Is the Surface Warfare Officer the community for me?

[smurf2002TKE]

ALoha,

I am currently a active duty OS2 with a total of 7 years in the USN with 5 of the years being sea duty. I will graduate from Hawaii Pacific University with my projected graduation date being December 18, 2012. I am interested in the Intelligence community, but from an enlightening series of thread posting led me to think otherwise. I am strongly interested in the SWO community as well and I wonder if this is the better option for me.

So this is my current situation. As mentioned earlier I graduate college in December. My planned rotation date; however, is in February 2013. OPNAVIST 1420.1B (Most current for prior) states that I cannot submit a OCS application within 3 months of my PRD. I have already submitted a 6 month extension and has been approved by the command officer. I am just waiting on Navy Personnel Command's final approval.

Second, I have routed a request chit up the command requesting permission to start an OCS application. (Still waiting on final approval). My LPO/mentor suggested that I need to start working on gathering up my required information. Since I am not sure when I will receive transcripts from my university will I need to submit the degree completion plan as part of my package? Also what score on the ASTB will be competitive for the SWO community? Any guidance will be greatly appreciative. Thank you for your time.

Very Respectfully,
OS2 (SW)

 

[BackOrdered]

A good question to answer your question is, "What do you think SWO life will be like?" It seems to me SWO is a matter of what you want out of being in the Navy. I know plenty of guys who love it to death and others who don't, often because their preception of SWO is no where close to reality.

Everything else you can search for on the forum. Good luck.

 

[Renegade One]

ALoha,... I am interested in the Intelligence community, but ... I am strongly interested in the SWO community as well and I wonder if this is the better option for me.
Very Respectfully,
OS2 (SW)

OS2: This is a chip shot from the spectator gallery, but I would offer that it is always better, assuming you're physically qualified, to start out in a URL "warfare specialty"; learn all about that and get the requisite quails and warfare pin, and THEN see what else may "float your boat" if you discern that you really do have different goals. It's a big Navy...but I never, ever met anyone who regretted taking the "main line" warfare route first. If you need some MOTO...go watch "In Harm's Way" again, or "They Were Expendable", or "The Enemy Below". Heck, I was in Naval air, but those three still get my SWOtivation juices flowing...

All the best in whatever you choose, Shipmate...

 

[exNavyOffRec]

This could help him decide, Intel is probably going to be shutdown for a while, a long while unless all of a sudden they decide they need as many Intel officers as NFO's, and tech degree is going to be the way to go for Intel very soon.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I know you keep mentioning the tech degree...certainly it's preferred for IW anyway but not a must. I'm in the community and there is a great deal of discussion as to the merits of a technical degree verses not. I personally don't have a technical degree and know of several people picked up for OCS who didn't have one. It was a discussion point but not a non starter. In one case an applicant had a very non traditional package from an education perspective. She had extremely strong letters of recommendation from officers in the community and the decision was made to take a chance. Turns out it was the right call and she's a good fit for the community.

As to INTEL and a technical degree, I haven't heard or seen that in any of the briefs coming out from the INTEL community. Where are you hearing that?

The PA is being re-written to specifiy technical degrees preferred, and the community has stated to NRC that they are going to start doing a 80/20 or 60/40 selection split tech/non-tech

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I wonder what the community's end goal is on that one. Typically that hasn't been an INTEL focus nor do I think it makes a difference in their ability to do their jobs. Obviously their leadership disagrees. Do you have any insight as to when it will be coming out?

We have been told it will be before the next round of IDC boards, but I never hold my breath on things like that.

An Intel LT I met that spent some time back in DC said down the line, years probably that all IDC would eventually be one designator, and that the first step was getting them all under one "umbrella" but of course things change in the Navy.

