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The Steve Wilkins Memorial Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Thread

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Hello and welcome to the Surface Warfare area of the Air Warriors forum. Surprisingly, I've had a number of people write me and ask questions regarding information about this "unknown" area of the Navy. So, it was decided that with the addition of this upgraded forum, an area should be included for people to address their thoughts and concerns on the surface warfare side of the house. At the time of this writing, I am almost done with Surface Warfare Officer School and will be hitting the fleet after about 45 days of leave. So if you have any questions or just want to make a comment, that's what this area is for.

Take care,

LTJG Steve Wilkins
Gunnery Officer
USS VALLEY FORGE (CG 50)



Edited by - Steve Wilkins on 03/07/2001 20:54:52
 

Airboss2B

Registered User
By now I'm sure you've had a chance to knock out some of your qualifications and get your feet wet as a new SWO. What's been your experience so far? Are you happy with your decision to be an SWO? What duties have you had to take on besides your normal division work?

Also, how do they determine who will be an OPS officer, WEAPS, CHENG, etc. Will you always be a WEAPS officer or will that be determined by the orders to your next command?

I'm getting my package together for OCS with my first choice being aviation. Because of my age (28), I may have to settle for another designator. I was considering Supply Corps (because of my Management degree) but also looking at SWO because of it being URL. I could sure use some insight into this program.

What is your current schedule like. I'm stationed at Sima here in San Diego at Bldg. 130. Maybe if we can both get a free moment some time you could fill me in on what I can expect and maybe give a little advice.



Edited by - Airboss2B on 08/31/2000 21:00:20
 

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
SWO Journal #1, Part 1: April 13, 2001

SWO Journal Entry #1, Part 1: April 13, 2001

I've decided to do this first journal entry in three parts. In this first part I will cover some basic background information. In the second part I will cover things like what we are doing on the ship and discuss the daily routine of a SWO onboard ship. Finally, for the third part, I will discuss some things that I’ve done or been involved with since I’ve been onboard. I’m really up in the air about where I should start. So lets just start at the beginning.

All Surface Warfare Officers must attend a six month school up in Newport, RI called SWOS (Surface Warfare Officer’s School). For initial division officer training, SWOS is broken up into three phases. We first start out in DOC (Division Officer Course) for three months and then move onto the engineering phase and billet specialty training.

In DOC, we cover the following material broken down in Units:
Unit 1: Rules of the Road
Unit 2: Underway Watch Organization
Unit 3: Inport Watch Organization
Unit 4: Counseling, Advising, and Administration
Unit 5: Maneuvering Boards, Tactics, Navigation and Seamanship
Unit 6: Operation Administration
Unit 7: Propagation, Detection, Engagement and Command and Control Systems
Unit 8: Maritime Warfare: Strategy, Tactics and the Various Threats
Unit 9: N/A
Unit 10: 3-M/Supply and MDS (Maintenance Data System)
Unit 11: Damage Control and First Aid

Basic Officer Leadership Course

During the Damage Control part of school, we do the Buttercup wet trainer and the firefighting trainer. For more information and actual lectures, check out www.swos.navy.mil/doc/dcore1.htm

The Engineering phase is geared toward the type of engineering plant the ship you’re assigned to has as well as to the type of ship. Specifically, you’d get training on a gas turbine plant, diesel engine plant, or steam plant. However, a gas turbine plant on a frigate is not the same as the gas turbine plant on a cruiser or destroyer. Therefore, gas turbine engineering is further broken down to the platform level.

Here is the structure and academic topics for the gas turbine engineering phase that I went through. It is broken up into four units.

Unit 1: Common Theory
Course Intro
Basic Thermodynamics
Basic Steam Cycle and Boilers
Basic Diesel Engine
Basic Gas Turbine
Pump and Hydaulic Theory
Materials and Corrosion
Piping, Valves, and Gages
Fans and Ventilation
Electrical Fundamentals and Basic Magnetism
Inductance, Capacitance and AC Theory
Electrical Generation
Motors and Controllers

Unit 2: Main Propulsion
General Description
Engineering Organization
Engineering Control and Surveillance System
Fuel Oil Service System
Bleed and Start Air
Intakes, Exhausts and Base Enclosure
LM-2500 Gas Turbine Engine
Main Reduction Gear Lube Oil System
Controllable Reversible Pitch Propeller
Power Train
Ship Control Console

