Introduction

For my final passion blog post, I will be talking about the remaining warfares that are available for me when I graduate and earn my commission. However, these last two are some of the most difficult and elite groups in the entire United States armed forces. Only a few students are selected each year for both Seals and EOD. This week I will briefly cover what these groups are, why they are so elite, and how one can join them.

SEALS

SEALS are one, if not the most elite group of special warfare soldiers in the world. SEALS stand for the United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land Team. They are the United States primary special operations force and part of the Navy’s Naval Special Warfare Command. They were created in 1962 by John F. Kennedy and SEALS are trained to work in difficult environments such as the jungle, arctic, desert, and mountainous regions of the world. Their job is to gather important intelligence, capture dangerous criminals or terrorists and eliminating high level targets. They are well known for killing Osama Bin Laden in 2011. As of 2019 all Navy SEALS are men although women are allowed to train to become SEALS.

Training

Training to become a SEAL is one of the hardest tasks in the world and many candidates drop out early on in the process. Anybody can volunteer to become a SEAL and can enter training after passing basic screening, medical tests and basic education tests. Before attending BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition School), candidates must pass the SEAL physical training test which consists of pushups, sit-ups, swimming, pull-ups, and a  1.5 mile run. After passing this test candidates will attend Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School in Great Lakes, Illinois.  For 8 weeks candidates will learn about the physical requirements they must meet and must pass longer more difficult physical tests. After passing this session, candidates will head to BUDS for 24 weeks.

BUDS + More Training

BUDS is split up into many different phases to test a variety of mental, physical and leadership skills. Indoctrination lasts 3 weeks and introduces the candidates to the difficulties they are going to face in the upcoming weeks. Phase 1, which lasts 7 weeks, is a physical conditioning phases that gets harder and harder as the weeks go on. Week 3 is “Hell Week” where candidates sleep at most 4 hours the whole week, run more than 200 miles, and do physical training for more than 20 hours per day. Many candidates drop out during this phase due to its difficulty. Phase 2, which lasts 7 weeks teaches candidates how to be combat divers and swimmers where they learn SCUBA and must complete many timed mile swims Lastly, phase 3 lasts 7 weeks and is land combat training. Here candidates learn basic weaponry, navigation, patrolling, and land tactics. After BUDS, candidates will attend parachute jump school for 3 weeks. Finally, successful candidates will attend SEAL qualification training for 26 weeks where they will learn the specifics of becoming a SEAL, receive tactical training as well as cold weather combat training. While SEALS can receive specialization training after this, this marks the point where candidates earn their SEAL pin and can deploy as a SEAL for the first time.

EOD

EOD is another very difficult and elite group within the Navy. EOD stands for Explosive Ordinance Disposal and is responsible for safely disposing chemical, biological, and nuclear bombs or mines that are on land and underwater. Their job is to be able to locate these mines and destroy them so that U.S. Navy ships as well as commercial ships do not hit them which could destroy the ship as well as create many casualties. EOD specialists work in a variety of climates, must be excellent SCUBA divers, and must also learn to parachute and operate small boats. EOD originally goes back to WW2 but was used more often in the Vietnam War and is used often today in the Middle East along Somalia and other hotspot regions with piracy and terrorism.

EOD Training

EOD training starts with 8 weeks at Recruit Training Great Lakes (where I went last summer) and 3 weeks of the Naval preparatory school similar to SEALS where they learn advance swimming techniques. They will also receive 9 weeks of diver training, 42 week of Basic EOD school where they will learn the majority of their necessary information and training, and later they will receive a few weeks of parachute and tactical training. It seems to be the longest training as compared to any other path, most likely because of how technical it is.

My Thoughts

SEALS AND EOD’s are some of most brave and courageous men and women in the country. They have an extremely difficult job and risk their lives everyday to protect Americans. I don’t believe I would want to do special warfare mainly because I don’t believe I am physically qualified but also because it is extremely mentally challenging. While I will always support someone who wants to join special warfare, I think I would be happy doing aviation or surface warfare which is a much different pace but still a very interesting and important job.

Introduction

For my 4th blog post I will be talking about submarines! Although it is not the most common job in the navy, it is still very popular and submariners are an extremely important asset to the fleet. In this post I will talk about what a submariner does, what training is like, different types of submarines, and where submariners work.

Why are Submarines Important?

