Is SWO Really That Bad?

[MGoBrew11]

How you stand duty will depend on your squadron. At my first squadron we had to stay on base for 24hrs. If the sked was done you could go to the BOQ and rack out. But your duty day was usually 0600-0300 by the time the last flight finished and all the stuff got cleaned up. Then back to squadron by 0545 the next morning to make coffee, start the day, and wait for your relief to show up. If it was a weekend you still had to stay on base but could hit the gym, pool, NEX, etc.

Everything is a little squadron dependent. What community were you in/when was your JO tour? I have never heard of SDO being THAT rough. Pretty much every helo squadron in San Diego has 0700 turnover for SDO. No one has to stay on base anymore. In fact, a few years ago it had been so long since an SDO had used a BOQ room that the wing just stopped paying for them. I have only had to be at the squadron for duty on weekends for turnover or on the off weekends that we were flying. Very rare.

Yeah, SDO days can be rough. But there is no way on earth that your days as an SDO in your first fleet squadron are worse than what you go through in the first four years as a SWO.

EDIT: Nvm, I see you were HSC. Maybe it was the norm to stay on base for SDO when you were there but it is definitely not anymore.

 

[MGoBrew11]

Thanks, Brew. When you say 'stand duty', is that standing watch for hours at a time?

I am of the understanding that even a SWO ensign is in charge of a division of sailors. As JG or full LT aviator, are you in charge of any sailors at all?
If the answer is no, perhaps the whole 'leadership at an early age' is overrated, and is it fun to simply fly for the Navy?

Kind of. Standing duty an aviation squadron is a watch. You're basically in charge of running the flight schedule. It is hectic but once you get used to it, it is not such a big deal.

SWOs have watches on ships for sure, but when they are simply "on duty" on the ship, they may or may not have a watch. Ships always have a portion of the ship on them. When you are "on duty" it is your turn to stay on the ship for 24 hours. You work on whatever needs to get done on the ship.

I've been in the Navy for 8 years as a pilot and I have never been in charge of a division of sailors. But I've been greater than a 100 miles from the ship/base, without comms with my CO, and having to make big boy decisions about the $45 million aircraft I signed for and the safety of my crew. It is a different form of leadership. I think the whole Divo "leadership" experience can be overblown.

 

[Python]

I've been in the Navy for 8 years as a pilot and I have never been in charge of a division of sailors. But I've been greater than a 100 miles from the ship/base, without comms with my CO, and having to make big boy decisions about the $45 million aircraft I signed for and the safety of my crew. It is a different form of leadership. I think the whole Divo "leadership" experience can be overblown.

This x 1000

 

[NevarYalnal]

Thanks. What is RO, please?

Reactor Officer

 

[Gatordev]

EDIT: Nvm, I see you were HSC. Maybe it was the norm to stay on base for SDO when you were there but it is definitely not anymore.

It varied from squadron to squadron, but overall, it was a thing in the few years after 9/11, hence why your Wing was still paying for the rooms. Getting rid of staying on base was, again, dependent on squadron. In 2002, it wasn't a thing anymore for HSL in Hawaii, but was for some squadrons at NASNI. VP was doing it for a while in HI, as well.

When I was a FRP, I was standing duty the first weekend night after 9/11 and I was sleeping in a cot in the wardroom at -41 while the squadron kept working, getting ready for...something.

Sleep tight America. The FRP has the watch.

 

[JWL]

This x 1000

Kind of. Standing duty an aviation squadron is a watch. You're basically in charge of running the flight schedule. It is hectic but once you get used to it, it is not such a big deal.

SWOs have watches on ships for sure, but when they are simply "on duty" on the ship, they may or may not have a watch. Ships always have a portion of the ship on them. When you are "on duty" it is your turn to stay on the ship for 24 hours. You work on whatever needs to get done on the ship.

I've been in the Navy for 8 years as a pilot and I have never been in charge of a division of sailors. But I've been greater than a 100 miles from the ship/base, without comms with my CO, and having to make big boy decisions about the $45 million aircraft I signed for and the safety of my crew. It is a different form of leadership. I think the whole Divo "leadership" experience can be overblown.

