Surface Warfare Officers School Command
Building 446/1268
446 Cushing Road
Telephone: (401) 841-4957
Website: http://www1.netc.navy.mil/swos/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surface-Warface-Officers-School-SWOS/239783340811
Overlooking Narragansett Bay in Newport, the Surface Warfare Officers School Command (SWOS) occupies three main buildings on board NAVSTA Newport; Memorial Hall, Arleigh Burke and Weakley Hall; all are located on Coasters Harbor Island. The SWOS mission is to provide a continuum of professional education and training in support of Surface Navy requirements that prepares officers (CWO2-O6) to serve at sea. SWOS is dedicated to the professional development of seagoing Surface Warfare Officers and has been for the 50 years since its founding as the Naval Destroyer School in 1961. Surface Warfare Officers attend SWOS several times throughout their careers. Initially officers attend Division Officer courses prior to and during their first sea tour. As officers rise through the ranks, they are selected as Department Heads, Executive Officers, Commanding Officers and possibly, heads of Major Commands. At each step they return to SWOS to enhance and share their fleet experiences, as well as get back up to speed with the latest in technologies, using state-of-the art trainers and simulators.
Prior to newly commissioned Officers arriving on board their first ship, they will attend the Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Introduction Course, which consists of simulator training encompassing basic Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling (NSS); Division Officer Fundamentals; basic Engineering and Damage Control; Maritime Warfare; and Navy Familiarization training. This three-week course focuses on providing newly commissioned Surface Warriors with focused training on fundamental SWO skill-sets. Additionally, this training prepares to be effective and efficient contributors to the success of their first ship from day one. However, the Division Officer 'flagship' course, called Advanced Shiphandling And Tactics (ASAT), is a three week, rigorous course of instruction that aims to build on Division Officer experience, while focusing on enhancing warfare skills, full spectrum tactical knowledge and Navigation, Seamanship and Shiphandling competency.
The core components of the modular course include Maritime War fighting curriculum and Advanced Shiphandling / Bridge Resource Management. All curriculum encapsulate the broad range of Navy missions and is reinforced and applied in tactical scenarios with use of state-of-the-art simulation.
SWOS is also responsible for the development and implementation of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Officer of the Deck (OOD) and Junior Officer of the Deck Courses. The foundation of the curriculum for these courses is rooted in the U.S. Navy's Train to Qualify (T2Q) concept, which establishes a baseline objective with the intent to equip the prospective LCS OOD/JOOD students with the requisite mariner skills and tactical awareness required to proficiently operate a high-speed (LCS) upon reporting aboard. In order to achieve this goal, the curriculum has two primary areas of focus; classroom familiarization instruction and state-of-the-art simulator based proficiency training. The SWOS simulator is the only one of its' kind capable of training both variants of the LCS within the same building. Students are provided the necessary tools to safely operate a high-speed vessel through any navigational situation, with a particular focus on the fundamentals of seamanship, safety and a thorough understanding of the capabilities and limitations of our Navy's newest ship class.
After successful Division Officer tours, officers may be selected to attend the Department Head Course. As an evolution of the original Destroyer School, this course is one of the most demanding, in-depth professional courses a Surface Warfare Officer will attend during his or her career. This intensive 27-week course is designed to prepare officers for duty as Engineering, Combat Systems, Operations, or First Lieutenant Department Heads on all classes of ships. The course is divided into two major subdivisions: Basic Tactics, where students are trained in the skills that Tactical Action Officers demand to effectively fight their ships; followed by Operations, Readiness, Training, and Engineering where the specifics of each student's prospective assignments are explored. Approximately 275 students attend the Department Head Course each year.
As officers complete tours as Department Heads, they may screen for Commander Command and return to SWOS for the Prospective Executive Officer/Commanding Officer Fleet Up course. This course prepares them with the tactical, operational, material management, and advanced ship-handling skills required to excel in command. The curriculum culls the best practices through the use of case studies and mentor sessions in order to identify where post commander command staff members have encountered and overcome obstacles while in command. The final week is an at-sea period that matches the PCO with his ship's CLASSRON (Specific Ship Class Squadron) that will be supporting his/her ship type during his 18 month tour.
The final and most senior course taught at SWOS is the Major Command Course. This course is designed to provide senior officers, who have completed at least one tour as a Commanding Officer, with additional expertise needed to fully utilize their assets, such as aircraft carriers, AEGIS cruisers, large deck amphibious assault and Destroyer and Amphibious squadrons.
The Engineering Specialty Training Department has an active role in each stage of a Surface Warfare Officer's professional education pipeline, from newly commissioned Division Officers to Captains heading to Major Command.
At each level the engineering material is tailored to best fit the needs of the student. The Engineering Specialty Training Department is organized to maximize the assembled engineering technical expertise. Instructors of steam, diesel and gas turbine systems work together to provide Surface Warfare Officers, Limited Duty Officers, Engineering Duty Officers and Warrant Officers with quality engineering instruction in the following areas: main propulsion systems and controls, auxiliary systems, electrical systems, maintenance management, engineering program management and engineering departmental administration.
Also taught at SWOS is the International Surface Warfare Officer School (ISWOS), which plays a vital role in building lasting relationships with our international partners. These ISWOS courses (CICWO, DIVO, Dept. Head, and Joint Maritime Tactical Development) are designed to train foreign naval surface warriors in all aspects of surface warfare from damage control to coalition operations. During the course of their instruction, they are immersed in our culture, tour historic American sites and build lasting relationships with each other as well as their U.S. counterparts.
Students of the Surface Warfare Officers School receive a graduate level education and are able to make immediate contributions to their gaining command upon arrival - ready to Drive, Fight, and Lead. From the Bachelors degree level education provided to our Division Officers, Masters degree level education provided to our Department Heads, and Doctorate level of education provided to our Executive Officers, Commanding Officers and Major Commanders, SWOS has developed into the University of Surface Warfare.
The officers who complete our curriculum are ready for today's challenges of tactical decision-making and understand how to employ their ships to their maximum capability. These accomplishments are only achievable because of dedicated instructors and staff. By constantly adjusting the curriculum to keep pace with the rapidly changing global situations and technologies, SWOS meets the needs of the fleet and incorporates the most modern and dynamic teaching methodologies. As the geopolitical situation continues to change, SWOS will continue as the "Center of Surface Warfare Excellence."