Although some submersibles were created in the late 1800’s, the submarine itself was really brought into use during WWI and used much more commonly in WW2 and the Cold War. Submarines are unique because they offer the firepower similar to ships or aircraft but of course are underwater and therefore extremely stealthy, quick, and low risk. Today, operations themselves are very secretive and only a select group of people know where U.S. submarines are at a given time. Despite the lack of knowledge known by most people, they are a critical asset because of their capabilities in intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance. Submarines provide extremely important intelligence for national security and military issues because of their ability to travel to hotspots around the world unnoticed. Additionally, in times of war submarines play an extremely important role. Because all submarines in the U.S. Navy are nuclear armed, they can completely destroy an enemy if needed. Even the fact that other countries know our submarines are nuclear armed is a way to deter them from acting aggressive against us. Their 16 tomahawk land missiles also can be launched without the need of resurfacing, and their accuracy and power is unmatched. Their ability to travel from one part of the world to another is also outstanding and beats many other naval forces around the world. Modern submarines are continued to be built with new upgrades and capabilities because of their recognized value within the fleet.

How Does One Become a Submariner Officer in the Navy?

Before graduating and commissioning as an officer, midshipmen who wish to become a submariner must pass multiple tests and also pass an interview with an Admiral in the Navy.  If selected, midshipmen will graduate and attend Naval Nuclear Power School in Charleston, SC for 24 weeks. This 24 week course dives into a variety of science related topics including thermodynamics and nuclear propulsion. After this officers will attend Nuclear Power Training Unit for 26 more weeks where they will learn to operate a full nuclear propulsion plant. Lastly, they will go to Submarine Officer Basic Course for 12 weeks in New London, CT where they will learn safety, damage control and seamanship. From this point on, one is officially a submariner officer and they will begin their first tour on a submarine.

Different Types of Submarines

Fast Attack: Fast attack submarines have 3 classes: The Los Angeles class, Seawolf class, and Virginia class. These attack submarines are meant specifically to attack other submarines and surface warfare ships. They are extremely important during wartime because of their firepower and ability to hold cruise missiles and launch vertically.

Ballistic Missile: These types of submarines have the ability to deploy missiles with nuclear warheads thousands of miles away, and they are also extremely stealthy due to new technology known as acoustic quieting. While of course they can target other ships and hit land targets as well, their main purpose is nuclear deterrence, power projection and sea control. The Ohio-class is the U.S. Navy’s class of Ballistic Missile submarines.

Guided Missile: Guided missile submarines are adapted Ohio-class submarines changed to do a specific duty. These submarines have very similar capabilities but are meant to hit more specific targets with a shorter range on their missiles but with higher precision. They use a variety of GPS and radar systems to find their target.

Why Should You Become a Submariner?

While submariners have an extremely important job, they get to explore the world and fulfill an extremely important job that protects the country in a variety of ways. However, submariners work underwater for up to 6 months at a time or longer and therefore one must be willing to not only the light of day for that long but also, in some cases, not have much communication with friends or family. Despite some obstacles, the camaraderie on submarines is known to be the best in the Navy and submariners still get to explore all parts of the world including Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Submarines and Women

Lastly, I thought it would be interesting to talk about how women have played an increasing role in the submarine lifestyle. If you did not know, until 2011 women were not allowed to work on a U.S. submarine. This was because if women were aboard a submarine, the navy would have to find a way to build completely separate berthings and bathrooms for women and they had not developed a cost effect and space efficient method to do this. However since 2011 women officers could work on a submarine and in 2014 enlisted women could work on submarines as well. They are increasing these standards and integrating more women every year to make an equal Navy.

Introduction

For my 3rd blog post I will be talking about aviation! Aviation is a very popular choice for commissioning because flying planes for the United States Navy is an amazing experience and extremely interesting. In this post I will talk about what aviation consists of, how to become an aviation officer, and where aviation officers work!

What is Aviation in the Navy?

Aviators in the Navy have a very important job of providing strategic projection in a variety of ways. Not only do they do the same jobs of some ships (maintaining freedom of the seas, maritime security, power projection) but they also maintain security in the air by protecting the area around important assets like aircraft carriers. Furthermore they are the go to offensive weapon in emergency situations and can be used both for close and long range operations. Fleet air defense is extremely important because it provides protection to a team of vessels which may be heading to various locations. Aviation is also important for anti-surface and anti-submarine attacks since they have bombing and missile capabilities.

