how to become an officer in the navy

You may find it hard to access the right information on the internet, so we are here to help you in the following article, providing the best and updated information on how long to become an officer in the navy. Read on to learn more.We at collegelearners .com have all the information that you need about how to become an officer in the navy reserve. Read on to learn more.

How to Become a Navy Officer: Step-By-Step Career Guide
By Indeed Editorial Team
July 23, 2021

A Navy officer is employed by the United States government to assist with defending and protecting the country from threats. They may carry out a variety of responsibilities such as directing the engineering of improved submarine, ship or aviation fleet technology, processing signal intelligence, leading platoons in combat missions, directing ship crews or overseeing the care of injured patients as a director in the nurse corps.

Navy officers are educated and intelligent military personnel who must be morally sound and ready to lead their units. In this article, we discuss what Navy officers do and how you can become one and discover if this career path is right for you.

What does a Navy officer do?
Navy officers are highly-educated military leaders who are commissioned for specific officer roles throughout several specializations and occupations within the Navy. The duties of a Navy officer will depend on their officer designator and specialization. These designators and their responsibilities include the following:

Restricted line officer
Unrestricted line officer
Limited duty officer
Staff corp officer
Restricted line officer
These officers are restricted from command at sea and from pursuing unrestricted line officer positions. They may work in the regular Navy or the Navy Reserves. Some of their responsibilities may include:

Maintenance of aviation fleets
Overseeing and directing the work of cryptologic technicians
Acquiring and developing advanced defense systems
Analyzing, processing and reporting signal intelligence
Using advanced technology and innovation to optimize the Naval organization
Overseeing and directing the work of information systems technicians
Unrestricted line officer
These officers command submarines, ships, fleets, aircrafts squadrons and shores bases. They are not restricted in the positions they are allowed to be commissioned for in the Naval Reserve and the Navy. Some of their responsibilities may include:

Coordinating overall tactical missions
Directing, operating and maintaining ships crews ships and ship systems
Leading units during combat operations
Operating, radar, sonar and weapons systems onboard a submarine
Limited duty officer
These officers are not required to have a formal education or bachelor’s degree to be commissioned Navy officers. They are selected based on their years of service and specialized knowledge. LDOs are restricted in their career progression but not in their authority. Limited duty officers may have the same or similar responsibilities to restricted and unrestricted line officers.

Staff corp officer
These officers have jobs in specific occupations within the navy. Some of these officers are physicians, nurses, lawyers, civil engineers and chaplains. Some of their responsibilities may include:

Overseeing the planning, testing and execution of repairing and modernizing ships and their systems
Instructing and overseeing nurses and implementing healthcare policy in the Navy
Providing spiritual and pastoral counseling to those enlisted in the Navy
Handling and directing transport personnel, equipment and supplies
Related: Job Search Guide for Military Veterans

How to become a Navy officer
There are several requirements you must meet before you can become an officer in the United States Navy or Navy Reserve. An officer’s education will most likely determine the position they receive in the Navy.

Here are the most common steps to take to become a navy officer:

Talk to a recruiter.
Submit an application.
Take aptitude tests.
Enroll in college.
Enlist in the Navy.
Attend Officer Candidate School or Officer Development School.

  1. Talk to a recruiter
    The best way to decide if you would like to enlist before you obtain your education is to speak with a local Navy recruiter in your area. They will answer any questions you have and help you to determine which educational path or career is right for you. Recruiters can also provide you with details about what each title is responsible for. You may also discuss your education and career goals with a recruiter virtually via video chat, telephone or online chats.

Related: How to Find the Best Jobs for You

  1. Submit an application
    You may decide to submit an application to pursue an officer position or an enlisted position. You can join the Navy and delay serving until you have completed your education so that the Navy assists you with it, or you can join right away and advance through the ranks in the Navy. Your recruiter will assist you with the application submission process.
  2. Take aptitude tests
    The Navy has aptitude tests to determine eligibility for the specific Navy careers or specialties you may be interested in. These tests are:

Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery
This test determines eligibility for specific enlisted careers for those who wish to join the Navy. This test examines a wide range of knowledge, skills and topics.

Officer Aptitude Rating and Aviation Selection Test Battery
This test is for those who are interested in officer specialties. The OAR is required for most officer positions and includes math, English and mechanical comprehension sections. Those who are interested in becoming Pilot and Naval flight officers must also take the ASTB, which includes aerodynamics, spatial recognition and aviation history.

  1. Enroll in college
    It is important to select an accredited institution that is reputable and has a Navy ROTC training program. Several state schools offer this program to students. You may want to check which colleges offer the NROTC program in your state. To be accepted to this program, you must be at least 17 years old and younger than the age of 27 by your graduation date. You must also have a high school diploma and meet medical, physical fitness and moral requirements.

Academic requirements vary based on the college you attend, but you must meet regular course requirements and take courses such as calculus, physics, National Security Policy/American Military Affairs and Naval sciences. This program typically takes about four years and students will be awarded with a bachelor’s degree.

