Really stupid questions about life as a SWO and anything else not aviation related [mod dog wuz hərə]

[Gatordev]

What are moboards?

They're a polar graph system w/ a sliding scale of range. Basically you use ratios to "decode" the scale. They allow someone to predict where another ship will be many hours in advance, and yet, it comes as a huge surprise to Shoes when that same ship appear exactly where it should have been hours later.

 

[SynixMan]

What are some of the qualifications other than CICWO and Engineering Officer on Watch, than you can use to further your career as a SWO?

Junior Officer of the Deck, Officer of the Deck...

 

[skim]

^which all lead to SWO. The only one I can think of is EOOW.

 

[Spekkio]

Is SWO EOOW like nuke EOOW? Eg, if you have a 4th grade reading comprehension level, are anal retentive about following procedures, and can memorize immediate actions for 4 casualties that require you to actually do something you can operate the propulsion plant safely?

 

[navybrat88]

My recruiter said that there are anywhere from 6-10 SWOs on board destroyers and maybe a few more give or take for Cruisers does anybody know how accurate that is? More or less?

 

[navybrat88]

They're a polar graph system w/ a sliding scale of range. Basically you use ratios to "decode" the scale. They allow someone to predict where another ship will be many hours in advance, and yet, it comes as a huge surprise to Shoes when that same ship appear exactly where it should have been hours later.

Interesting thanks, is that technology on board every ship or just AEGIS ships?

 

[scoolbubba]

Interesting thanks, is that technology on board every ship or just AEGIS ships?

Moboards....technology? It's just pencil and paper....

 

[PropAddict]

It's just a sheet of graph paper, man. It's not some kind of high-tech, world-beater gear.

 

[RadicalDude]

Interesting thanks, is that technology on board every ship or just AEGIS ships?

It was originally only reserved for submarines because Rickover pulled the Navy's purse strings. But in recent years, thanks to budgeting changes, and the fact that the CNO is a SWO, moboards are now available to most of the surface fleet.

 

[navybrat88]

Moboards....technology? It's just pencil and paper....

Makes quite a bit more sense. Thanks

 

[SynixMan]

Interesting thanks, is that technology on board every ship or just AEGIS ships?

www.sailorbob.com

 

[CommodoreMid]

My recruiter said that there are anywhere from 6-10 SWOs on board destroyers and maybe a few more give or take for Cruisers does anybody know how accurate that is? More or less?

Um, pretty inaccurate. This link will give you the crew numbers for ship classes. http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact.asp DDGs have over 25 officers on board. Look around for the other wardroom sizes.

 

[Gatordev]

Um, pretty inaccurate. This link will give you the crew numbers for ship classes. http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact.asp DDGs have over 25 officers on board. Look around for the other wardroom sizes.

Not sure if it's the same on other ships, but on the frigates, they seem to making up for attrition (people getting out at the end of their first tour) with increased accessions. The one I'm about to go out on has 23 O's, NOT including the air det (which adds at least another 6). The FFG I was on last year had more.

 

[SWO Bubba]

Not sure if it's the same on other ships, but on the frigates, they seem to making up for attrition (people getting out at the end of their first tour) with increased accessions. The one I'm about to go out on has 23 O's, NOT including the air det (which adds at least another 6). The FFG I was on last year had more.

The increased accessions for the SWO community this year (and likely next year) have nothing to do with SWO attrition. Rather, the plus up is to help RL and Staff Corps health through SWO options (SWO for 2-4 yrs then automatically to IP, ED, METOC, IW or Intel) as well as the normal lat/xfer process. SWO retention is in the mid 40% right now - best in many years.

 

[Gatordev]

The increased accessions for the SWO community this year (and likely next year) have nothing to do with SWO attrition. Rather, the plus up is to help RL and Staff Corps health through SWO options (SWO for 2-4 yrs then automatically to IP, ED, METOC, IW or Intel) as well as the normal lat/xfer process. SWO retention is in the mid 40% right now - best in many years.

So what about the previous 5-10 years? The frigates I've been on have always been over-manned. You're right, I don't know enough about the specifics of the community to claim cause and effect, but lots of Ensigns around initially and then hearing ~40% (or less) does make me wonder.