Surface Warfare Officer Designator 1160
The basic requirements for selection to the Navy Surface Warfare Officer Candidate indoctrination and training program for college graduates. Program leads to a commission in the Unrestricted Line of the U.S. Navy as an Ensign, designator 1160.
Those selected will attend Officer Candidate School located in Newport, Rhode Island.
Commissioning Requirements for SWO
Applicants must be United States Citizens and be at least 19 years old, and must not have reached their 29th birthday at the expected commissioning date. Expected commissioning date can be determined as either nine months from the date of the Professional Recommendation (PROREC) Board convening date or the end of the fiscal year applying to the PROREC Board, whichever is later.
Education
All applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. If an applicant is completing the final term (quarter, trimester, or semester) of an undergraduate program at the time of submission, a verified degree plan and proof of enrollment must be submitted, along with all partial transcripts.
Aptitude
Applicant must achieve a minimum of a 42 Officer Aptitude Rating (OAR) on their most recent exam.
Waivers
In the event an applicant does not meet all of the above qualifications, but is otherwise an exceptional candidate or contains a proven skill-set required for service in the Surface Warfare community, a waiver request may be submitted for consideration.
Physical
Physicals will be completed in line with the Manual of the Medical Department, Chapter 15 and as detailed in Medical Standards for Appointment, Enlistment, Or Induction in the Military Services, DoD Instruction 6130.03 of 6 May 2018. Candidates must meet the physical fitness weight and/or percentage of body fat standards at the time of application and at time of commissioning.
Separated prior-service and non-prior service applicants will normally complete their physical at the local Military Entrance Processing Station.
Accession Sources
Civilians, including prior service members who have separated from the military under honorable conditions.
Enlisted personnel of the Navy (Active or Reserve Components).
Enlisted personnel of other armed services (with approved inter-service transfer).
Officers of other branches of the military are currently ineligible, and must seek a conditional release from their parent service and apply for inter-service transfer. Due to time-in-service restrictions, they must also have less than two years of active service (or equivalent) and accept a commission as an ensign. Officers in the Navy (including Individual Ready Reserve) must apply for either Lateral Transfer/Re-designation or Indefinite Recall and are also subject to rank restriction to ensign.
Prior service restrictions: This program is sea duty intensive. Candidates with significant prior service (8 or more years on active duty or active duty equivalency) are ineligible due to low probability of retention to serve two Department Head tours.
Indoctrination and Training
Selectees will attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Newport, RI. After commissioning, officers attend the Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC) and Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase I training in either Norfolk, VA or San Diego, CA, followed by billet specialty training en route to their first operational assignment. This combination of training generally lasts between 6-8 months, and does not involve travel or temporary housing accompanied by dependents.
Enlistment
(Active Component only) Civilians and enlisted applicants in the paygrades of E-4 and below, selected for this program are designated officer candidates and advanced to or assigned the rank of E-5 upon reporting to OCS. Enlisted applicants in the paygrades of E-5 and above are designated officer candidates and remain in their present paygrades until commissioning.
Pay and Allowances
Upon commencing OCS, selectees will receive pay and benefits based on pay grade outlined in the above paragraph.
Newly commissioned active duty Navy Surface Warfare Officers are paid as an Ensign (O-1). Prior enlisted service members with qualifying records are assigned the O-1E paygrade and compensated accordingly.
Service Obligation
All officers incur an 8-year service obligation (Title 10 U.S. Code section 651). This obligation may be served as a combination of active service and reserve service, with a minimum active service obligation of four years or two Division Officer tours, whichever is longer. Current Division Officer sequencing provides an average time in service to complete two tours at 5.25 years. Officers seeking lateral transfer prior to completion of a second Division Officer tour must have an approved minimum service waiver for eligibility.
Well Qualified SWO Applicants
Immediate Selection Criteria: Per OPNAVINST 1120.13 (series), any officer applicant that meets criteria for immediate selection will bypass the normal Officer Candidate School (OCS) PROREC board pending review from the Officer Community Manager and be processed for shipping to OCS as soon as possible. Any officer applicant being considered for immediate select must meet all of the following criteria:
- Age: Between 19 and 25
- GPA: At least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
- Minimum OAR: 50.
- Time in service (TIS) (Fleet only): No more than 6 years of total active service (or equivalent).
Waivers are possible, so ensure you contact your local Navy Officer recruiter for greater detail!
