| Submarine Warfare Officer |
-Culture is vastly more hierarchical than any civilian firm, but among
the most libertine of military communities. Still, micromanagement is
commonplace because the administrative consequences of relatively minor
operational errors are disproportionately great; the culture of fear
resulting from strict oversight of reactor plant operations spills over
into all aspects of submarine operations. I have never worked for
a "screamer" in the Navy, but you will know when your superiors are
displeased!
-Fellow junior officers are a joy to work with. The outrageous number of
working hours (60-80 when ship is in port, on-call 24/7 when ship is at-
sea) breeds a camaraderie uncommon in the civilian world. This can be a
drawback at times, however: the culture often becomes cultlike during
high-stress periods and the boundary between personal and professional
life is basically nonexistent. Example: a department head took two weeks
of emergency leave after his wife had a miscarriage; by the 10th day, a
few of the officers were grumbling about how he was "getting out of
work"!
-Responsibility given to junior officers is much greater than that in
civilian world. After ~2 yrs onboard, you regularly will be the #1 man
(directly representing the Commanding Officer) in charge of a billion
dollar submarine. You are a leader from the moment you step foot on the
ship, and you quickly learn how to balance technical expertise,
interpersonal skills and authority of office in the management of your
men.
-Office politics are present, but of minimal importance in career
progression at the junior officer level. A junior officer is there to
learn how to be a department head/executive officer/commanding officer
and drive the ship. Knowing the right people becomes more important at
higher levels of seniority (to wrangle the best assignments etc), but
the majority of junior officers leave voluntarily before they reach
those levels.
Travel: Overrated. If you want to see the world, save your money and
take a vacation. The first year and a half in the Navy is spent at 3-4
training sites around the US (Pesacola FL, Charleston SC, Saratoga
Springs NY, Groton CT--this last one may change as the base is proposed
for shutdown in the 2005 BRAC). For a Los Angeles native, these were not
the most interesting places in the world. Overseas deployments do
provide opportunities to see foreign lands, but only for a total of ~2-3
months of the three years spent onboard an operational submarine: the
rest of the time you will be carrying out the missions you were deployed
to do!
Adventure: Definitely there. Read a book called "Blind Man's Bluff" for
some good stories.
The United States Submarine Force provides great experience to its
officers, and the cause is worthy. I didn't enjoy my time in, but I
don't regret it at all. If you want to get a comfortable job that leaves
time for family and friends, submarining is not for you. If you want to
serve your country, work with awesome people and get memories that 99%
of the world will never understand or hear about, then take a look at
our community.
Oh, and if you're wondering about exit opportunities, I'm headed to the
Wharton School.
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