And probably long overdue…
Surface warfare officers will soon assume command of all amphibious warships, bumping naval aviators from their previous positions as commanding officers, according to a Navy memo.
The April 24 directive, seen on Reddit and confirmed by the U.S. Navy, cites issues with amphibious ship readiness and operational availability as catalysts for removing naval aviators from their previous positions as commanding officers of specialized vessels that transport Marine Expeditionary Units.
Full article HERE from Navy Times.
One of the justifications, FWIW, was that aviators ‘needed’ a deep draft command prior to taking a carrier due to the ‘value’ of a carrier… And no P-3 bubba EVER got a carrier. Funny though, the XOs were always SWOs…
So this is going to impact primarily the aviators who fly off the carriers. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of years.
And for a throwback…
USS Iwo Jima, 2003…
The Marines boil it down to basics…
‘Nuff said.
I was a SWO so don’t have any particular insight into the Aviation command pipeline. I’m relatively indifferent so long as all ships are operated with maximum efficiency. I understand the necessity for an aviator to command a carrier since it’s primary mission is to be a floating airfield. When you look at the SWO progression to command, however, it’s typically OOD/Div Off as a junior officer, Department Head, XO, then command. It’s an eight to ten year process where you do nothing but work on a ship before assuming command.
Naval aviators don’t have most of that, although I guess you could argue that Div O and Dept Head, if served on a carrier, is similar to the junior officer progression.
The SWO XO on a carrier is presumably there to make sure the CO doesn’t mess up too badly.
That would also explain why P-3 pilots weren’t in that pipeline. No shipboard experience at all.
Seems like if there really was a good reason for a carrier CO to have prior shipboard command, perhaps the answer would be to train them better or make them do it longer, rather than pull them from the pipeline, knowing they are still going to get a carrier some day. I’ll not criticize though, since those making the decision have far more knowledge and experience than I, having spent my officer time as a one tour engineering JO.
I’m for the change. Why? I’ve been a sailor and fisherman (lobster) off and on most of my life, and the sea is an utterly unforgiving environment. A ship — even something as large as a carrier — is, first and foremost, at the mercy of the sea, and her commander had better know the sea and ships. This is why many navies — and our own coastguard — maintain sailing tall ships as part of the training regime for officers. It’s not for show. It’s not for pretty. Its to learn ships and the sea. It’s all very well for commander of the air group to know his tools, and indeed he should. But… if his ship is caught in bad weather (what was that about Admiral Halsey?) or off a dangerous coast, he’ll get wet.
Really ? I’ve never heard that Naval Officers are trained in sailing tall ships as part of their “training regime”. I ain’t doubting your word , I’ve never ever heard that , and didn’t know that . Do you mean spend time on a sailing vessel to learn the rigging , sails and such , or “cast off and let’s go sailing” ?
I’ve always kept my conversations with officers to a minimum or tried to , so that subject never came up . Every single Captain I had loved to take the helm of his Gig and the RHIBs , everybody is a maniac at the wheel of a RHIB ,they are too much fun, the old motor whaleboats not so much.
Chester Nimitz ran a ship aground and he did okay in the Navy !!
As a landlocked landlubber I leave it to you sea dogs. My one navy experience was an all inclusive cruise from Brooklyn to Bremerhaven.
The same logic that says pilots should command aircraft carriers would require Marines in charge of Gator Freighters.
But that would be silly. Cargo is cargo, they don’t get to drive.
All- Good points! Hereso/Rick, that makes a lot of sense.
Brief response to Boatswain up there. US Navy officers aren’t trained in – or have any experience in — tall ships. Coast Guard officers do: USCG Eagle, a three masted barque. Many other navies do as well — I can think of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Argentina, Russia, Spain, Brazil… just off the top of my head.
And it’s not “cast off and let’s go sailing”. It’s let’s see if you can handle a ship at sea. Do you understand the weather? Do you understand what the see is going to do to your ship? Can you actually navigate? Can you actually con her successfully into and out of a port?
Thanks , perhaps that is why Pilots are payed so much and so often to be flown on or brought on board to pilot Naval ships into port , or most notably in my old memory to take us through the Panama Canal . Should have seen the “old man” freak out when the pilot demanded an ash tray to smoke on the bridge . Rarely ..and I’m thinking back , outside of homeport , with tugs , have I seen a Navy ship , not use pilots to bring a ship into berth , especially into a foreign port. Sea stories and bow thrusters be damned . I have often moored abreast of other ships with big yokohama fenders , and broke the anchor chain at the detachable link and moored to a buoy (Hong Kong) , but never ever done a “Med Moor” , stern to the pier , with both anchors out . I’ve seen pics of Russians doing that quite a bit . It would be a bit of work , and is taught in rate training manuals , but done with a little finesse we could do it . It is good to chat with a lobsterman , used to drink with a few in Bath Maine . Looks like ya’ll use a small gypsyhead winch to bring in the traps , a bit younger I’d have hopped aboard and made some bucks . Fair Seas to you Sir !
Ian-Excellent point. You ‘do’ get a bit of that if you go through the academy, as they have sailing, and time on the YPs.
Boats- Pilots are the ‘experts’ on their ports or rivers and yes, they get the BIG bucks! Mooring is an issue, and few understand how to do it. I was chatting with the Master at Scripps (retired O-6 SWO), and he had come through Destroyer School at 32nd Street back in the day, when they had to learn how to get the ship to the pier by themselves. He said his last underway on his crusier, he brought it back to 32nd Street and parked it at the pier without a tug just to prove he could still do it, and to ‘educate’ his JOs… LOL