeport and then just have the Navy designate what ship you are on?

You pick THE SHIP you'll be on. So both homeport and ship type, as well as deployment schedule, command climate, friends onboard, etc, factor into your decision.

That said, even the old brokedick ships from Pearl, San Diego, and Japan typically get picked before some of the nicer new CRUDES ships on the east coast. So if you're not in the top XX%, you may not be able to get anything in ______________.

 

[rickthebrowning]

Mmk, but is all of that information actually provided for you to assist you in your decision?

I'm clueless when it comes to how the Navy runs. I was in the Marines and the only time I ever got to choose anything was my exact MOS in infantry school, and even that wasn't guarunteed. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right last name (obviously my name is Browning) to get stationed in Hawaii. So pardon my ignorant questions.

 

[navy09]

You pick THE SHIP you'll be on. So both homeport and ship type, as well as deployment schedule, command climate, friends onboard, etc, factor into your decision.

Well you'll definitely know the ship type and homeports, as well as if you have friends on there.

Deployment schedule can be looked up (not sure if they do it for you at OCS, but that's the standard practice for ROTC) and command climate can only be determined if you know people on the ship.

Seriously, go to SailorBob. They have several threads, each a few pages long, with tons of good gouge on ship selection.

 

[rickthebrowning]

Well I would check that site out but, apparently you have to be a member to read anything. Add on the fact that I don't have a VIP code, whatever the hell that is, it doesn't look like I'll be doing much reading.