The Process After Selection

The Process After Selection

 

Step 1 – IWC Email Distribution Lists

We will setup distribution lists for each of the IWC communities for the Midshipmen selected for ease of communication.

Step 2 – Providing Your Bio

You will be asked to provide your bio using this template. These bios are provided to the Navy’s senior leadership in your respective IWC communities.

Step 3 – IWC “Welcome Aboard” Event

The IWC Officers on the yard host all the IWC and SWO(IWC) selectees for a “Welcome Aboard” event. In the past it has been hosted at various locations on the yard. In the future, we are hoping to be able to use Hopper Hall 5th Deck for this event. Details of this event will be promulgated, but the event typically happens in early/mid-December or early January after the holidays.

Step 4 – IWC Practicum Starts

All IWC selectees will be enrolled in the IWC Practicum for spring semester. This is typically a one section class held in the Luce Planetarium. You will hear from a lot of guest speakers in the IWC community as we prepare you to become IWC Officers. Note that SWO(IWC) selectees will be enrolled in the SWO Practicum.

Step 5 – IWC Dinner at the Supe’s House

Typically, the IWC community dinner hosted by the Supe is held at the Supe’s house. Senior IWC leaders are often invited as well giving the IWC selectees a chance to mingle with their community leadership. This typically occurs in late January.

Step 6 – Detailer Coordination

During spring semester, you will begin coordinating with your detailer. Additional details per community below.

Graduate School: If you are attending graduate school after commissioning, your process will be a little different, but you will still need to coordinate with your detailer.

 

 

Cryptologic Warfare (CW)

You will attend three schools en route to your first duty station. They are offered at multiple times, so you may not be attending with all of your fellow CW-selects. Typically, the schools run back-to-back-to-back.

• Division Officer Leadership Course: 1 week, Dam Neck, VA
• Information Warfare Basic Course (IWBC): 3 weeks, Dam Neck, VA
• Cryptologic Warfare Officer Basic Course (CWOBC): 8 weeks, Pensacola, FL

Currently, a CW Officer’s first tour is at one of four locations.

• Cryptologic Warfare Group Six (CWG-6) – Fort Meade, MD
• Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Georgia – Fort Gordon, GA
• NIOC Texas – San Antonio, TX
• NIOC Hawaii – Kunia, HI

All of these commands are co-located with the major National Security Agency sites. You can find basic information about the commands above by visiting the Fleet Cyber Command website, clicking on the Task Forces drop-down menu and selecting the command. We encourage you to seek additional information beyond the command websites.

You will rank your desired first tour locations on a Duty Preference Sheet. The detailer does a good job of optimizing assignments across everyone’s preferences, but you may not get your first choice. A listing of CW-selects ranked by OOM is provided to the detailer and is used if there is a greater demand at one location than billets available.

Two key things happen during your first tour. You qualify as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer, and you earn your Information Warfare pin. It is not uncommon for you to depart early from your first tour.

Talk to your detailer about any personal situations that may impact the location of your first tour (e.g. dual-military spouse colocation).

NOTE: You will not get your final orders until the end of April at the earliest - other communities do things differently; however, the CW community is giving you orders that will include your schools all the way through to your first command. It just takes a little longer, please be patient.

 

Cyber Warfare Engineer (CWE)

You will attend two schools en route to your first duty station. Typically, the schools run back-to-back.

• Division Officer Leadership Course: 1 week, Dam Neck, VA
• Information Warfare Basic Course (IWBC): 3 weeks, Dam Neck, VA

Upon successful completion of their initial training and qualification, most CWEs will be assigned duty at Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group (NCWDG), headquartered in Suitland, MD but working in the Cyber Foundry, located close to Fort Meade, MD.

 

Information Professional (IP) and SWO(IP)

For the Midshipmen participating in the traditional IP route you will plan on attending initial training through the IP pipeline (IP Basic school). The Senior IP Officer on the Yard will coordinate your first duty assignment with the detailer but it will be in one of the following locations:

• NCTAMS LANT (Norfolk, VA)
• NCTAMS PAC (Hawaii)
• NCTS Naples (Italy)
• NCTS Yokosuka (Japan)
• NCTS Bahrain
• NCTS San Diego

After you qualify as an IWC officer and upon completion of your first tour you will likely get assigned to a ship as the Communications Officer (COMMO).

For Midshipmen participating in the SWO option, the process is similar but reversed. You will start out with ship selection and get sent to a ship as a SWO (including BDOC) where you will complete an operational role supporting communications. Upon completion of your SWO qualification, you will be redesignated and complete the IP pipeline, ending up at one of the above locations to complete your IWC qualification.

 

Naval Intelligence Officer (INTEL) and SWO(INTEL)

All Midshipmen selected for Naval Intelligence will be e-introduced to their detailers prior to commissioning week. The Intel Lead will serve as the surrogate between midshipmen and the detailer, helping navigate school start dates based on midshipmen schedules. Midshipmen should expect to report to Virginia Beach in late July or early August unless a special circumstance warrants delayed reporting. Special circumstances include graduate education programs and language training scholarships. Once orders are received, Midshipmen will make their initial contact with their detailers, providing contact information for record keeping purposes. Upon graduation, all correspondence should be direct between the officer and the detailer, even if in a TAD status at USNA. SWO(Intel) Midshipmen will be introduced to the Junior Officer Intelligence detailer while at USNA; however, their detailing process will be directed by the Surface Warfare community.

 

Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) and SWO(METOC)

You will attend two schools en route to your first duty station. Typically, the schools run back-to-back.

• Basic Oceanography Accession Training (BOAT): 7 weeks, Gulfport, MS
• Information Warfare Basic Course (IWBC): 3 weeks, Dam Neck, VA

Upon successful completion of their initial training and qualification, METOC Officers will be assigned to one of the various METOC commands around the country for their initial tour.

For Midshipmen participating in the SWO option, the process is similar but reversed. You will start out with ship selection and get sent to either an aircraft carrier or large-deck amphibious ship as a SWO (including BDOC). Upon completion of your SWO qualification, you will be redesignated and complete the METOC pipeline before reporting to your first METOC command.

 

Step 7 and the Final Step – Graduate and Commission!

Congratulations! You are now an Information Warfare Officer!