And on the fourth day...
So it turns out there is a little more to SDO than I realized...okay a LOT more.
Instead of being the glorified phone receptionist of VT past, we actually do stuff and have responsibility. The PQS for SDO is about 3 pages, and is actually pretty well designed. The whole point is that you are, basically, working directly for the CO ensuring completion of the Flight Schedule and daily running/good order/safety of the squadron.
I had a good bit of reading this morning, from the SDO binder to the Mishap Plan, and a crash course on Sitrep/Message writing...(Template, chop, rewrite, chop, finish,send...) Then it was off to meet many of the players you deal with on a daily basis of SDO'ing (MO/OPSO/Legal O/Safety) to get their take on what you will be doing...although I think the best advice was not so much knowing "what to do" as it is "knowing where to look" to find out what to do and who to call.
If any of you are the FNG in the future be sure to get a really good, in depth understanding of these responsibilities...it seems like SDO can be a quick way to make yourself look like a real douchebag in front of the head office and DH's...or you can look like you have a good head on your shoulders and can handle the "adaptability/flexibility" that comes with having responsibility in a squadron...Have a plan, have the answer, know who has the answer,or be able to find it very quickly...and don't let the CO gt surprised because you kept him in the dark...
And on a final note, it IS a small Navy...sometimes you find out how small that Navy is when you hear about your posts, second hand, from other people in the squadron that you didn't know were on AW's...which means what you post DOES get read by people that DO directly impact your life...and hopefully you haven't said anything regrettable, foolish, or made yourself out to be any more of a douchebag than you really are...
I guess I'll find out soon...
Pickle