Naval Pilot

There are two categories of Naval aviation officers. Naval pilots are those who actually pilot the planes and are the only ones allowed to take full control of flying. In order to become a Naval pilot one must first graduate, and then pass Introductory Flight Screening (ISF). After passing this medical screening students will head to Pensacola, FL for Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API)  for 6 weeks. Here they will learn the basics of aerodynamics, engines, meteorology, air navigation, flight rules etc. Following API, those who pass will then head to Primary Flight Training where all new pilots learn to fly the T-6 Texan. For 6 months this will further teach them skills regarding basic flying instruments, radio equipment, takeoff and landing and much more. Depending on the type of aircraft that aviators choose to fly, they may get up to 9 months more of training (especially for aircraft like fighter jets).

Naval Flight Officer

Naval Flight Officers differ then Naval pilot because NFO’s specialize in airborne weapons, sensor systems, and other co-pilot functions; however they are not actually allowed to take control of the aircraft. The training is very similar to that of a Naval pilot except NFO’s go to a different introductory school. Also different, NFO’s do not have to have 20/20 vision while Naval pilots are required to have that perfect vision. Many times NFO’s sit in the back seat of the aircraft or are the co-pilot who control a variety of functions.

Types of Naval Aircraft

While I won’t go into all of the crazy details of how to know which plane is which, it could be interesting to know why some planes start with a B or a V and why does one plane end in 13 while another ends with 104 etc. Well it’s actually not too confusing! The numbers just represent the aircraft made in chronological order. The letters distinguish the type of plane and their purpose. I’ll describe some of these plane functions below.

Fighter Jets

Fighter jets have a multitude of operations, mainly being air to air combat and getting to places at extremely quick speeds. They are destructive, fast, stealthy, and can suppress enemy air defense systems. The Navy has F/A-18’s and F-35 lightnings. The F-18 Super Hornets are slightly larger and a little more advanced than the regular Hornets.

Early Warning

Early Warning planes are extremely important to the navy because they are like the control-man of the sky. The all-weather plans are made to detect enemy aircraft, ships, and vehicles at very long ranges. They also have surveillance capabilities and command and control systems. The Navy uses a E-2 Hawkeye.

 

Electronic Warfare

Electronic warfare consists of aircrafts that are capable of taking out enemy radar systems by the use of jamming or deceiving enemy radars. Many of these planes are fast and have these electronic weapons under them that can completely mess with the radars, which allow friendly planes to fly in unnoticed. The Navy has a EA-18G Growler.

Patrol Planes

Patrol planes have an extremely important role because they are maritime reconnaissance planes that can operate for long hours. These planes observe important locations, enemy vessels, go on search and rescue operations, and track down other necessities. They can also be armed with a variety of weapons.

Transport

Transport planes are extremely valuable because they provide all the items needed for planes, vessels, submarines, crews, and more. This can literally be ANYTHING: food, clothes, fuel, missiles, people, water, parts, tools etc. Without being able to transport the necessary items it would be impossible to have a successful navy. The U.S. Navy has many of these planes with the most recognizable being the C-8 and C-130.

 

 

Helicopters

Lastly, I will talk about helicopters. While helicopters can play many different roles (transport, attack, anti-surface, mine warfare) they play a critical role because of their versatility and mobility. They are usually quick, fit limited people and space, however can provide high firepower and strength if needed.

Why Should You Become a Pilot?

There can be many reasons why someone might want to fly in the Navy. If you hate flying or are afraid of heights, I hope you enjoyed but you can stop reading. If you enjoy that stuff just know you will get great experience, travel the world, earn a very solid amount of money, and meet great people along the way. As usual, you may be put in tough situations and must be willing to protect the country at all costs. If you are looking to become a airline pilot one day, this is also the experience you will want to have.

Introduction

So now that everybody knows the basics of Navy ROTC, I am going to start by discussing the different types of unrestricted warfare that students can commission into once they graduate and become officers. This week I will talk about SWO!  This is very exciting to me because this is what I plan to commission into when I graduate.

What is SWO?

SWO stands for Surface Warfare Officer and SWO officers have a very important responsibility of protecting the world’s oceans. The United States Navy was created in 1775 and Surface War ships have been there since the beginning. Surface Warfare is maintaining the security of the seas throughout the world, through a variety of different missions. The U.S. Navy has had dominance over the seas for many years and because of this they have kept the waters safe, deterred piracy, kept trade routes open, and given the U.S. an advantageous position in world conflicts. Surface Warfare officers choose a specific port when they graduate which correlates to an assigned ship and they will later be assigned a specific job. However, before we go into those details we should first talk about the different types of SWO missions.

