she has a well-written blog (followed your link) but doesn't mention her designator. would be interested just for context.
my $.02 is that you'll find those exact same conditions in so many other industries. the work/life balance of a JO swo is about the same as a junior consultant or sales executive, in my experience. i worked about 80 hours a week while living with my parents straight out of college, and saw them a couple times a month. i thought i was going to love that job (and the compensation) but in the end it wasn't worth it because it didn't give me fulfillment. also, i'd have never known until i found out myself. i'm sure there are some bright, successful officers who do what they do for pennies compared to what they could make in the private-sector, but at the end of the day it comes down to the fact that they chose to become a naval officer and serve their country in that capacity.
it's not like she ditched her responsibilities or started to withdraw from her job before leaving, so all the power to her. i agree with your comments on expectation management, but i think there is a degree of 'grass is always greener' at play here. so often we compare our current state to a desired state without considering the opportunity cost of what our current state affords us (we take the benefits for granted and gripe about the negatives). she seems very even-keeled and acknowledges several pros in the piece. she definitely recognizes the growth and development she has received.
personally, i have done my research, bothered veteran AWs and sailor bobs (you guys are all awesome for being so supportive) so i could get as much information about all the aspects of officer life and working conditions. i got a lot of "putting the cart before the horse", but a lot of people shared good and bad things that i never would have known about unless they told me or i experienced them myself. obviously YMMV, and obviously i don't know her motivation or expectations for joining so i could be way off base. but bottom line for me is that even after all i know, and after reading articles like hers, i want to become an officer (whether it is SNA/SWO/IW, or whatever i'm relegated to) because i want to use my skills to support the navy's mission. maybe after 4 or 8 years i'll hate it and get out. but i won't get out without feeling that i've contributed, grown, and gained as much as i've put in.
would love to hear from others, though, especially those with the actual experience.
r/,
James