Questions about OCS and gym facilities onboard ships

[Fluffplc]

I recently got selected for SWO. I don't 100% understand the process yet, but from I gather after OCS, we go to BDOC and then get assigned to a ship/port?

I compete in triathlons and similar races and wondered what kind of training facilities would be available to me at BDOC and on ships. I've heard there aren't any pools on ships, so that means I can't practice my swimming at all when I'm at sea?

I've also heard gyms on ships can be very small with almost no equipment, unless you're on a carrier. Is that true? Working out is very important to me, does that mean I need to try to get on a carrier or one of the larger ships?

Also, how long does it take to get a SWO pin? I've looked online. Some sources say ~18 months, others say ~24 years.

Questions about OCS:

1. Can I bring a lacrosse ball with me? I like to roll around on one when I'm sore
2. Can I bring a night guard? Dentist made me one because I grind my teeth when I sleep, he said to wear it every night so I don't screw up my teeth
3. After OCS, do we go back home to get our stuff before we go to BDOC? I'm putting my stuff in storage; I don't have a lot of stuff but it's about 4 suitcases. It would be very annoying to carry around. Do I bring all that stuff to BDOC and then to the ship/port I'm assigned to?

Appreciate the help.

 

[Fluffplc]

Also wanted to add. For my first 2-3 years if possible I'd like to stay ashore as much as possible for personal reasons. Is that possible to do as a SWO? What kind of path should I take to ensure that? Will staying ashore for most of the first few years delay me in getting my pin?

 

[Brett327]

I'd like to stay ashore as much as possible for personal reasons.

In that case, the Navy may not be for you. You're going to be at sea a lot - especially during your first two tours.

 

[Fluffplc]

In that case, the Navy may not be for you. You're going to be at sea a lot - especially during your first two tours.

My OR told me it always depended, some SWOs spend more time ashore than others. Is that true? But I can't find a clear answer online. How much of the first 2 years does a SWO spend at sea on average?

 

[Larick]

Congratulations! So the process may have changed, but what typically happens for SWOs at OCS is that they will get you all together in a room with a ship list. The fun part comes when your class tries to figure out who goes first. My class did it with priors going first, then nukes, then by merit. Either way however you do it, someone will have a ship assigned to them before you leave OCS. You'll then go to BDOC followed by additional schools before showing up to your ship.

So BDOC is just a training building on a naval base. You'll have access to the base gym while attending BDOC and some have a pool right next to it.

If the gym is your thing, then go on an amphib instead of a carrier for professional reasons. The gym on amphibs is bigger than the cruiser and destroyer setups, but you'll just have to compete against more people on an amphib, heck maybe even marines if they are onboard.

How long it takes to get qualified as a SWO depends all on you. Some folks get it while they're an ENS and others get it right after promoting to LTJG (24 months). But for numbers, you'll have 30 months on your first tour to get qualified, which is more than enough if you pick a ship that is operational vice in the yards.

 

[Larick]

My OR told me it always depended, some SWOs spend more time ashore than others. Is that true? But I can't find a clear answer online. How much of the first 2 years does a SWO spend at sea on average?

So some SWOs do spend more time ashore than others. Its mostly for medical/physical reasons. But as a newly commissioned SWO, the Navy will eventually get their 48 months of sea duty out of you during your Division Officer tours.

 

[Fluffplc]

Congratulations! So the process may have changed, but what typically happens for SWOs at OCS is that they will get you all together in a room with a ship list. The fun part comes when your class tries to figure out who goes first. My class did it with priors going first, then nukes, then by merit. Either way however you do it, someone will have a ship assigned to them before you leave OCS. You'll then go to BDOC followed by additional schools before showing up to your ship.

So BDOC is just a training building on a naval base. You'll have access to the base gym while attending BDOC and some have a pool right next to it.

If the gym is your thing, then go on an amphib instead of a carrier for professional reasons. The gym on amphibs is bigger than the cruiser and destroyer setups, but you'll just have to compete against more people on an amphib, heck maybe even marines if they are onboard.

How long it takes to get qualified as a SWO depends all on you. Some folks get it while they're an ENS and others get it right after promoting to LTJG (24 months). But for numbers, you'll have 36 months on your first tour to get qualified, which is more than enough if you pick a ship that is operational vice in the yards.

Thanks. So no swimming pools on any ships then? Swimming is just a passion of mine, just wondering.

I've heard that new SWOs need to be careful about what ship they pick. But it seems like everyone has a personal preference on which kind of ship is the best. So I've seen people saying carriers aren't good for SWO careers, while others say they're fine, etc. Does the ship I get really have a big impact on the rest of my career?

Is getting my pin dependent on how hard I try? Theoretically I could get it in about a year?

So some SWOs do spend more time ashore than others. Its mostly for medical/physical reasons. But as a newly commissioned SWO, the Navy will eventually get their 48 months of sea duty out of you during your Division Officer tours.

My OR said something about 48 months of sea duty. When I asked about that, he said something about those 48 months being divided between shore and sea, and hard to tell how my time will be divided. What he said was a bit confusing. Is that 48 months at sea as a SWO, or 48 months in total (divided between shore and sea)?