SWO Missions

Anti-Air Warfare: This type of warfare defends ships from enemy missiles and prevents attacks on high value assets like Aircraft Carriers. Tomahawk missiles are very common on Navy ships.

Amphibious Warfare: This warfare is conducted by “littoral combat ships” and is mainly to transport Marines anywhere in the world and provide them with the support needed.

Ballistic Missile Defense: This warfare uses ship missiles to protect attacks from the mainland U.S. or other points of interest abroad.

Anti-Surface Warfare: This focuses on the ability to detect, track, and destroy any enemy vessels using any weaponry that is available on the ship.

Anti-Submarine Warfare: This warfare detects submarines which is extremely important in today’s age and sends locations to friendly submarines.

Mine Warfare: This limited warfare focuses on the detection and safe destruction of sea mines to provide security for sea routes throughout the world.

Types of Ships

The surface warfare community has a variety of ships that each serve a specialized purpose in the Navy. Furthermore, these ships are constantly being renovated and updated, while new ships are also being developed. While I won’t list every ship or give a detailed description of each one, it is important to recognize that each ship plays a different role.

Cruisers: These ships perform the modern battleship role and have various capabilities and support many of the missions stated above.

Destroyers: Many destroyers have missile capabilities that support the anti-air and anti-surface capabilities. They are fast, maneuverable, and intended to escort larger vessels in the fleet.

Littoral Combat Ships: These are some of the more advanced ships made by the U.S. Navy. They are smaller ships designed for near shore operations, and are extremely agile and stealthy. However, they are extremely expensive and therefore only a few have been made.

Aircraft Carriers: While SWO officers do not have the option to work on Aircraft Carriers unless they are working as a nuclear engineer, I wanted to mention these extremely important ship. Many countries throughout the world have yet to develop an aircraft carrier and the United States has 11. The U.S. also has more deck space on their aircraft carriers which is over twice than all other countries combined. These ships are extremely important because they are like air bases over the water. They are mobile and provide the opportunity to send out planes or helicopters at a moments notice and have them reach a location extremely quick.

What are the duties of a SWO officer?

SWO officers are unique because they a put into a specific job on a ship without much prior knowledge about that position. They might be an officer of communications, navigation, weapons, damage control, etc. However, chief petty officers (high ranking enlisted) are in charge of teaching you the skills necessary for this position because for the next 6-9 months SWO officers are in charge of this position while underway. They are also in charge of the 10-15 enlisted soldiers who will mainly be doing this work while you supervise and complete paperwork. There is a lot of leadership in this position and while you may delegate responsibility you must always take responsibility for any mistakes from enlisted.

Where do SWO officers work?

The U.S. Navy has a variety of bases in the United States and abroad. Here in the U.S. there are bases in: Mayport FL, Everett WA, San Diego CA, Pearl Harbor HI, and Norfolk VA. Abroad there are bases in Japan, Bahrain, and Spain. Of course we have presence around the world but we spend most of the time in these ports.

Why do I want to go SWO?

While I am still learning about all my opportunities I would like to go SWO because I want to travel the world. Additionally, I have the opportunity to learn how to take charge of a command of enlisted from ages 18-40 and become connected with them, and make sure everything runs smoothly. The job of a SWO is difficult with long hours, watch that occur in the middle of the night, and require the ability to learn a lot of knowledge in a short amount of time. However the experiences it gives you and the places you can go are unforgettable and will always be memories of retired officers.

 

 

 

For many college students, ROTC can be a little unfamiliar and confusing. Why do kids want to wake up at 4:45 for 3-5 days a week? Why are they wearing a uniform and what do all the little patches and insignia mean? Do they even have a job after college? Well I’m here to clear up some of the common misconceptions and answer some of the questions that many students share. As I said before in a previous post, I am by no means a professional in the Navy and truly am just starting to get a basic understanding of this whole organization myself. However, I am truly passionate about serving my country and am dedicated to learning how to become the best officer I can be. I also hope that maybe one of you guys could get some inspiration from one of these posts and possibly become involved with ROTC as well. It is a great way to pay for schooling and also provides a job straight out of college, something we all are striving for.

My main focus for these passion blogs will be to dive into the variety of unrestricted warfares (jobs) that us sailors can choose from once we graduate college. There are 5 options: Surface Warfare, Aviation, Submarines, EOD, and SEALS. Now stay with me, I’ll be sure to explain those in future posts but I think its necessary to start with the basics.

