CWO, IPO, SUPPO???

[anddolinsky]

Hi, I am a high school student that is looking to join as a Navy Officer after college. There is not to main forums that have to do with CWO or IPO. I am very good with math and numbers but I don't know. Also, I don't really know what to major in that will best benefit me for one of these jobs? Thanks for your help.

 

[NevarYalnal]

If you're set on a career as a Naval Officer after college then you should look to applying to the Naval Academy or enrolling in a college with a Navy ROTC program. As far as requirements for your desired designators, look up the program authorizations here:

MyNavyHR

 

[anddolinsky]

Thank you for the response. But isn't it true that NROTC only allows you to be certain kinds of designations?

 

[NevarYalnal]

Thank you for the response. But isn't it true that NROTC only allows you to be certain kinds of designations?

not 100% sure, but you are guaranteed a commission and can lateral transfer down the line even if that were the case. OCS route is more competitive so I would go for NROTC while that is still an option.

 

[anddolinsky]

not 100% sure, but you are guaranteed a commission and can lateral transfer down the line even if that were the case. OCS route is more competitive so I would go for NROTC while that is still an option.

Thank you for your response. I went ahead and sent a quick email to clarify. Not directed towards you, but do you think these commissions are good for someone like me, who is interested in math and numbers?

 

[NevarYalnal]

STEM degrees give you a leg up on many of the designators so I would say yes.

 

[egiv]

Thank you for the response. But isn't it true that NROTC only allows you to be certain kinds of designations?

Yes, for the most part. If you strictly want to be a CWO or IP officer, academy or ROTC are bad choices. They are allowing some graduates to commission into those job designators, but it’s a tiny percentage. Lateral transfer isn’t guaranteed.

If you just want to be in the Navy and are okay with possibly driving a ship or flying a plane, academy and ROTC are good, if competitive, options and get you a free education. Otherwise enjoy college and then go to OCS.

Most of all, don’t rely on information from random people on an Internet forum for important life decisions... talk to your guidance counselor or an officer recruiter. Good luck.

 

[AllAmerican75]

but you are guaranteed a commission and can lateral transfer down the line even if that were the case.

Not necessarily true. You can participate in NROTC and not receive a commission. I know this from personal experience. You must secure a commissioning contract or scholarship to be commissioned upon graduation through NROTC. Lateral transfers can be very competitive and take years to get to the point where you're eligible to switch communities. It's better to pursue your first choice instead of relying upon administrative selection boards.

OCS route is more competitive so I would go for NROTC while that is still an option.

This is not necessarily true either. Since you have no information in your bio, I'm going to assume you pulled this fact out of your ass.

 

[anddolinsky]

Yes, for the most part. If you strictly want to be a CWO or IP officer, academy or ROTC are bad choices. They are allowing some graduates to commission into those job designators, but it’s a tiny percentage. Lateral transfer isn’t guaranteed.

If you just want to be in the Navy and are okay with possibly driving a ship or flying a plane, academy and ROTC are good, if competitive, options and get you a free education. Otherwise enjoy college and then go to OCS.

Most of all, don’t rely on information from random people on an Internet forum for important life decisions... talk to your guidance counselor or an officer recruiter. Good luck.

I see in your bio that you are a CW. How is it on a day to day basis? Is it super competitive to get into? Basically, so you like it?

 

[egiv]

I see in your bio that you are a CW. How is it on a day to day basis? Is it super competitive to get into? Basically, so you like it?

I love it.

Day-to-day is hard to say because it depends where you’re stationed and we have a pretty wide range of things we can do. Typically, we do our first tours at a large NSA site, then go to a ship/Fly in EP-3s/subs/NSW, then either go to NPS for a masters or possibly back to NSA to do a cyber tour. With that said, there’s no set path as a junior officer, which is nice compared to other communities.

I won’t begin to comment on chances of getting selected, not my bag. I’m sure it’s competitive, but I would use that as motivation to do well in school rather than not pursue it. You’ve got plenty of time to research the requirements and set yourself up; after 4 years if you still want to do it, go for it.

 

[anddolinsky]

I love it.

Day-to-day is hard to say because it depends where you’re stationed and we have a pretty wide range of things we can do. Typically, we do our first tours at a large NSA site, then go to a ship/Fly in EP-3s/subs/NSW, then either go to NPS for a masters or possibly back to NSA to do a cyber tour. With that said, there’s no set path as a junior officer, which is nice compared to other communities.

I won’t begin to comment on chances of getting selected, not my bag. I’m sure it’s competitive, but I would use that as motivation to do well in school rather than not pursue it. You’ve got plenty of time to research the requirements and set yourself up; after 4 years if you still want to do it, go for it.

Thank you for taking time to respond. What would you recommend I major in during college. As far as CW/IP, what degree would best suit me. These are the ones listed on the navy website.

• Information Systems
• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Information Operations
• Computer Science
• Systems Engineering

 

[AllAmerican75]

Thank you for taking time to respond. What would you recommend I major in during college. As far as CW/IP, what degree would best suit me. These are the ones listed on the navy website.

• Information Systems
• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Information Operations
• Computer Science
• Systems Engineering

Do you actually want to study any of those? Have you looked into what earning any of those degrees entails? Getting a degree isn't just about getting a check in the box for a commission but for earning professional qualifications so you can later work in those fields. Only you can know what degree best suits you.

 

[egiv]

Thank you for taking time to respond. What would you recommend I major in during college. As far as CW/IP, what degree would best suit me. These are the ones listed on the navy website.

• Information Systems
• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Information Operations
• Computer Science
• Systems Engineering

With so much time in front of you, I’d recommend studying what interests you rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. What you want in 4-5 years may change from now. Generally, CW prefers STEM degrees like the ones you listed, but officers are leaders/managers, not technical specialists. I was a history major.

 

[AllAmerican75]

With so much time in front of you, I’d recommend studying what interests you rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. What you want in 4-5 years may change from now. Generally, CW prefers STEM degrees like the ones you listed, but officers are leaders/managers, not technical specialists. I was a history major.

I find this is very common in the IP and CW communities. It always struck me as odd, but then again one of the most knowledgeable CWs I worked with was a music major.

 

[egiv]

I find this is very common in the IP and CW communities. It always struck me as odd, but then again one of the most knowledgeable CWs I worked with was a music major.

Yeah, I actually think it’s more beneficial to have a broader perspective and then learn the technical stuff in the Navy. I’ve met a fair amount of extremely intelligent, tech savvy CWs who are crappy officers because they can’t communicate or aren’t interested in leading sailors or playing their role on the team.