Unit 3: Electrical
Gas Turbine Generator Set
Governor/Voltage Regulator
60 Hz Distribution System
Electric Plant Control Console
400 Hz Distribution
Interior Communications
Degaussing

Unit 4: Auxiliaries
Fuel Oil and Transfer System
Sea Water Service System
Compressed Air System
Waste Heat Boiler
Damage Control Systems
Oily Water Seperator/Drainage
Distilling Plant and Potable Water
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Steering
Small Boats, Deck Machinery, and Aviation Support Equipment
Sewage and Solid Waste Management



Billet specialty training is geared toward what type of Divo (division officer) job you’re assigned. For instance, in my case I was sent to Harpoon Watch Officer course, Ammo Admin, and Gunnery Officer school. I was slated to be the new gunnery officer on the VALLEY FORGE. Because I was going to an AEGIS ship, I was also sent to AOCO (AEGIS Officer Console Operator) to learn how to operate the consoles in CIC (Combat Information Center) and shoot down aircraft.

Besides Gunnery Officer, other first tour division officer billets that you could be assigned include DCA (Damage Control Assistant), Communications Officer, Auxiliaries Officer, Anti Submarine Warfare Officer, Strike Officer, Electronic Materials Officer, 1st Lieutenant, and Electrical Officer. Often times, students will be slated for a particular Divo billet and attend all the schools associated with it. Then, once checking in at their ship, they find out that in fact they will not be assigned the billet in which they’ve already trained for. We had a new Ensign check in a couple weeks ago that is a textbook example of that. He was slated to be the ASWO and went through all the schooling for that (which is not fun). He then got re-slated to be the COMMO (communications officer) and had to go through that school. When he checked in, he and the old COMMO did their turnover. So he now has the COMMO stuff as well as PC Lan. Well, as it turns out, in June we will be getting another COMMO and she will be relieving this guy as COMMO. However, he will still keep PC Lan. The problem that we are having is that there are just way too many new Ensigns getting commissioned. We are having to create billets for these guys or even split up current divisions just so all the new divos get a billet. For example, the COMMO typically controls PC Lan. But with that new divo coming in June, that will not be the case anymore. We also have a Fuels Officer who deals with fuel/oil quality management and fueling/defueling evolutions. That job would normally be done by the MPA (Main Propulsion Assistant). We have an officer that is only responsible for the two CIWS (Close In Weapons System) mounts and the MK 86 fire control computer. That will soon be changing as it should be the gunnery officer who is responsible for those items. I told the Combat Systems Officer that I wanted to take over responsibility for the CIWS mounts and the MK 86, but only after that other divo doing that job, leaves in August.

Once a person is completed with their billet specialty training and any other follow on schools, they then typically take some leave and then report to their respective ship. And only then will they find out for sure what billet they will be given. Thankfully, when I checked onboard, they did not decide to give me some other job in which I did not train for.

Ok, so you know I am the Gunnery Officer. But really, what does that tell you? Not much, if anything at all. At first glance, it would appear that the gunnery officer would not have much to do inport since we’re only going to fire our two 5in/54cal guns when we are underway. The same applies to our missiles. However, I’ve got plenty on my plate to keep me busy.

I have 20 Gunners Mates that work for me; 1 chief, 3 first class petty officers, 3 second class petty officers, 5 third class petty officers, and the rest are seaman. I have 5 workcenters; one for each of the two gun mounts, one for each of the two missile launchers, and one for the armory. I am responsible for all the ammunition onboard, the magazines associated with them, and all the small arms weapons onboard. The types of small arms weapons we have are the 9mm pistol, 12ga shotgun, M-14 rifle, M-60, .50 cal, 25mm gun mount(s), M-79 grenade launcher, and MK 19 grenade launcher. The numbers of each type of weapon and the amount of ammo we carry onboard is classified. I am also responsible for all the administration that goes along with ordering ammo, onloading / offloading / transferring ammo, and expending ammo. I am also the Physical Security Officer and therefore, am responsible for all physical security and force protection matters. This is essentially a full time job in itself, especially now after the USS COLE incident. I am also the SCAT (Small Craft Action Team) coordinator and have to make sure we have a SCAT team that is properly trained and ready for action. I am also the VBSS (Visit Board Search and Seizure) coordinator and a Boarding Officer for when we will be doing boardings on our next deployment. Again, I have to make sure the VBSS team(s) are adequately trained for the task at hand.