Do you have any say in staying ashore if you don't have some kind of medical or physical issue? And will staying ashore for first 2ish years delay me in getting my pin?

 

[Brett327]

So no swimming pools on any ships then?

Is getting my pin dependent on how hard I try?

And will staying ashore for first 2ish years delay me in getting my pin?

Is this guy for real? Come on dude.

 

[Jim123]

The air capable smallboys have been known to have a swimming pool. The helicopter detachment smuggles it aboard and keeps it hidden (sometimes in the sonobuoy Iocker, sometimes in the helo maintenance office) and sets it up on the flight deck, close to the hangar door and out of sight of the flight deck camera (so the SWOs on duty in CIC won't know it's there). Other times they're quite brazen about it and they'll set it up in plain view during steel beach picnics. These pools are typically about 6-8' in diameter (circular in design) and approximately 0.1 fathoms deep once filled with the ship's potable water.

 

[HAL Pilot]

The Navy doesn't care about your triathlons, love of swimming, desire to stay on shore duty the first few years (which is NOT going to happen) or anything else that is a personal desire of a brand new Ensign.

If you continue and actually go into the Navy, you are in for a very rude awakening. My guess is that your are going to be miserable.

What is even more absurd is that you've made me agree with Brett,. Fuck. This ruins my day.

 

[Larick]

If you count overflow berthing flooded out when a pipe bursts as a pool. Then sure, swim in that. There's also the big pool surrounding you when you're underway, but I wouldn't swim in that unless you wanna get in trouble if its not an authorized swim call .

Every ship class does different missions. As a new SWO, you can go to any ship for your first DIVO tour except a minesweeper or carrier. After that, go wherever you want, except a carrier. You don't do a lot of "SWO stuff" there. The ship you get will not have a big impact on the rest of your career. However, your performance out at sea will have a major impact on your career.

Yes, how hard you try, in combination with your ship's schedule, will determine how fast you can get your pin. If you're just starting deployment, then you should have no reason to not get qualified before you come back. If you're in the yards getting the ship fixed, then you'll go on other ships that support extra ship riders to stand watch and get some experience before getting qualified. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get qualified as a new SWO. Just get qualified before your first tour ends or you risk being kicked out.

 

[Griz882]

So no swimming pools on any ships then?

In the Navy the ships are actually in the pool…we call them oceans.

Do you have any say in staying ashore…?

No, you can try for a ship that is entering a yard period, but that doesn’t mean you get all day to play gym rat.

Does the ship I get really have a big impact on the rest of my career?

Not really, but then again neither does being a triathlete. The primary issue with being on a large ship like a carrier is that you are competing for something with a LOT of other people…time to prove your SWO skills. I personally know two Olympic gold medalists and neither could beat time.

 

[Fluffplc]

If you count overflow berthing flooded out when a pipe bursts as a pool. Then sure, swim in that. There's also the big pool surrounding you when you're underway, but I wouldn't swim in that unless you wanna get in trouble if its not an authorized swim call .

Every ship class does different missions. As a new SWO, you can go to any ship for your first DIVO tour except a minesweeper or carrier. After that, go wherever you want, except a carrier. You don't do a lot of "SWO stuff" there. The ship you get will not have a big impact on the rest of your career. However, your performance out at sea will have a major impact on your career.

Yes, how hard you try, in combination with your ship's schedule, will determine how fast you can get your pin. If you're just starting deployment, then you should have no reason to not get qualified before you come back. If you're in the yards getting the ship fixed, then you'll go on other ships that support extra ship riders to stand watch and get some experience before getting qualified. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get qualified as a new SWO. Just get qualified before your first tour ends or you risk being kicked out.

Thanks for the serious reply. A lot of information I'm finding online seems to be outdated a bit so I'm not sure what's still relevant. Just trying to get a sense of what the job will be like so I won't be too surprised when I actually start. Appreciate the help

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I am having a very low confidence in your recruiter, either they are just completely clueless or have been just saying what you want to hear to get you in, what did your OR do in the USN because I am really wondering what was going on with him or her.

Sea time is the norm for new SWO's as like has been said you need to get your pin and to do that you need sea time and to be a part of things like entering and leaving port, underway replenishment, and many others.

A rough schedule that we had on a CVN and it appeared our small ships with us had a similar schedule was something like 6 months yards, then workups/local ops in and out of port for 6 months, then a 6 month deployment, and then 6 months local ops in and out of port. There are some that go into the yards for extended times but in those cases I have known SWO's to get sent TAD to ships going to sea so they can get experience.

 

[Brett327]

Thanks for the serious reply. A lot of information I'm finding online seems to be outdated a bit so I'm not sure what's still relevant. Just trying to get a sense of what the job will be like so I won't be too surprised when I actually start. Appreciate the help

Let’s back up a bit. What interests you about the Navy and why do you want to be a SWO. If you don’t want to go to sea, that seems like an odd career choice. Give us some insight into your motivations and long term plans.