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SWO vs. Supply

Which would you rather choose, SWO or Supply?

  • Total voters
    37
  • Poll closed .
ASHWND

ASHWND

(BDCP) Supply Corps OC
I was recently selected for SWO BDCP and possibly Supply BDCP (still waiting for board results from September) and I want to get everyones opinion on which choice they would take. I would appreciate it if you could provide an argument for your decision, as I will be using this to potentially help me in my decision. This poll is open to everyone and anyone.
 
N

navy09

Registered User
None
Do what interests you more. If driving and fighting the ship, being on a boarding team, manning a console in CIC sounds like something you'd enjoy doing- go SWO. If handling logistical problems, keeping everyone fed, paid, working in the HCO tower, sounds more fun/rewarding- go Supply.

Asking everyone what they would do is pointless because we're not you. Most people on this board think both jobs sound boring as shit and would rather fly...AIRwarriors...

Just an observation from cruise, the supply officers seemed almost like outsiders in the wardroom. Assuming you go to a small boy first, there will be a bunch of SWOs, a bunch of pilots, and 2 JOs from Supply in the wardroom. It's not like they're outcasts, but everyone else is working on something else. If you go to the ship as a 1st tour Supply officer, you'll be the only first tour chop onboard as opposed to going to your first ship/squadron as a URL where there are a bunch of 1st tour JOs.
 
ASHWND

ASHWND

(BDCP) Supply Corps OC
That is what I wanted, I want some outside perspective, just to make sure that I fully understand what to expect. Right now I don't really know what to expect for either job. I need stories and experiences of people who have done this before me to help me understand both communities. I know that AW is not the best place... I am also on SB and Warchop.

You mentioned a boarding team, can you explain a little more? Is it what I expect: guns, bullet proof vest, radios, etc.? I figured there was a special MP unit, Marines, or SEALs that handled that... would that be a possibility in SWO? If so, I think that I am sold on SWO. I really want to go SWO, and as soon as I am able to sign final doc's I will definitely sign SWO.
 
N

navy09

Registered User
None
ASHWND said:
You mentioned a boarding team, can you explain a little more? Is it what I expect: guns, bullet proof vest, radios, etc.?
Click to expand...

Do a search on here, SB, and Google for VBSS (visit, board, search, seizure). It's a SWO JO job, you may or may not be able to do it depending on your ship- usually just a few of the JOs are on the team. It would be a side duty and you wouldn't do it very often. Don't be a SWO just to do VBSS! Apply to BUD/S if you want to carry a gun everywhere.
 
picklesuit

picklesuit

Dirty Hinge
pilot
Contributor
Do what sounds fun and what you are willing to dedicate the next 8-20 years of your life to. Personally, I'd rather drive a ship than a desk (well I'd rather drive a plane than a ship, but back to the point) and be out there "Haze Grey, and Underway"
 
S

S.O.B.

Registered User
pilot
Personally I would go supply. Looking from the outside SWO looks pretty painful and supply looks like the best avenue for a career after the Navy. Again from the outside, but it also seems to me that supply corps officers are encouraged to pursue graduate education on the Navy's time. Another plus I see is that the supply corps career track is the most family friendly.

Surely there's a SUPO that can speak to these points.


The kicker for me would be that if the guys hate their own community and most do, then do you really want to be a part of it?
 
S

S.O.B.

Registered User
pilot
midn09 said:
Asking everyone what they would do is pointless because we're not you. Most people on this board think both jobs sound boring as shit and would rather fly...AIRwarriors...
Click to expand...

Exactly. Why would you want to get some different perspectives before making one of the biggest decisions of your life. What were you thinking?

midn09 said:
Just an observation from cruise, the supply officers seemed almost like outsiders in the wardroom. Assuming you go to a small boy first, there will be a bunch of SWOs, a bunch of pilots, and 2 JOs from Supply in the wardroom. It's not like they're outcasts, but everyone else is working on something else. If you go to the ship as a 1st tour Supply officer, you'll be the only first tour chop onboard as opposed to going to your first ship/squadron as a URL where there are a bunch of 1st tour JOs.
Click to expand...


This is a function of the personality not designator. I've seen this with Intel Os, SUPOs, DOCS, SWOs, and Aviators: if you're a dork your're not going to fit in. Imagine that....... True, it may be a little harder for the staff guys but the majority of guys and gals I've worked with have done just fine.
 
ASHWND

ASHWND

(BDCP) Supply Corps OC
S.O.B. said:
Exactly. Why would you want to get some different perspectives before making one of the biggest decisions of your life. What were you thinking?
Click to expand...

I wanted to see why others have chosen this path, so hopefully they would provide some examples of what lead them to make that choice, and hopefully I would be able to relate to that choice. Right now I want to go SWO, and so in order to make sure that I want to do this, I want to try to talk myself out of it, and if I can not do this then I know that I have made the right decision.

I also don't know much about the specifics of SWO, because there isn't a whole lot of gouge out there on what the first tour will be like, and what the career outlook is like (I am on Sailorbob now, so there is more info open to me) and people providing arguments as to why they would choose one over the other would answer these questions I had/have.

I know that this is probably the greatest decision of my life, which is why I haven't made this decision lightly. I am going SWO, I want to be a SWO, there is nothing more that I want than to be a CO of a ship one day... I appreciate everyone's comments, so far people from both communities have been great!
 
Lobster

Lobster

Well-Known Member
I think blackbearhockey has some gouge on SWO life from his 2/C cruise, I'm pretty sure he told me that it went by in swo motion ;)
 
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