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<p>Those are one and the same. SWO does not so much “select” people as collect those who choose it and those who are left with nowhere else to go. I know it’s like that for men, but I am unsure of what options women may have if their OOM isn’t that great.</p>
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<p>Correct.</p>
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<p>None of that is available.</p>
<p>When a Mid walks up to the SWO board, he is faced with a selection of ships, each of which is based in a homeport. In turn, each combination has a SWOS date associated with it (or they used to, anyway). The Mid can choose a ship based upon homeport (I wanted Mayport, FL, and got it, the ONE THING that went right for me that night), ship class (some guys desperately want to serve on a Destroyer, while others want a Carrier), SWOS start date, or a combination of all three. When I got to the board, only the older USS DALE was available in Mayport, as all the TICONDEROGA-class billets were taken, and I REALLY didn’t want to serve on a missile sponge, er… FFG, so the selection was “easy”, but not ideal.</p>
<p>Now, you have to remember that just because a Mid picks USS LOLLIPOP on Service Selection Night doesn’t mean he’ll be reporting aboard the day after he graduates USNA. First there is graduation leave, then there is SWO school, then there is another school (I took Communications Officer Afloat, but there are others like EOOW, DCA, etc.), and THEN you report to your ship. You also have to remember that you may not get a quick SWOS billet right after your leave, so you may have to cool your heels on a TAD assignment somewhere. Those ensigns you saw partly running I-Day this year were examples of this.</p>
<p>So, all told, between the time you graduate and the time you first report to your ship, not less than six months will have gone by, and perhaps as many as eight or nine. Therefore, a potential cruise schedule is nearly impossible to predict, and always open to the vageries of world events anyway.</p>
<p>As for watch rotations and such, the near-standard is a three-section watch. If you land someplace with more, then you’re lucky. If less, then you’re not. You just gotta deal with what you get. Your CO, XO, and DH may all be candidates for the “Coolest Guy In The Universe” award, or they may end up being higher on your “I Wish I Could Kill The ■■■■■■■” list than Osama Bin Laden. Again, you deal with what you get. (My first XO and DH were both utter jerks and, sadly, also USNA alumni.)</p>
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<p>Homeport, ship type, and SWOS date (assuming that is still listed on the board). As far as SWO goes, that’s pretty much the size of it. Some may argue that billet is important, but in many cases a billet is not available and in most cases it’s meaningless anyway. I went to Communications Officer Afloat school, and my orders said to report as COMMO, and I ended up being the Electronic Warfare Officer. Needs of the Service, you see…</p>
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<p>Same? A watch rotation (but not a realistic one, if they do the same thing we did in my day), getting seasick, plotting MOBOARDS, piloting, communicating via radio and flags, performing maneuvers.</p>
<p>Different? Quality of life (YP’s are worse, IMO), level of responsibility, it’s no longer a gamne when you’re out in the Fleet, people can really die, you have TONS more you need to learn and do.</p>
<p>Oh, yeah… YP’s and regular surface ships are also painted the same Haze Grey. ;)</p>