What is Navy ROTC?

The Navy ROTC was established “to develop midshipmen mentally, morally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, and loyalty, and with the core values of honor, courage and commitment in order to commission college graduates as naval officers”. Wow. That was a lot. Let’s put it this in some easier terms. The Navy ROTC program is meant to allow college students (with certain qualifications) to learn throughout their 4 years of college how to gain the necessary skills, attributes and qualities that will prepare them for a life in the naval service. Here’s a first common misconception. The Marines are not their own  branch but instead part of the Department of the Navy. Therefore Navy sailors and Marines are both part of this program.

What is expected of a NROTC student during the week?

Here at Penn State Navy Option students have PT (physical training) once a week, and for the  first semester of freshman year there is drill twice a week. Marine option have PT three days a week instead of one. For each of these events muster (arrival time) is 5:30 AM. Let’s start off by talking about Physical Training.

Physical Training is run by the Battalion Sargent for the Navy and the Company Gunnery Sargent for the Marines. PT exercises rotate constantly to keep the battalion in the greatest shape possible and to work out different parts of the body. One week may be a 5 mile run while the next week may be a leg and arm workout. All of the PT’s are in preparation for the test at the end of each semester. Not only are there minimums that need to be met but the scores are also kept in a book which at the end of your 4 years helps decide where you will assigned.

Drill. Drill sucks. However, drill does instill a sense of bearing and discipline that cannot be taught anywhere else. Drill which consists of in-sync marching as well as the proper use of guns during marching. Teamwork and concentration are imperative to be successful in drill and helps establish a strong sense of discipline early on during our freshman year. However it becomes optional after the first semester.

What else do we have to do?

It is required that Navy option scholarship students take certain classes during school such as math, physics, English, and world history. Additionally, each semester all students take a naval related class such as Introduction to Naval Science, Navigation, Weaponry etc. Each Thursday all members of the battalion also attend a Leadership Lab composed of guest speakers, presentations, or inspections. This is also the day that all midshipmen wear the proper UOD (uniform of the day). This could either be dress whites, khakis, dress blues, or NWU Type 3 (camouflage uniform).

Finally, graduation! What’s next?

Depending on which unrestricted warfare that a midshipman chooses, as well as their rank that they received based on their grades, military aptitude, and PT scores, they will select their choice for what’s next in their journey as a Naval officer. This is what we all look forward to during college and also what we will spend the next 5 years of our life doing in order to repay the government for paying for our school.

Could this program be meant for you?

Now that all the cold hard facts are out of the way, I hope everyone gained a general idea of what this program is all about. However, I want everyone to understand that the military is not exactly what many may seem it as. Of course there’s the chance of war and one must be willing to protect the country at all costs but it is known that the Navy has not gone to war for many years and also takes a more cautious approach during wars. Navy ROTC is a great opportunity to learn about yourself, break mental and physical barriers, and develop as a leader in today’s society (I’m also not gonna lie, the free tuition also grabbed my attention). As I talk about the different opportunities that Naval officers have, I ask one thing. Have an open mind when learning about the different jobs and communities. Many of them are extremely interesting and its possible that you could be interested yourself and picture doing something similar.

While walking around campus, many of you guys must notice how there are some people always walking around in military uniforms. Who are they? Which uniform is which? Can they be sent out to war at any time? Which people are officers? These are all pretty common questions when it comes to ROTC. Aside from these questions, many people also don’t understand why we do all the things we do and who we really are. Although it is only my 1st year involved in Navy ROTC and I am certainly not a professional, I have a strong passion for the program and I love being involved within it.Therefore, for this semester’s passion blog I am planning to talk about and try to give the class a basic understanding of what Navy ROTC is. To provide this basic understanding I plan to describe what us “Midshipmen” do on a weekly basis, possibly talk about what our expectations are, and most importantly what we can do when we graduate.I am planning to focus on what we do when we graduate because this is the most important part of the Navy. We have 4 years here at Penn State to decide what we are interested in and then after that we commission into a specific type of restricted warfare (I’ll describe what that means later). That is going to be our job for the next 5-8 years so we must truly have a passion for that type of work and be interested in how it affects the United States Navy as a whole. I am extremely passionate about the Navy and am excited to commission in 4 years. I hope to give you guys a better understanding of not only who I am but describe how NROTC plays a role in my life now, and what it will look like in the future.

Welcome to Sites At Penn State. This is my passion blog for CAS 137H Fall Semester 2019! There will be many updates throughout the year!