That, in a nutshell is a very general statement of my responsibilities. It all definitely keeps me busy and the weeks tend to go by very fast. The days are over almost too soon just because I have so many things on my list to get done.

Well now, on to Part 2.

LTJG Steve Wilkins
Gunnery Officer
USS VALLEY FORGE (CG 50)



Edited by - steve wilkins on 04/14/2001 07:55:45
 

Dave Shutter

Registered User
This is the stuff I've been waiting for, Thanx Steve...

quote:The types of small arms weapons we have are the 9mm pistol, 12ga shotgun, M-14 rifle, M-60, .50 cal, 25mm gun mount(s), M-79 grenade launcher, and MK 19 grenade launcher.

Mmmmmm, the smell of cordite in the morning, MK-19 semi-auto grenade launcher, Arhggggg...

I am an Army of one...and I'd give anything to have a ship to carry all this f*cking ammo around with me ;)!

D

Edited by - Dave Shutter on 04/15/2001 01:50:29
 

Steve Wilkins

Teaching pigs to dance, one pig at a time.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Dave, the MK 19 is the automatic grenade launcher, but the M-79 is our semi-automatic grenade launcher.

--Steve
 

webmaster

The Grass is Greener!
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
SWO Training

Thought you guys might be interested in this. John, can you stick this up on the website somewhere? Airwarriors is so bandwidth intensive that it takes forever for me to view it, so I haven't really been able to poke my head around it yet.

--Steve

Navy Re-Engineers Surface Warfare Training
By Darlene Goodwin
Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs
02/21/2003

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Staff members from the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) headquarters in Pensacola, Fla., are celebrating a recent accomplishment in the re-engineering of the surface warfare officer (SWO) division officer at-sea training program. Members of the learning strategies and professional skills divisions at the training headquarters, along with contract support and staff members from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, commanders of the Pacific and Atlantic naval surface forces, Naval Personnel Command, and the SWO school (SWOS) command spent the better part of a year working the project,
which was recently completed ahead of schedule.

"Re-engineering the SWO division officer training program is a true attempt to put change on the fast track - to see how rapidly we could ramp up to get a totally new and innovative product delivered," said Saundra Drummer, NETC learning strategies division director. "A project of this magnitude would normally take at least 18 months from conception to completion. Analysis, curriculum reengineering, fleet reviews, duplication, packaging and shipboard delivery was accomplished in less than one year. It was quite
an undertaking, and most importantly a learning experience that we can leverage to move forward on other reengineering efforts. The team worked well together, and the fleet seems very pleased with the finished product."

According to Lt. Cmdr. Mark Steele, NETC surface warfare officer training program manager, the Navy has essentially re-engineered six months worth of classroom instruction into apprenticeship-style training to be completed aboard ship. "Previously, new officers reported to the SWOS division officer course in Newport, R.I., before their first sea tour," said Steele. "Now they will complete their initial training aboard ship. After they have completed the instructional requirements, assumed responsibilities of a division officer and earned their fleet officer of the deck underway letter, they will then report to SWOS Newport for a three week advanced proficiency course, which is accomplished via PC-based simulators and classroom training."

Following completion of the formal training, the officers will be sent back to their ships ready for their SWO qualification board - the final step toward becoming a designated surface warfare officer. "Having successfully completed the program, these officers will have earned their SWO designation roughly 12 months earlier than under the previous qualification process," said Steele. "This provides the Navy with a warfare qualified officer, of greater utility to the ship's mission, in a more
timely and efficient manner." Angela Heard, head of the enterprise learning branch of NETC's learning strategies division, said the project made a very positive, fundamental change in the way new SWOs are trained. "We've taken the officers out of the
traditional classroom and put them in the perfect learning environment for a new SWO - on a ship," said Heard. "Human performance studies show that practical, on-the-job training yields better results. We fully expect that analysis of our measures of effectiveness will confirm that we've made a significant improvement here."

New program elements include the assignment of a mentor for each officer for the duration of the program, integrated leadership training and learner-paced CD-ROM instruction, followed by practical training. The first group of 92 officers entering the training reported to their ships in January. They are expected to complete the training cycle in 12-to-18 months. "We train approximately 960-to-1,100 new SWOs each year," said Steele. "Our largest influx to the program will be in the May/June timeframe, following the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and Naval Academy graduations, when approximately 800-900 officers will be sent to their ships and begin SWO training. This re-engineering effort positively impacts the crucial first step in becoming a surface warfare-qualified officer and will benefit our entire surface Navy officer corps."

