Submarine Warfare Insignia - Officer Submarine Qualifications

Officer Submarine Qualifications

In principle, the officer submarine qualifications are very similar to the enlisted submarine qualifications - they are designed to ensure that each junior officer has a basic level of knowledge of all the major systems on board the boat, and is capable of performing damage control efforts throughout the submarine. However, the Officer Qualification goes well beyond the basics of system knowledge and damage control that are required for the enlisted. The Officer Qualification is based heavily on the officer's ability to drive, and fight, the ship.

The newly-reported junior officer (JO) starts with smaller qualifications, including "Basic Engineering Qualifications", Battery Charging Line-up Officer, Rig for Dive Officer and Periscope Operator. These initial qualifications enable the JO to support his fellow officers by performing important (but tedious and sometimes time-intensive) tasks.

While the various qualification cards that comprise the officer's qualification package are usually pursued in parallel, the focus for the first few months aboard is decidedly engineering. After having completed a year of nuclear power training, the new JO will learn the engineering systems of his new submarine and qualify as Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) and Engineering Duty Officer (EDO). These are, respectively, the underway and in-port watch stations ultimately responsible for the supervision, maintenance, and safe operation of the submarine's nuclear power plant and associated engineering systems.

With EOOW and EDO under his belt, the JO can pursue tactical (or "forward") qualifications. First comes Contact Coordinator, the officer or senior enlisted who assists the Officer of the Deck (OOD) track other vessels and maintain safe navigation in accordance with the Rules of the Road while the submarine is on the surface. Next comes Diving Officer of the Watch (DOOW), the officer or senior enlisted who supervises the Ship's Control Party in safely driving the ship and properly executing casualty procedures. Upon completion of EOOW and DOOW, the JO has acquired most of the systems knowledge and will focus on his tactical development.

Finally, the JO will complete his Officer of the Deck (OOD) and Ship's Duty Officer (SDO) qualifications. (The OOD qualification is actually two qualifications, one for when the submarine is surfaced and one for when it is submerged.) Like EOOW and EDO, the OOD and SDO are the officers who supervise the ship's operations underway and in-port. They are at all times the direct representative of the submarine's Commanding Officer, acting on his behalf whether it be tactical employment or in-port force protection.

As with the enlisted qualifications, upon completion of his Qualification Card, the junior officer must complete a Qualification Board. (Although, by this point, he has already stood half a dozen qualification boards for his subordinate qualifications.) In the officer's case, the board is led by the Commanding Officer. Finally, the officer must be observed by an officer of command rank, other than his Commanding Officer, in performing the duties of OOD, including the taking of the ship to sea and returning to port and docking. For this observation, the officer may be temporarily assigned to another submarine for a short period so that the CO of that ship may perform the observation. If the junior officer passes his Qualification Board, the Commanding Officer recommends to the Squadron Commodore (a post-command officer) that the junior officer be Qualified in Submarines. Although Commodore's concurrence is generally somewhat of a formality, The Squadron Command will appoint a post-command officer to do a 'walk through' with the JO to ensure the standards of the Squadron are met. For staff officers (Supply, Medical) a separate board is convened by the Squadron's Staff Office to insure expertise in the staff officer's field. Traditionally, the final interview is conducted over a cribbage game, and the 'pinning on' ceremony is usually held at the Officer's Club, where he receives his gold dolphins.