Ok, I have had this on my mind for quite some time.
I am trying to decide, if it comes down to it, if I should go Supply or SWO, if I even get selected that is.
Let us just assume that for some reason or another I didn’t get my first choice and was Pro’recd Supply and SWO. Assuming I can pick between my 2nd and 3rd choice?
I made up a personal pro and con list for the respective designator, now this is based purely on my opinion from reading the many posts on AW, NavyOCS and Sailorbob. This list may be useful to others in my situation but please be aware that this is all my personal opinion and as such it may stink. Feel free to comment about my pros and cons for the various communities.
Supply Pros:
1. Let’s assume I have a business degree and a masters: Supply would be a perfect fit for my education
2. From what I have read, some people can’t wait to get into Supply because the community is better, yeah yeah it’s not aviation but w/e (we can’t all wear brown shoes!).
3. Can get warfare qualified, I feel this is nice especially when moving up the ranks.
4. Exposure to lots of communities such as Aviation, Subs, Seabees, SWO, and not to mention logistics, IT and etc…. Makes for an interesting career.
5. Smaller community, this could go either way but I feel you could be more easily recognized for your performance and talents, which means more people in the community know you and come promotion board time, I feel this could help (this is pure speculation on my part).
6. You get to sub-specialize in Supply, such as a 6201 sub-spec which leads to further career development.
7. I feel that there are more possible locations to work (billets), every Navy base has a Suppo around which makes travel opportunities far greater than SWO (again speculation).
8. As mentioned before come shore duty and masters time I already have a master’s that fits perfectly with Supply.
9. Supply provides relevant civilian career experience and could provide a very smooth transition to agencies such as DISA, DLA and others.
10. Lastly, if I got Subs I could serve lamb and be forever known as Ensign Lamb Chops (how great would that be!?!)
Supply Cons:
1. Could possibly be working with disgruntled attrite’s from other communities but I am sure every community has people who are miserable wherever they are.
2. Some Supply jobs are not exactly what I would call glamorous, but like any job take the good with the bad and at most it would only be for a tour (most Supply jobs look interesting).
3. No retention bonus, ($50,000 SWO retention bonus anyone?).
4. Upward mobility restricted to I believe 3 star rank (I know, I know, but I still consider this something to look at when deciding).
5. Cannot command at sea, however you do get shore installation commands, I am not sure how heavily I weigh this con, I am up in the air about it.
6. And lastly, and I would like for someone to comment on this, is Supply looked down on by the URL communities? (I have looked for answers concerning rivalries among the communities but haven’t found much information). This is not much of a factor, if I love my job then I could care less what Goose or Zach Mayo have to say!
SWO Pros:
1. Lots of interesting job opportunities, comm. Officer, cheng, weps and the sorts make for an interesting career.
2. Can lead to interesting joint force and interesting IA assignments (which I would be very up for).
3. SWO is the real Navy, baby!!!!
4. No 6 month school out of OCS, I know there is a SWOS but from what I have read it isn’t 6 months, correct me if I am wrong. Get to hit the fleet immediately. This isn’t a major factor.
5. Lots and lots of leadership potential and responsibility, which Supply also has but in a combat situation I think the SWO Officer would have more responsibility, not bashing Supply at all, just my opinion (feel free to correct me if I am wrong).
6. Can lead to a varied career path, such as mine sweeps, riverine, and alternative career paths.
7. Command at sea and on shore.
8. Sky is the limit for promotions.
9. Large retention bonus (of course I am a business major so I know that there must be a very large reason to have a very large bonus!)
SWO Cons:
1. Hard life as a SWO Officer, I know, no matter what, life is hard and trying as an Officer and a lot is demanded, but from what I have read, most people think SWO’s eat baby SWO’s for breakfast.
2. SWO is not related to my education at all (not a technical or engineering degree).
3. No real quantifiable civilian job experience. I know you get lots of leadership and the quote "We have been doing so much with so little for so long, now we can do anything with nothing”, aptly applies to all SWO Officers. However, I just do not see what hard skills one learns as a SWO that can translate to the civilian world. This however is not a problem if one is a lifer, which I may become. I have read many posts on SB about this so please don’t get hung up on this!
4. Generalist, jack of all trades, master of nothing, (this does not bother me). This is directly opposite of a Supply officer.
5. As with Supply, could be working with officers just itching to LatXfer to Supply, Intel, blah blah blah community and escape all that is SWO.
As you can see, if you take the cons from the pros, SWO and Supply are tied
at +4 pros! Ugh!
At this point I am leaning towards Supply Corps but I have not made up my mind that is of course if my number one designator doesn’t work out. I would also take SWO just as easily. I have not made up my mind if it will be a career or not, if I were to make it a career I feel SWO would be best but if not Supply would clearly win out. Again I can’t possibly make this decision until after I am in the Navy and can decide for myself based on my firsthand knowledge. Take this into consideration when giving advice on the communities. Don’t get me wrong, I feel it would be an extremely high honor to serve as an Officer in the USN and would gladly take whatever they gave me. However, I feel it would be wise to make an informed decision about my future. Ultimately it is my decision on which community to accept but I felt it would be wise to ask the opinion of those currently serving.
Also, good luck to all of those in the application pipeline!
