Limited Duty Officer - Command

Command

Unlike their unrestricted line officer (URL) brethren, most LDOs cannot aspire to command a major warship, combat aviation squadron, or auxiliary vessel, although for a select few in the right communities this is now a possibility. In the U.S. Marine Corps, some military occupational specialties (MOS) permit LDOs to be commanding officers. Many LDOs have qualified for command ashore of certain shore activities, ranging from small activities such as Navy operational support centers (formerly "Naval Reserve centers") at the lieutenant commander and commander level, to large activities such as the Naval Air Technical Training Center at the captain level. In other words, LDOs may succeed to command activities which have a primary function corresponding to the Navy officer designator or Marine Corps (MOS) of the officer concerned.

LDOs are experts and leaders in the Navy enlisted rating or Marine Corps MOS from which they came. LDOs are considered more the officer and less the technician than the chief warrant officer (CWO). LDOs will only be assigned to billets that are in their designator or MOS and that are designated as LDO billets. LDOs may not be assigned to billets designated for U.S. Navy unrestricted line officers or their U.S. Marine Corps counterparts. This does not preclude an LDO from being assigned additional duties as deemed appropriate, including Joint duty.

In the U.S. Marine Corps, only CWOs with 5 years of commissioned service (beginning on the date promoted to CWO-2) and less than 20 years of active duty service are eligible for the LDO program. When selected, the Marine is appointed a Captain (O-3E). Appointment to LDO also requires the completion of 10 years of commissioned service before being eligible for retirement. This program is managed within the Recruiting Command because it is an accession board not a promotion board.

In the U.S. Navy, LDOs and CWOs are former enlisted technicians (petty officers or chiefs). They are experts and leaders in the technical specialty enlisted rates from which they came. In the Navy, first class petty officers (E-6) and chief petty officers (E-7) in the Navy with more than 8 but less than 16 years of service are eligible for the LDO program, while chiefs with 12 or more years of service, senior chief and master chiefs usually are selected in the CWO program. However CWOs can, and do, move into the LDO program, but do so as a lieutenant, junior grade (O-2E). This is because CWOs rank "with but after" ensigns (O-1).