NETC Commander Vice Adm. Alfred G. Harms Jr. said the SWO training re-engineering idea originated in the fleet and is being very well-received. "This is another key element in our Revolution in Navy Training, and we are very excited with our success in getting the program started," said Harms. "Better training for our surface warfare officers enhances their professional development and improves Navy readiness. We anticipate great results in the way these officers will perform in the fleet as a result of this reengineering project."

For more information about Navy training, visit the NETC Web site at www.cnet.navy.mil.

For related news, visit the Chief of Naval Education and Training Navy

NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnet.
 

jameskalder

New Member
A question about SWO for SteveWilkins or Road Program

Hiyall,

I have a question that I hope Steve Wilkins or Road Program (or any former SWO) would be willing to spare some time for:

I'll be graduating in a year from a liberal arts college with a 3.5-3.6 GPA. I turned down offers from investment banks because my priority right now (at my young foolish age, I guess) is experience rather than money. I've seen too many of my i-banking friends sacrifice their health, relationships, and the "best years of their lives" to cash in as quickly as possible. My greatest fear is of being chained to a desk for the rest of my life.

My friend, a military enthusiast, recently suggested SWO. From what little research I did, it looked too good to be true. As a SWO, I would be able to a A) get great experience traveling all over the world to beautiful and exotic locations, B) acquire real leadership experience at a young age, C) keep myself physically fit and D) serve my country. You have no idea how close I was to calling up a recruiter and asking where I needed to sign my name.

From the research I did on my own, however, I learned that it wasn't all peaches and cream. The hours are miserable, there are (relatively) few women on board, chances of getting shipped off to Iraq are climbing higher, which is why SWO's seem to want to be redesignated to another position. I'm probably overexaggerating, but I'd like to hear what it was like from the people who have been there and done it. I like my recruiter a lot, but let's face the facts: at the end of the day, his job is just to get me to sign on the dotted line.

So please, if you could share a few thoughts on this matter, I'd be very grateful.

-James
 

jameskalder

New Member
lol...well, he's also in college with me, so he's not speaking from experience. He's just crazy about the military and probably knows as much about it as i do.

...is it really *that* bad? Is this going to be like that time when I was a skinny 90-pound freshman telling my dad that I was gonna try out for the varsity football team as a (get this) running back?
 

BACONATOR

Well-Known Member
pilot
Contributor
And if you're "looking for chicks" when you're on the boat, perhaps you misunderstand what the Navy is about.... If you think the following is what to expect as a SWO, you need to read more about the profession and get some knowledges...

cast.jpg
 

Someday

Dude?
lol...well, he's also in college with me, so he's not speaking from experience. He's just crazy about the military and probably knows as much about it as i do.

...is it really *that* bad? Is this going to be like that time when I was a skinny 90-pound freshman telling my dad that I was gonna try out for the varsity football team as a (get this) running back?

Yes.
 

BigRed389

Registered User
None
OK in all seriouness, before the aviators(this IS an aviation site after all) all tell you how lame SWO life is(somewhat justified), no it's not really all that bad.

To answer your questions specifically:
A)You do get to travel.
But different deployments get more/less port calls.
Also, if some "stuff" goes down somewhere in the world, your ship could get pulled to head over, canceling the port call. It doesn't even have to be dramatic, even something stupid like severe weather could screw with the schedule.
And you don't get to go out every day you pull in, you get about 2/3 days off, really driven by force protection issues. You can thank the terrorist assholes for that.
B)You'll definitely get plenty of leadership opportunities, and at the very least plenty of managerial experience.
C)Physically fit...eh.

Hours:
Underway, they can get pretty bad. Depends on the ship/captain though. You should be exhausted enough that 4-5 hours will come real easily the instant you hit the rack.

In port, it really depends. Depends almost completely on your chain of command. Rest of it depends on what your job is on the ship.

Sex underway/at work gets people in trouble. Fraternization is a problem and frowned upon. And it's also really, really damn hard to hide on a ship.

If you don't want to go IA on your initial 4 year commitment, it shouldn't be a worry. From the people I've talked with who have gone IA, they want people with relevant field experience/expertise. An O-1/O-2 with no prior experience doesn't fit that bill at all.

Overall, the hardest thing about explaining SWO life to somebody is how different it is for everybody.
 
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