 

[BackOrdered]

^On that last part, can they expect to break out their mo'boards and expect to qual OOD down the road?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

The current initiative that is in the works for FY13/14 is to make us one larger community. The designators have been changed to facillitate detailing under that model. The idea is to have promotion boards and milestone screenings under the IDC umbrella vice individual designators. There was discussion about the IDC becoming URL but that was FY15/16 and is being tabled for now. The message that needs to go out to those folks looking at designators within the IDC is this: understand the communities are changing and eventually the IDC may become part of the URL. That said be prepared to fill roles you may not have expected.

That would be interesting, especially since about half of the people I have seen go into IDC don't qualify for URL due to medical. I wonder if that would result in a lower age limit as well?

The OCS selection boards for IDC have already been merged, they now select IW/IP/Intel/Oceano/SWO IP/SWO IW at the same board, this is probably part of the big master plan.

 

[IRfly]

OS2: This is a chip shot from the spectator gallery, but I would offer that it is always better, assuming you're physically qualified, to start out in a URL "warfare specialty"; learn all about that and get the requisite quails and warfare pin, and THEN see what else may "float your boat" if you discern that you really do have different goals. It's a big Navy...but I never, ever met anyone who regretted taking the "main line" warfare route first. If you need some MOTO...go watch "In Harm's Way" again, or "They Were Expendable", or "The Enemy Below". Heck, I was in Naval air, but those three still get my SWOtivation juices flowing...

All the best in whatever you choose, Shipmate...

I have never seen (or even heard of) these movies. But this is absolutely true. Get a warfare specialty/pin, stand some watches, and take on some responsibility for people and equipment. IW/Intel/all the other stuff isn't going anywhere. Then, when you're an intel weenie, you'll be able to work knowing the perspective of those whom you support. And you'll know when you're just being fucked with, as opposed to truly disliked

 

[robav8r]

I have never seen (or even heard of) these movies.

Seriously ???

 

[Praying4OCS]

Second, I have routed a request chit up the command requesting permission to start an OCS application. (Still waiting on final approval).

Dude, Your definitely behind the power curve. Especially with your EAOS/PRD approaching. As a prior myself who went to OCS, I can tell you, you should start working on your application, LORS, interviews and putting your package together and getting in touch as many contacts as you can. The OCS application/package process is a long one (It took me almost a year). There's nothing that says you can't start your package whenever you want. What you need from your command is your CO's endorsement not his ok to start a package.

 

[BusyBee604]

I have never seen (or even heard of) these movies.

Hmpff, back in Renegade's day, and even further back in mine, we were taught to "Respect our Elders". You've never heard of these USN classic movies? RADM "Rock" Torrey?? REALLY???
BzB

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I don't know about the age limit. I don't think they've considered that. I can tell you ability to qualify medically has been a major point of discussion in the shift to URL. The discussion is far from over.

Our role is still under discussion as well. For IWs being URL doesn't change anything since we can currently qualify and regularly stand SWO watch stations when PCS afloat

For the original poster:
I was a SWO and I don't regret the time spent. It gives you a great perspective that can do nothing but help. That said as the communities continue to manage their numbers lateral transfer later in your career may become more difficult. INTEL is currently at 95% or greater manning at the control grades so there will likely be less demand for lat transfer over the next several years. There is now a SWO-INTEL option and that might be a good option.

SWO Intel option? that hasn't been put out to NRC and on the goal sheets there are no quotas for it? of course right now FY13 goal for Intel is 7 and they have close to 60 selected, so around 50 are going to be waiting for a while.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

to the OP, the status report that came out last Friday has almost every IDC field closed out for FY13 so it is doubtful any boards will be happening before next year for anything IDC.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

One of the INTEL detailers did a waterfront briefing yesterday and talked about that as an accession option. I don't know at what point the other stuff has to happen. We were all under the impression after the brief that it was already a done deal and all the other enabling stuff has occurred.

I wonder if that is how they are going to deal with the ton of INTEL selects with no billets, send them SWO for 2 years? that would help out, but would continue to drive down the INTEL OCS billets for several years.