Navy Announces New Specialty Career Path for Surface Warfare Officers

by Alex A. Kecskes

The Surface Navy launched a new specialty career path for Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs). Officers who complete their first shipboard department head tour will be able to request transfer to specialize in one of the following six areas:

The new SWO specialization career path program offers the best of both worlds for surface warfare officers and the Navy. It lets officers specialize in areas they may be passionate about. And it gives officers the experience and management/leadership skills the Navy needs. It also exposes officers to multiple tours in a specialty area already assigned to SWOs, thereby retaining talented SWOs who might otherwise choose to leave the Navy.

Officers in pay grades O-3 to O-5 may enter the new SWO career paths by submitting a written application to PERS-41 after completing their first Department Head (DH) tour. A selection board, chaired by a SWO flag officer, meets twice a year, in January and July, to select those officers best qualified to serve the needs of the Navy in each of the new career paths.

Selected officers will be trained/educated and be assigned to billets that will enhance their experience and expertise in their chosen specialty. These officers will retain their SWO designator and receive an additional Qualification Designator that indicates their area of specialization.

Graduate education in specific disciplines, such as operations analysis, logistics or financial management provides even more opportunities for SWOs to continue their growth and development as part of the Navy's Human Capital Strategy.

For an additional perspective, check out this video:

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