Courtesy Photo | 170214-N-XX082-001 NEWPORT, R.I. (Feb. 14, 2017) Surface Warfare Officers School...... read more read more
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By Lt. Megan Chester, Surface Warfare Officers School Public Affairs
NEWPORT, R.I. – Surface Warfare Officers School’s (SWOS) newest department heads graduated during a ceremony held in the Admiral Michael G. Mullen Auditorium May 3.
Class 246’s 63 surface warfare officers (SWO) completed the 27-week course designed to prepare officers for successful tours as department heads afloat on all classes of ships.
The course is divided into two major subdivisions – Tactical Action Officer (TAO), which focuses on areas such as undersea warfare, air defense, surface warfare, and expeditionary operations, and Operations, Readiness, Training, and Engineering (ORTE), which explores the specifics of each student’s prospective assignment.
Capt. Scott Robertson, SWOS commanding officer, congratulated the graduates for reaching this pivotal personal and professional milestone and thanked the family and friends of the graduates for supporting their loved ones.
Robertson challenged the graduates to “go forth and lead boldly. We and the sailors you are about to lead need you to be your very best.”
Distinguished graduates included Lt. John Gaster, who was selected by his classmates to receive the Arleigh Burke Award, for possessing the strongest leadership, industry and perseverance. The Arleigh Burke Award recognizes a student who best exemplifies the fighting spirit of Adm. Burke's famous squadron, the “Little Beavers” of Destroyer Squadron 23. Gaster also received the City of Newport Award for demonstrating the highest qualities of professionalism and leadership.
Lt. Cory Zebian received the Newport Navy League Award for academic excellence as the top graduate for the class, as well as the Top Gunner award, given to the prospective department head with the highest grade point average in the TAO curriculum.
Lt. Douglas Duckert was selected for the Top Snipe award, as the prospective engineering officer with the highest grade point average in the engineering curriculum.
After more than 50 years, the Department Head Course remains the flagship course at SWOS. Approximately 275 students attend the course each year. Many of the graduates will arrive at their respective ships within the week to begin their 18 or 36-month tours.
Headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, and overseeing nine learning sites worldwide, SWOS readies sea-bound warriors to serve on surface combatants as officers, enlisted engineers, and enlisted navigation professionals to fulfill the Navy’s mission to maintain global maritime superiority.
For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil/, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy/ or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy/.
For more information about Surface Warfare Officers School, visit
http://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/swos/ or http://www.facebook.com/SWOSCOLCOM/.
For additional information on the Naval Education and Training Command, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil or http://www.navy.mil/local/cnet/. Follow the command on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/netcpao and Twitter @netcpao.
| Date Taken: | 05.03.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2018 16:29 |
| Story ID: | 276024 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 138 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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