  1. Enlist in the Navy
    If you choose to enlist in the Navy, you will be required to go through the Military Entrance Processing Station to complete the enlistment process. At the MEPS, your physical, academic and moral standards will be assessed to make sure you meet the Navy’s requirements. This includes aptitude testing, background screening, medical screening, job selection and an enlistment oath. After you enlist, you are sent to basic training or boot camp.
  2. Attend Officer Candidate School or Officer Development School
    Officer recruits or commissioned officers will attend OCS or ODS. OCS is initial training for those who are training for the line or for select operational staff corps like supply corps. OCS lasts about 5 to 13 weeks. OCS provides instruction in leadership, etiquette, physical fitness, academics, military training and other subjects associated with the career track.

ODS is initial training for other staff corps officers and engineers or nuclear power instructors. ODS lasts about five weeks. ODS provides instruction in Naval Leadership, Sea Power, Military Law, Military Indoctrination, Naval Warfare, Naval Administration, Naval Organization and Damage Control. After you graduate officer school, you will be assigned to your permanent duty station.

Related: 25 Career Options for Veterans

Frequently asked questions
You may have some unanswered questions about becoming a Navy officer. Here is a list of frequently asked questions with answers to provide you with more information about becoming an officer in the Navy:

How long am I required to serve as a Navy officer?
If you choose to enter the Navy through an officer position, you may be required to serve for three to five years. However, positions that require longer training may require longer service commitments.

Are there scholarships available for the NROTC program?
There are several scholarship programs available to help you pay for school and help you focus on your coursework. There are also financial reimbursement opportunities, salary advances and sign-on bonuses you may be able to take advantage of. It may be helpful to review this information in detail with your recruiter.

What should I ask my recruiter?
Here are some useful questions to ask your recruiter:

What are the details and qualifications for each specialty?
What are the current enlistment bonuses?
Do I get special enlistment if I’ve completed Junior ROTC or Navy Cadet training?
What is the possibility of overseas assignments?
What are the standards for grooming and attire?
Are there any educational benefits or off-duty education?
More types of military jobs
There are many positions within the Navy available to professionals, including the role of an officer. If you’re interested in joining the Navy or working in a related role, consider these jobs:

  1. Medic
  2. Avionics technician
  3. Operations clerk
  4. Mass communications specialist
  5. Air traffic controller
  6. Intelligence specialist
  7. Pilot
  8. Army officer
  9. Air force officer
  10. Navy captain

How to Become a Naval Officer
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Navy commissioning ceremony
Navy Recruiting District Ohio Operations Officer Lt. Andrew Cook shakes the hand of Ens. David Sweeterman, an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy, after his commissioning. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Phillip D. James Jr./U.S. Navy)
Military.com
A Navy officer must assume a variety of duties at sea, in the air and ashore. Officers must be physically fit, at least 19 years old and U.S. citizens.

You must have at least a bachelor’s degree. You can apply for officer programs before earning your degree and as young as 17. The major fields of study required vary, depending on the officer specialty.

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Programs leading to a commission as a Navy officer include the Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps and the U.S. Naval Academy. There are also direct commissioning programs for other qualified candidates.

Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps

The Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps program offers tuition and other financial benefits at more than 60 of the country’s leading colleges and universities. Two- and four-year subsidized scholarships are offered. Participants also receive a monthly cash allowance.

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Two- and four-year non-subsidized programs also are offered. These are referred to as college programs and provide for monthly cash allowances during the junior and senior years only.

For more on military educational benefits, visit the education center.

U.S. Naval Academy

The U.S. Naval Academy provides a four-year undergraduate education and leads to a bachelor’s degree and a commission as a Navy or Marine Corps officer. Students are paid a monthly salary while attending the academy. Students must be single with no children and must serve on active duty for at least five years after graduation, depending on follow-on training and designation. Admission to the Naval Academy is made through nominations from U.S. senators, representatives, the president and vice president of the United States and the secretary of the Navy.

Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program

The Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program is for college juniors and seniors (and graduates up to the age of 31) pursuing a bachelor’s degree in physics, chemistry, mathematics or an engineering discipline. College graduates with a bachelor’s or higher degree also may qualify for the program. The only Navy requirement is that the student maintain excellent grades in required subjects and earn a degree. While in the program, the student can enjoy many of the same benefits received by regular Navy officers. Upon graduation from college, graduates begin their naval officer training at Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Pensacola, Florida.

Aviation Officer/Naval Flight Officer Programs

Aviation Officer Candidate (AOC) and Naval Flight Officer Candidate (NFOC) programs are for college seniors and graduates interested in becoming Navy pilots or flight officers. If qualified and accepted, they attend the Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola.

Warrant Officers

The Warrant Officer Program is open to all enlisted Navy people with the rank of chief petty officer or above and have completed at least 12 years of naval service. Warrant officers are senior to all enlisted chief petty officers and junior to all ensigns.

Limited Duty Officers

The Limited Duty Officer Program is open to warrant officers with more than two years of service as warrants and to enlisted people who are petty officers with at least eight years of naval service. If qualified, they earn a Navy officer commission because of their high quality and experience in a specialty, but are limited to duties of that specialty. Direct commission professionals in certain fields can receive direct commissions as a Navy officer.

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Related Topics: Join the Military US Navy Topics Warrant Officers W01/W-2 through CW5/W-5
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