Ens. Autumn Estrada stands watch as the conning officer in the pilothouse of USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) on July 8, 2019. US Navy Photo
Navy ship-driving skills of its junior officers have seen modest improvements over last the two years since the fatal collisions in the Western Pacific that resulted in the death of 17 sailors, according to testing data obtained by USNI News. Read More
Ensigns Jeffrey Wong, Micheal Marner, Jesse Himes, and David Garza stand watch aboard a simulated bridge during the inaugural Junior Officer of the Deck (JOOD) course at Naval Base San Diego. The four-week course, a new addition to the revised Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) career path, includes training in a broad range of integrated bridge fundamentals. With this course, newly commissioned ensigns now attend both the Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC) and JOOD to prepare them to drive ships and lead Sailors. US Navy photo.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – As the Navy emphasizes foundational basics in training the surface fleet, schoolhouse officials are weighing adding more warfare training and skills for mid-grade surface warfare officers attending advanced courses. Read More
Ens. David Williams, from Sagamore Hills, Ohio, left, and Lt. j.g. Kevin Hunter, from Pittsburg, right use the ship’s surface radar to locate surface contacts aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62). US Navy Photo
SAN DIEGO – The Navy is continuing its drive to better train junior surface warfare officers, rolling out new courses in San Diego and Norfolk to try to increase the overall proficiency of these officers before they show up to ships. Read More
Capt. Scott Robertson, commander of Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS), poses with the first 12 ensigns to complete the first pilot Junior Officer of the Deck (JOOD) Course. The initial pilot course was designed to build upon the foundational shiphandling skills students learned at the basic Division Officer Course, placing the junior officers in realistic navigation environments they could expect to find themselves in at sea. US Navy photo.
Twelve ensigns completed a pilot Junior Officer of the Deck (JOOD) Course launched in the aftermath of several high-profile surface navy collisions this year and a Comprehensive Review that highlighted the need for additional navigation training. Read More
