• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Surface Warfare Officer Training Continuum Completed with New Course

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS141006-17
Release Date: 10/6/2014 9:24:00 PM

By Lt. Jason Bilbro, Surface Warfare Officers School Public Affairs

NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- With the inaugural convening of the Advanced Division Officer Course (ADOC) at Surface Warfare Officers School on Oct. 6, the final element of a formal continuum of training spanning the career of a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) from ensign to captain is now complete.

SWOs now receive formal schoolhouse training prior to every at-sea milestone tour, including the first division officer (DIVO) tour, second division officer tour, department head tours, executive and commanding officer tours, and prior to major command at the O-6 level.

According to Cmdr. Justin Kubu, SWOS director of fleet training responsible for both the Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC) and ADOC, this new course marks a paradigm shift from the efforts a decade ago. New SWOs headed to the fleet were previously educated using on-the-job and computer-based training. The current training construct returns SWO education to the schoolhouses.

'The SWO training continuum is the framework for professional development across our community,' said Kubu. 'Both BDOC and ADOC form the foundation of this framework by developing the essential skills and competencies officers will need throughout their career as leaders, warfighters and professional mariners. The combination of both courses in the training continuum highlights the surface community's commitment to ensure junior officers are capable and confident as they proceed to increasingly challenging jobs at sea.'

The initial training received at BDOC is expanded and reinforced through experience during each officer's first DIVO tour. Upon receiving orders to their second tour, every conventional (non-nuclear) SWO will attend ADOC at SWOS in Newport. According to Kubu, ADOC is designed to expand upon the fundamentals taught in BDOC and acts as a catalyst for the development of higher-order technical and tactical skills.

'ADOC is delivered at the schoolhouse in Newport to capitalize on SWOS's existing trainers and instructors in advanced engineering, maritime warfare and shiphandling,' added Kubu. 'ADOC builds upon the concepts introduced at BDOC and seeks to prepare seasoned division officers for requalification as Officers of the Deck (OOD) on a new platform, advanced tactical training to facilitate qualification as a warfare coordinator, and a Junior Officer Material Readiness Course to develop those skills and ease qualification as Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOW). Seeking to deliver 'fleet lieutenants' upon arrival aboard the second tour, ADOC also lays the foundation for success during the Department Head (DH) course for those officers who elect to serve at that level later in their careers.'

Lt. Pat Foster, SWOS's ADOC lead said that one of the biggest challenges has been managing expectations.

'If you read through the comments from the pilot classes, the biggest critique is the difficulty level,' said Foster. 'Students need to understand before they arrive that we are expecting them to retain the information we taught them in BDOC. We actually give them a pre-test on just that. While the grade doesn't count against them, what we're finding out is that they are retaining the information, but they are surprised by the rigors of this new course.'

Capt. Dave Welch, SWOS commanding officer, believes the new training model is a perfect complement to the enduring SWOS mission: to train and prepare officers for success in the fleet. While SWOS' responsibilities have grown in recent years to include enlisted engineering and navigation training, the command remains focused on a core competency to train commissioned officers.

'Many of our previous successes in the restoration of enlisted engineering training have served to shed light upon our approach to officer training, and vice versa,' said Welch. 'The notion of a training continuum, spanning an enlisted Sailor or officer's career, comprised of building blocks of complementary training, governs our curriculum development and course sequencing. With SWOS now straddling enlisted and officer training, we can ensure that those courses are complementary.'

Welch added that SWOS' training is constantly re-evaluated based on senior leader input.

'With community and flag-level guidance through our annual Board of Visitors (BOV), we continue to make great strides to deliver training, at the right time and with the right content, to make a significant positive impact in the fleet,' Welch concluded.