Respectfully,
Atriste
I am trying to decide, if it comes down to it, if I should go Supply or SWO, if I even get selected that is.
Let us just assume that for some reason or another I didn’t get my first choice and was Pro’recd Supply and SWO. Assuming I can pick between my 2nd and 3rd choice?
I made up a personal pro and con list for the respective designator, now this is based purely on my opinion from reading the many posts on AW, NavyOCS and Sailorbob. This list may be useful to others in my situation but please be aware that this is all my personal opinion and as such it may stink. Feel free to comment about my pros and cons for the various communities.
Supply Pros:
1. Let’s assume I have a business degree and a masters: Supply would be a perfect fit for my education
2. From what I have read, some people can’t wait to get into Supply because the community is better, yeah yeah it’s not aviation but w/e (we can’t all wear brown shoes!).
3. Can get warfare qualified, I feel this is nice especially when moving up the ranks.
4. Exposure to lots of communities such as Aviation, Subs, Seabees, SWO, and not to mention logistics, IT and etc…. Makes for an interesting career.
5. Smaller community, this could go either way but I feel you could be more easily recognized for your performance and talents, which means more people in the community know you and come promotion board time, I feel this could help (this is pure speculation on my part).
6. You get to sub-specialize in Supply, such as a 6201 sub-spec which leads to further career development.
7. I feel that there are more possible locations to work (billets), every Navy base has a Suppo around which makes travel opportunities far greater than SWO (again speculation).
8. As mentioned before come shore duty and masters time I already have a master’s that fits perfectly with Supply.
9. Supply provides relevant civilian career experience and could provide a very smooth transition to agencies such as DISA, DLA and others.
10. Lastly, if I got Subs I could serve lamb and be forever known as Ensign Lamb Chops (how great would that be!?!)
Supply Cons:
1. Could possibly be working with disgruntled attrite’s from other communities but I am sure every community has people who are miserable wherever they are.
2. Some Supply jobs are not exactly what I would call glamorous, but like any job take the good with the bad and at most it would only be for a tour (most Supply jobs look interesting).
3. No retention bonus, ($50,000 SWO retention bonus anyone?).
4. Upward mobility restricted to I believe 3 star rank (I know, I know, but I still consider this something to look at when deciding).
5. Cannot command at sea, however you do get shore installation commands, I am not sure how heavily I weigh this con, I am up in the air about it.
6. And lastly, and I would like for someone to comment on this, is Supply looked down on by the URL communities? (I have looked for answers concerning rivalries among the communities but haven’t found much information). This is not much of a factor, if I love my job then I could care less what Goose or Zach Mayo have to say!
SWO Pros:
1. Lots of interesting job opportunities, comm. Officer, cheng, weps and the sorts make for an interesting career.
2. Can lead to interesting joint force and interesting IA assignments (which I would be very up for).
3. SWO is the real Navy, baby!!!!
4. No 6 month school out of OCS, I know there is a SWOS but from what I have read it isn’t 6 months, correct me if I am wrong. Get to hit the fleet immediately. This isn’t a major factor.
5. Lots and lots of leadership potential and responsibility, which Supply also has but in a combat situation I think the SWO Officer would have more responsibility, not bashing Supply at all, just my opinion (feel free to correct me if I am wrong).
6. Can lead to a varied career path, such as mine sweeps, riverine, and alternative career paths.
7. Command at sea and on shore.
8. Sky is the limit for promotions.
9. Large retention bonus (of course I am a business major so I know that there must be a very large reason to have a very large bonus!)
SWO Cons:
1. Hard life as a SWO Officer, I know, no matter what, life is hard and trying as an Officer and a lot is demanded, but from what I have read, most people think SWO’s eat baby SWO’s for breakfast.
2. SWO is not related to my education at all (not a technical or engineering degree).
3. No real quantifiable civilian job experience. I know you get lots of leadership and the quote "We have been doing so much with so little for so long, now we can do anything with nothing”, aptly applies to all SWO Officers. However, I just do not see what hard skills one learns as a SWO that can translate to the civilian world. This however is not a problem if one is a lifer, which I may become. I have read many posts on SB about this so please don’t get hung up on this!
4. Generalist, jack of all trades, master of nothing, (this does not bother me). This is directly opposite of a Supply officer.
5. As with Supply, could be working with officers just itching to LatXfer to Supply, Intel, blah blah blah community and escape all that is SWO.
As you can see, if you take the cons from the pros, SWO and Supply are tied
at +4 pros! Ugh!
At this point I am leaning towards Supply Corps but I have not made up my mind that is of course if my number one designator doesn’t work out. I would also take SWO just as easily. I have not made up my mind if it will be a career or not, if I were to make it a career I feel SWO would be best but if not Supply would clearly win out. Again I can’t possibly make this decision until after I am in the Navy and can decide for myself based on my firsthand knowledge. Take this into consideration when giving advice on the communities. Don’t get me wrong, I feel it would be an extremely high honor to serve as an Officer in the USN and would gladly take whatever they gave me. However, I feel it would be wise to make an informed decision about my future. Ultimately it is my decision on which community to accept but I felt it would be wise to ask the opinion of those currently serving.
Also, good luck to all of those in the application pipeline!
Respectfully,
Atriste