Got it. And, aviators do not need to stay on a ship for 24 hours while in port like some SWO officers do?

Yes, being in charge an expensive aircraft is a big deal, to say the least.

 

[JWL]

Reactor Officer

Thanks, Nevar.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Thanks, Renegade. Happy holidays.

Thanks. What is RO, please?

If the nuke path seems to be restricted and fraught with risks, why do people do it?

There are people that do it for a few reasons, some had their last few years of college paid for in NUPOC, others go for it because of the opportunities it can set you up for when a person is out, some people just like working in power plant operations.

Duty for a officer on their first CVN will often be a 24 hour watch, when needed you are called down to supervise, it could be a Saturday where you go down to do a tour every 6 hours, or you could be down there for operations for 18 hours.

as a second tour on a CVN they will stand a 24 hour watch, and mostly just support the 1st tour officer, duty as a second tour SWO-N isn't that bad

 

[Pags]

Everything is a little squadron dependent. What community were you in/when was your JO tour? I have never heard of SDO being THAT rough. Pretty much every helo squadron in San Diego has 0700 turnover for SDO. No one has to stay on base anymore. In fact, a few years ago it had been so long since an SDO had used a BOQ room that the wing just stopped paying for them. I have only had to be at the squadron for duty on weekends for turnover or on the off weekends that we were flying. Very rare.

Yeah, SDO days can be rough. But there is no way on earth that your days as an SDO in your first fleet squadron are worse than what you go through in the first four years as a SWO.

EDIT: Nvm, I see you were HSC. Maybe it was the norm to stay on base for SDO when you were there but it is definitely not anymore.

Yeah, it's been 11yrs since my fleet experience and my fleet squadron was definitely the Beta House of the seawall (aka evil fraternity), if there was a choice between easy or painful, we always chose painful. The other squadrons in the Wing didn't have the same duty pain but we had to do it out way. Did I mention duty had to be stood in khakis?

My shore tour was more like you described. Flight suits with a sheriff's badge and more gentlemanly hours since we weren't flying night flights until 0200.
However, if you asked me which of my sea tours, between the squadron and the disassociated, was the best, I'd pick the boat every damn time. The Captain who went to Leavenworth was a far better Skipper than any of my fleet skippers.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

The Captain who went to Leavenworth was a far better Skipper than any of my fleet skippers.

Seems like a story there........

 

[Pags]

Seems like a story there........

I've told it before (but perhaps in PNA), the Captain of the LHD I was on had been involved in Fat Leonard shennagins when he was at 7th Fleet. Once the investigations started he was relieved and shortly thereafter I believe pled guilty. But, it left me with really mixed feelings because before all of that came to light he had been a really good Captain (and no, I didn't get invited to any of the parties).

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I've told it before (but perhaps in PNA), the Captain of the LHD I was on had been involved in Fat Leonard shennagins when he was at 7th Fleet. Once the investigations started he was relieved and shortly thereafter I believe pled guilty. But, it left me with really mixed feelings because before all of that came to light he had been a really good Captain (and no, I didn't get invited to any of the parties).

I was stationed with a few of the officers involved, little interaction with them, they gave the impression they walked on water.

 

[Renegade One]

And, aviators do not need to stay on a ship for 24 hours while in port like some SWO officers do?

Not so fast...some (many?) squadron officers will remain onboard, if the squadron is embarked on the ship. In port on deployment, the "duty guys" will have lots of watches to stand...liberty boat officer (if anchored out), Shore Patrol (in most foreign ports), usually a JO will be assigned as the Admin Officer Ashore, if you have a squadron hotel suite as an "ashore squadron HQ"; yesterdays SDO will usually come to the Admin at first opportunity to deliver mail and "stuff" for the CO/XO as required, Back on the ship, there's always Squadron Duty Officer, Air Wing Duty Officer, and Integrity Watch Officer watches (I assume these are still a thing...). I may have left some stuff out, but yeah...lots of opportunities to stay onboard for 24 hours during your duty day.

 

[Hair Warrior]

I bet @mad dog was an outstanding Watch Officer.

 

[mad dog]

I bet @mad dog was an outstanding Watch Officer.

Probably...