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Surface Warfare Officer......is it rewarding?

cui bono

New Member
I keep on hearing the SWO stands for sleep walking officers. I haven't come across any other insulting acronyms; however I'm still curious (I'm considering planning that now that I hear intel is not what it is cracked up to be). Is it really a bad job with too much responsibility and too little respect?
 

BackOrdered

Well-Known Member
Contributor
There are a few topic that discuss it if you search for them but take it with a grain of salt as this is an aviation forum. I know Steve has a really descriptive post floating around here about SWO life.
 

Uncle Fester

Robot Pimp
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Rewarding? Put it this way: when I was a Shoe, I recall having a serious conversation amongst the other Divvos about whether, given a choice, we would choose to come in for a full day of work on the ship, or take a kick in the junk. The point being the effect was the same, but the kick in the junk would be over more quickly and give you the rest of the day for yourself.
 

skim

Teaching MIDN how to drift a BB
None
Contributor
Much like the waves of the Sea, it has its ups and downs!!! HA HA HA!!!!!
 

Sly1978

Living the Dream
pilot
Reminds me of the old saying: No failed SWO ever transitioned to Aviation.

See if you can google SWO retention rates vs. those of other communities. That will give you an idea of how rewarding the lifestyle may be. On the plus side, low retention rates means that if you can put up with all the B.S. and decide to stay in, your odds of making advanced grade increase significantly.

By the way, you may find this interesting:

SWO Retention

If I'm reading that correctly, if you stay in you'll have a 58% chance of making O-6 or above. That's incredible.
 

cui bono

New Member
That is impressive (the 0-6 stat). The one upside I'm noticing for an SWO is that you get to do some pentagon work.
 

BigRed389

Registered User
None
Reminds me of the old saying: No failed SWO ever transitioned to Aviation.

See if you can google SWO retention rates vs. those of other communities. That will give you an idea of how rewarding the lifestyle may be. On the plus side, low retention rates means that if you can put up with all the B.S. and decide to stay in, your odds of making advanced grade increase significantly.

By the way, you may find this interesting:

SWO Retention

If I'm reading that correctly, if you stay in you'll have a 58% chance of making O-6 or above. That's incredible.

Out of the DHs I've met, 5/7 were prior enlisted who had enough service time that they could finish out the 20 years using their 2 DH tours.

Of the two that didn't have the retirement carrot dangled in front of them, one did it for the money, the other is USNA Joe SWO.
 

dudemack

Member
SWO points

The above responses just about nailed it. However, I'll try to give you a first person SWO perspective:

Arrive on ship. Enjoy two days of no watch. Receive welcome aboard e-mail. Get duty section. Receive 'why don't you know about this already' e-mail. Receive 'learn about this then brief me' e-mail. Receive 'does this apply to us?' e-mail. Receive 'why haven't you responded to my e-mail from ten minutes ago' e-mail.

Route message to Department head. Re-write message. Route message to XO. Re-write message. Route message to CO. CO says: "Do we really have to send this message?" Scrap message.

Go on watch. Drink caffeine. Wake up CO when something comes within three miles of ship. Get off watch. Eat breakfast. Go back to bridge for unrep. Miss lunch. Start work day at 1pm. Check e-mail. Receive 'why haven't you responded to my e-mail' every ten minutes since this morning when you were on watch. Go back on watch at 10pm.

I am tested far beyond any job I've ever had as a SWO. Is it rewarding? Absof**kinglutely.

Mackdude
 

BullGator

Active Member
The above responses just about nailed it. However, I'll try to give you a first person SWO perspective:

Arrive on ship. Enjoy two days of no watch. Receive welcome aboard e-mail. Get duty section. Receive 'why don't you know about this already' e-mail. Receive 'learn about this then brief me' e-mail. Receive 'does this apply to us?' e-mail. Receive 'why haven't you responded to my e-mail from ten minutes ago' e-mail.

Route message to Department head. Re-write message. Route message to XO. Re-write message. Route message to CO. CO says: "Do we really have to send this message?" Scrap message.

Go on watch. Drink caffeine. Wake up CO when something comes within three miles of ship. Get off watch. Eat breakfast. Go back to bridge for unrep. Miss lunch. Start work day at 1pm. Check e-mail. Receive 'why haven't you responded to my e-mail' every ten minutes since this morning when you were on watch. Go back on watch at 10pm.

I am tested far beyond any job I've ever had as a SWO. Is it rewarding? Absof**kinglutely.

Mackdude
+1 Funny. Insightful.
 

JWL

Member
What kind of ship are there in the Navy where a young SWO can command as early as possible? I believe cruisers are commanded by captains and destroyers by commanders.

Are there smaller ships commanded by LTs, by any chance?
 
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