Surface Warfare Officer......is it rewarding?

[phham]

The Supply DH on a CVN is an O-5 and every carrier tour I did he was the DH that was shit on by pretty much every other DH and the CO/XO, nearly impossible to get everything right as a CVN Supply Officer.

Oh, well that certainly sucks the big one. If SUPPO is in fact a thankless job, then perhaps 4 years in and out is the way to go.

And, what are the upsides of obtaining a SW Supply badge? Once again, does it entail standing watch like other SW officers? Thanks.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Oh, well that certainly sucks the big one. If SUPPO is in fact a thankless job, then perhaps 4 years in and out is the way to go.

And, what are the upsides of obtaining a SW Supply badge? Once again, does it entail standing watch like other SW officers? Thanks.

I know a few that didn't do a CVN Supply Officer DH tour and they had great times, there are lots of fun things those guys can do.

 

[phham]

I guess like most things in life, there are ups and downs. Is a supply tour known as an especially difficult tour because of the size of the crew?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I guess like most things in life, there are ups and downs. Is a supply tour known as an especially difficult tour because of the size of the crew?

Well, no easy answer, seen (or heard) the Supply DH get yelled at for things like, off loading parts that were required to be carried onboard at all times that resulted in us operating on a single reactor in the gulf while conducting combat missions, or getting yelled at because the CO's favorite flavor of ice cream was mistakenly served and used for the crew.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I guess like most things in life, there are ups and downs. Is a supply tour known as an especially difficult tour because of the size of the crew?

Like everything in the Navy, you get responsibility for larger numbers of people and more money as you climb in rank. SUPPO on a carrier is a pretty senior officer, responsible for a significant portion of the ship's company, and has several subordinate officers working under them as Asst DH's/Divos. On the other hand, the "Chop" on a destroyer is pretty much it, Supply Dept officer wise, with a junior Suppo - maybe two - working for them.

Like so many necessary jobs, if you're a good Chop, it's invisible to your customers. They only notice when you fuck it away.

 

[Pags]

At some point in a naval career (or any career) you're going to be yelled at by an irate boss for something. Sometimes it will be for a valid and deserved reason and other times it won't. If you don't want to get yelled at for things that may be beyond your control don't join the military.

 

[phham]

At some point in a naval career (or any career) you're going to be yelled at by an irate boss for something. Sometimes it will be for a valid and deserved reason and other times it won't. If you don't want to get yelled at for things that may be beyond your control don't join the military.

Understood. It's like when I express an interest in the military and people respond, "Why do you want people telling you what to do all the time?" I then wonder if it is not the same in a civilian job where your boss manages your day and tasks.

But, anyhow, I was simply wondering if Supply, for whatever reason, gets shit on more than other communities. I can certainly take some crap, but I wouldn't want to take on more excrement than necessary.

 

[jtmedli]

At some point in a naval career (or any career) you're going to be yelled at by an irate boss for something. Sometimes it will be for a valid and deserved reason and other times it won't. If you don't want to get yelled at for things that may be beyond your control don't join the military.

Or just don't work for a living.

 

[Pags]

Or just don't work for a living.

Then Mom and Dad will yell at you for making a mess of the basement.

 

[Pags]

Understood. It's like when I express an interest in the military and people respond, "Why do you want people telling you what to do all the time?" I then wonder if it is not the same in a civilian job where your boss manages your day and tasks.

But, anyhow, I was simply wondering if Supply, for whatever reason, gets shit on more than other communities. I can certainly take some crap, but I wouldn't want to take on more excrement than necessary.

Supply is a key component of any unit. Do they take crap? Sure. Any more than anyone else? No.

My general perception of the supply corps is that they do a really good job taking care of their front runners by sending them to top notch educational programs as part of their career pipeline. However, my other perception of them is that they spend all day sitting in front of a computer ordering various things and that seems boring to me. But as a guy who was an operator it was always important to have a good relationship with your supply counterparts to make sure you got all the stuff you needed. So it's important work and I was glad someone was doing it, I just wouldn't want to be the one doing it.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Supply is a key component of any unit. Do they take crap? Sure. Any more than anyone else? No.

My general perception of the supply corps is that they do a really good job taking care of their front runners by sending them to top notch educational programs as part of their career pipeline. However, my other perception of them is that they spend all day sitting in front of a computer ordering various things and that seems boring to me. But as a guy who was an operator it was always important to have a good relationship with your supply counterparts to make sure you got all the stuff you needed. So it's important work and I was glad someone was doing it, I just wouldn't want to be the one doing it.

On a CVN they get crapped on more than nukes, way more, I lost track of how many times on a CVN I have heard the Suppo being yelled at/"talked to" by a DH, or by the XO since the XO's cabin was very close to the Suppo's office.

Maybe CVN Suppo is one of those jobs that if you survive it is a good check mark no matter how bad of a tour it is. However I can't think of a single tour where the Suppo or his guys didn't do something so dumb that the spotlight wasn't on them. such as offloading items that are required to be kept on board which results in operating on single reactor in the gulf during combat operations.

 

[BackOrdered]

This was an amusing read....

On the joys of being a Supply Officer, my best tours are the ones where I'm doing legit work to make the Navy operate better. Being in the room or leading the big picture issues and answering, "OK here is THE Navy, how can we get THIS part of it to the fight quicker/better/stronger?" In these tasks, you can't help but feel indispensable to the command and the Navy at-large. And if you do it well enough, you will have an operation or support network that will last long after you depart or until the next guy messes it up, lol.

I also second the notion that ashore the Supply Corps takes very good care of the front runners via civilian education, followed up by payback tours utilizing that experience. For example we send LTs on tours to get a Masters in Petroleum Management then send them to a fuel farm tour to utilize it. These guys are VERY taken care of in the fleet and when they leave the service.

On the flip side, I can't put words to how absurd some of the BS can be. Seeing a grown adult and Senior Officer get legit Hitler/Downfall scene pissed over ice cream while you struggle to not laugh because he or she is the XO..... or my favorite, "SUPPO we failed the mission/exercise/inspection/spotcheck etc because you didn't have the foresight to predict the requirement we never told you!" It never gets old.....

CVN O-5 and LT DH Afloat tours are our "proving ground" tours that determine Command and O-4 selection respectfully. If you can put up with the known circus of headaches and walk away clean, you get to move up.

 

[JWL]

Funny post...particularly in the Downfall reference. I recall that scene very well.

 

[GroundPounder]

This was an amusing read....





On the flip side, I can't put words to how absurd some of the BS can be. Seeing a grown adult and Senior Officer get legit Hitler/Downfall scene pissed over ice cream while you struggle to not laugh because he or she is the XO..... or my favorite, "SUPPO we failed the mission/exercise/inspection/spotcheck etc because you didn't have the foresight to predict the requirement we never told you!" It never gets old.....

CVN O-5 and LT DH Afloat tours are our "proving ground" tours that determine Command and O-4 selection respectfully. If you can put up with the known circus of headaches and walk away clean, you get to move up.

I think that as long as you make sure there are plenty of fresh strawberries you will be fine.

 

[BackOrdered]

I think that as long as you make sure there are plenty of fresh strawberries you will be fine.

The 21 day cycle menu was design purely to solve this ancient logistics puzzle.