SWO question

[red1323]

I know a few folks on DDGs and possibly a couple on FFG? I know theres a swo or two from the class behind mine that can better answer this question. Where are ya red?

ON DUTY!!!! Seriously, I just got home from over 30 hours straight of work and I still love my job. (Maybe I'm just delirious ?) The first few days (weeks, months??) are spent figuring out your ass from your elbow, meeting your department, and getting quals; which includes standing watches and whatever else the ship wants you to do. Be prepared to work long hours almost immediately and to figure out A LOT of things on your own, no matter how awesome your sponsor/command is.

As fswodaddy said, you are expected to do three things at once (run your division, qualify, and stand watches) which may seem overly daunting but the quals process really forces you to get out and meet your shipmates. Your day to day life varies greatly depending on what your job is (ASWO, TRAINO, etc) and despite what you've read on AW, most SWOs do NOT eat their young. One of the best things about being a SWO is you get to interact a lot with enlisted people, some of whom may be a role model and some of whom you may be able to mentor. Immediately, you will have an impact on these people's career and the responsibility to offer opportunities to grow professionally and personally.

On a side note, overseas commands are known for working you harder, getting you qualed faster, and giving the most underway time but, with that comes a lot of underway time, which some family members find stressful especially in a foreign country.

If you want more info, feel free to PM, I can only tell you what my experiences are right now, about two months out of OCS, but so far so good. Congrats on getting SWO, good luck at OCS!

 

[user2176]

Wow, finally some positive SWOs. I've been thinking of going SWO, but I have a little over a year before I choose (read get voluntold). My Senior Chief came and talked to me the other day and ask which designator I wanted, and then said don't go SWO.

SWO sounds like a lot of work, but I didn't join the Navy to sit around and have an easy life.

Great posts keep it up.

 

[Gatordev]

Wow, finally some positive SWOs. I've been thinking of going SWO, but I have a little over a year before I choose (read get voluntold). My Senior Chief came and talked to me the other day and ask which designator I wanted, and then said don't go SWO.

SWO sounds like a lot of work, but I didn't join the Navy to sit around and have an easy life.

Great posts keep it up.

Well, what do you WANT to do? Who cares what other people say, think about what you're interested in, first. Then you can compare your interests/desires w/ what others feel about a given community. You can get a lot out of the SWO life, but from what I've seen (two deployments and many dets onboard), it can take a lot out of you. I respect the job of the SWO (if not certain individuals), but I wouldn't want the job.

 

[red1323]

Well, what do you WANT to do? Who cares what other people say, think about what you're interested in, first. Then you can compare your interests/desires w/ what others feel about a given community. You can get a lot out of the SWO life, but from what I've seen (two deployments and many dets onboard), it can take a lot out of you. I respect the job of the SWO (if not certain individuals), but I wouldn't want the job.

Great advice, there are a lot of burnt out SWOs out there. It is a largely self-motivated, self-taught job and most of us are typical type-A overachievers so we push ourselves too hard and expect perfection. Learning how to screw up, say you're sorry, and fix it (if possible) can go a long way toward keeping your sanity. Being able to function on 2 hours of sleep is good too .

From what I have seen so far, it seems that a lot of junior SWOs come to the fleet not knowing what to expect. It winds up being a lot of work for not a lot of recognition so don't expect pats on the back or History Channel specials on "The Life of a SWO!!!". I joined up to work hard and see the world so I want to deploy often but, like I said, it can be REALLY hard on families. Bottom line, research, talk to as many people as possible, and do what makes you happy.