LEAD AT SEA
EXPLORE THE WORLD
What does the Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) community provide?
- Career flexibility - control your destiny with:
- Choice of first Homeport and Platform
- Various career tracks
- Different length First Tours based on your qualification progress
- Numerous billet options to select from for your Second Tour and on
- Oppurtunities for free Graduate Education
- Warfare Tactics Instructor
- Immediate leadership upon arrival to the Fleet
- Exciting travel oppurtunities throughout your entire career
SWOs serve on every type of surface ship in the Navy and are primarily responsible for driving the ship, fighting the ship, and maintaining the ship.
After commissioning and completing the SWO education pipeline, a new Ensign will serve as a Division Officer, with responsibilities for leading enlisted personnel and directing a portion of the ship's equipment and operations.
Your first tour of duty lasts about 24 months. Typical First Tour billets include Gunnery Officer, Communications Officer, Auxiliaries Officer, and 2nd Lieutenant.
What is Surface Warfare?
The Surface Fleet is the backbone of America’s Navy. For over 245 years the men and women of the Surface Navy been homeported and deployed around the globe. Today’s Surface Fleet conducts a wide variety of missions across all ship classes and in all Fleets.
