Tag Archives: SWOS

New Workshops at SWO School Putting Focus on Leader, Crew Performance and Wellness at Sea

New Workshops at SWO School Putting Focus on Leader, Crew Performance and Wellness at Sea

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A student in the Pilot convening of the Officer of the Deck Phase II course works at the Automatic Radar Plotting Aid station in a Ship Simulator at Surface Warfare Schools Command. OOD-II will be introduced to the fleet concentration areas in October, 2021, and will be taught at SWSC’s Mariner Skills Training Command Pacific (MSTCPAC) in San Diego, Calif., and Mariner Skills Training Command Atlantic (MSTCLANT) in Norfolk, Va., on US Navy Photo

Future ship commanders and executive officers are getting new tools to prepare for the rigors of leadership at sea as part of a new series of courses to boost their own mental and physical skills and tactical performance of their ships’ crews. Read More →

Surface Warfare Training Growing More Complex with Tougher Scenarios

Surface Warfare Training Growing More Complex with Tougher Scenarios

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Chief Intelligence Specialist William Buller video records pre-aim calibration (PAC) fire maintenance on MK-45 MOD 4 5-inch 62 caliber lightweight gun aboard USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) on July 7, 2020. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s plans to create tougher advanced-phase training events for surface ships are made possible by improvements in individual-level training for surface warfare officers and sailors, according to the officers that oversee the spectrum of surface training. Read More →

Navy Says JO Ship-Driving Skills Show Modest Improvement as GAO Raises Questions on New Training Regimes

Navy Says JO Ship-Driving Skills Show Modest Improvement as GAO Raises Questions on New Training Regimes

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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 →

Navy Wants to Bolster Advanced Schoolhouse Training to Prep SWOs for Higher-Level Fight

Navy Wants to Bolster Advanced Schoolhouse Training to Prep SWOs for Higher-Level Fight

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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 →

New JO Deck Course Showing Results, Boosting Young SWOs’ Competency

New JO Deck Course Showing Results, Boosting Young SWOs’ Competency

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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 →

New Surface Forces Instruction Restricts Who Can Earn a SWO Pin

New Surface Forces Instruction Restricts Who Can Earn a SWO Pin

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Capt. John F. Meier, then commanding officer USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), and Susan Ford Bales, ship’s sponsor, pin on Lt. j.g. Nicole Oliver’s surface warfare officer device, held inside the ship’s in-port cabin in 2016. US Navy Photo

This post has been updated to specify that there are no restrictions on who an individual ship commander could qualify as an officer of the deck.

The Navy is tightening up who can be qualified as a surface warfare officer and reserving time on the bridge for officers who are on a path to command warships, the commander of Naval Surface Force told USNI News this week. Read More →

New Surface Warfare Officer Career Path Stresses Fundamentals; More Training Before First Ship, More Time At Sea

New Surface Warfare Officer Career Path Stresses Fundamentals; More Training Before First Ship, More Time At Sea

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Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer observes training in the littoral combat ship simulator during a visit to Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS) Command June 12, 2018. US Navy Photo

The U.S. Navy is retooling the career path for surface warfare officers in the aftermath of last year’s fatal guided-missile destroyer collisions. The plan requires more school for new officers before they report to their first ships, institutes a new testing regime through major commands and shapes the career path so SWOs spend more time at sea. Read More →