<p>Ladies and Gentlemen,</p>
<p>I am offering to answer any questions you might have about the role of a Junior Officer in today's Surface Warfare community. I encourage anyone to ask questions, but specifically 1/C and 2/C, who are looking to the SWO community in the near future. </p>
<p>I just returned from 4 months on an Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer, who deployed to FIFTH, SEVENTH, and THIRD Fleet Areas Of Responsibility. </p>
<p>If you do not want to post questions, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>How important is the role of the Master Chief in your development as a new officer?</p>
<p>Good question. I am not sure if you are talking about the "Command Master Chief" or if you are aiming at the Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), normally a Senior Chief/Chief. Please let me know if you meant the LCPO (LCPO is the Chief who runs the division or department).</p>
<p>As for the CMC, he works directly under the Commanding Officer. The way I see his job, he is a liaison between the enlisted and Captain. He will bring up matters of concern that are affecting the crew. With respect to JOs, we really don't have a day-to-day interaction, other than saying "hi" in the passage way. </p>
<p>Our ship is gifted to have a wonderful CMC. He truly is always helping out and ensuring everyone is taken care of. I can never find him in his office because he is always out and about!</p>
<p>Forgive me if this question isn't what you had imagined as far as specificity or previous knowledge. </p>
<p>I'd appreciate a general overview of the tasks that you performed while serving as a junior SWO and the responsibilities placed upon you in the day to day environment upon the ship. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>After answering the above^</p>
<p>Do you begin to learn everyone's name or is it a pretty close knit community on a ship the size of a destroyer?</p>
<p>Good questions.</p>
<p>To start off, our ship was in the Arabian Gulf at the height of this summer's tensions between Israel and Iran. Iran made a threat that if Israel launched an attack against Iran, U.S. Navy warships, inside the Gulf, would be attacked. Of course this never happened, but we had to be aware of our surroundings.</p>
<p>Our ship also spent time in the Gulf of Aden (GOA) and Horn of Africa (HOA) region. Our ship conducted anti-piracy operations in this area. I am sure most of you are aware of the ongoing piracy problem. </p>
<p>As for a daily schedule, let me start off with my billets/jobs. First, I am the Combat Information Center Officer (CICO) which coincides with the Operations Intelligence (OI) Division (thus making me the OI Division Officer). OI Division falls under the Operations Department. CICO/OI Divo is responsible for most of the Combat Information Center and a few handfuls of Operational Specialists (OS). For collateral duties, I was the Tiger Cruise Coordinator (since it is now completed), the Public Affairs Officer, and Ship's Historian.</p>
<p>Each day there is time early in the morning to meet with our Department Heads or the Executive Officer to get the daily tasking (and underway it is a lot!). Then as division officers and leading (chief) petty officers, we pass what information needs to get done within the division and some general information. </p>
<p>Next, I usually work on tasking that I need to get done (and that isn't delegated). Quite a bit of time is spent reading, composing, and routing (chopping) Naval Messages. Some messages are a daily routine and some aren't, but routing these is a significant part of the day. For those 1/C who will find out if they will be SWOs in a week or two, I HIGHLY recommend that during the practicum class, ask about Naval Messages AND try to find their templates. Even though on our ship OPS Dept generally composes/routes them, it might be different on another ship and undoubtedly at some point in time, each officer needs to know these messages because it will be expected as a Department Head.</p>
<p>I am also in charge of the Daily Operations Brief. This brief, as implied is given daily while underway, and is done to inform the CO and the Wardroom/Chiefs Mess of the upcoming OPS calendar. I was also the "Weatherman" because our captain liked seeing the weather. I normally was able to get products from Navy weather providers, but sometimes I had to waste 1-2 hours to find out the weather for our location. I added features to the brief because I wanted to make it somewhat enjoyable -- I added NCAA Football, NFL Football, MLB (especially the World Series -- our captain was a Boston fan -- obviously, wasn't too happy about the outcome of the ALCS), PAO News, and quotes of the day. </p>
<p>Honestly, this is all of the daily, normal tasking. The brief, messages, and other tasking. Also factor in that you have to care for your people, so you have to make your rounds. I had a few families affected by the hurricane that overran TX. Separate from the hurricane, two of my guys lost close relatives (one a brother and another a close grandparent who was the guardian for a while). I had one UCMJ Article 15 NJP (Captain's Mast) for a person in my division. That person's punishment was overturned by the ISIC (immediate superior in charge), which is not all that common! </p>
<p>Now factor in that I had to coordinate the Tiger Cruise and this began about 1 month after I came aboard. I was sent a few documents and handed a Tiger welcome aboard folder and told to "get it done." I made a good decision in getting a first class petty officer to help me out. I was responsible for finding all of the references. Another note to all MIDN, you might be called a "Joe" if you know where to find every regulation at USNA. I HIGHLY recommend knowing where to find certain regulations (COMDTMIDNINST, USNAINST, OPNAV, SECNAV) because for every message or event that goes on, we need to print out the reference (or at least the applicable sections) and this can be a lengthy process. I had to track down Pacific Fleet, Third Fleet, and our Squadron's Instructions for conducting a Tiger Cruise. These instructions were a great deal of help because it outlined a lot of the process/procedures. I then generated an application and sent it out to the prospective Tigers via email. I had to also work with Dept. Heads and Divos to create a Schedule of Events (SOE) and present it to the XO and CO for approval. I also had to figure out a lot of logistics, such as how Tigers were to get to the ship. Once we got underway, I had to see that the Tiger SOE was being executed. The Tiger Cruise turned out to be a success and I got a lot of compliments (some seasoned Tigers told me that it was the best they had been on).</p>
<p>Now add that we have to work on qualifications to become Surface Warfare Officers and stand watch (about 9-10 hours per day). Don't forget we need to eat (adds up to 30 mins a day) and workout (I had time to only workout 10-12 times in a 4 month period -- "Fitness for Life" isn't really as important as it is made); this wasn't my choosing. Start factoring in that when things don't get done (because you have to prioritize), you get yelled out and the senior leadership gets disgusted because you couldn't complete something. </p>
<p>In this day and age, JO SWOs have more to do than "back in the day." Captain and XO said this to a group of JOs. </p>
<p>As for being a small knit community, yes it is easy to learn people's names. This is the exact reason I chose a DDG. </p>
<p>For all MIDN, I highly suggest that you REALLY UNDERSTAND what it means to "take care of your people." It seems that this phrase is used a lot, but it isn't executed. In other words, a lot of people care more about their reputation and will use any resource at hand to ensure they "look good." Don't be that person because EVERYONE sees right through it. If you aren't placing your people right behind the mission, then I would suggest doing so. I have told many people, including my family, that the best part of going to work, is knowing that you are working with some very intelligent and hard working people, who will literally bend backwards to help anyone out. Your division almost becomes another family, but this will only happen if you make them a priority.</p>
<p>Finally, as 1/C are about to hear their selections, I will be more than happy to answer any more questions that can get you geared to SWO. I would use your SWO Practicum Officer as a GOOD RESOURCE in finding out what you need to know before you join the fleet. I know most 1/C don't know what they need to know. I will try to come up with a list of topics for any 1/C that wants them.</p>
<p>Wow, nice write up. It's good to see what a usual day is specifically like.</p>