origionally posted by sneffets:I am a graduating senior in college about to commission and was turned down for flight school and sent to SWAS (SWO) instead. I have a fairly good record and was wondering if there is an appeal/reevaluation process and what protocol I have to follow to start that process.
Hope is not lost. There is actually a great benefit to achieving both (SWO and SNA) pins if you ever plan on making a career of the military. I am going to make an assumption that you're early 20ish, so age isn't a factor for you. 2 years out to sea on a boat is good for the heart and you'll still be fairly young if you switch.
The way SWO works now is that upon graduation of OCS, you report directly to your first command. After about a year on board and depending on how quickly you've grasped the concepts (Navigation, DC, Engineering, Comms, etc.etc.etc.) your command has the option to send you to Newport, RI for specialty training. This is a pretty new thing the Navy is doing and who knows, your command may opt to send you SWO school right away. I dunno, they've recently made the change.
Anyways, to make a long story short, after about a year on board, there's a package you can submit for a lateral conversion. It will require the endorsement of your commanding officer, so performance and aptitude are key issues. Make sure you play nice.
If it's any consolation, I really enjoyed being out to sea in the surface fleet. It's not nearly as glamorous as aviation, and you work really hard, but it has its own rewards. Good luck in your endeavors, which ever they are.
<I SWIM 'CAUSE I'M TOO DAMNED SEXY FOR SPORTS THAT REQUIRE CLOTHING>