SWO Ship Selection Video

I never knew how USNA handled ship selection for the firsties going SWO, so this video is pretty interesting to watch. The actual ship selection process begins around the 9 minute mark. I believe that the slots at Mayport in Florida were the first to be filled completely, then Pearl Harbor next. By the end, only a few slots in Norfolk were left up for grabs.

http://www.swonet.navy.mil/share/USNAShipSelection2011Post.htm

No "super" carriers were on the boards, why ?

I noticed the 1st Mid in line( based on OOM) was fall semester's Brigade Commander, MIDN Caroline Barlow. 1/C Barlow has also been selected as a 2011 Rhodes Scholar Suppose her ship will sail without her for a few more semesters !

GO NAVY,

Great video offering overview of ports, ships, faces of SWO Midshipmen and their relative pecking order. Thanks for sharing.

greeneagle5 said:

No "super" carriers were on the boards, why ?

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If I remember correctly a CVN is a rare billet for a first tour DIVO, but this is coming from a doc, so maybe a current mid or recent grad can chime in to clarify or confirm.

Awesome! Must be a really tense time for those lower on the list! I love how they cheer when someone chooses Norfolk. And, my older son just moved to Yokosuka to sing with the Orient Express, so it was fun to see people choosing Yokosuka.

Virtually impossible to get a SWO pin on a carrier. Even SWO nukes are not assigned to carriers for tour #1.

Great Video. Just forwarded to Daughter. MC selection daughter and MC selection roommate went to cheer for great billet for third roommate so they can visit exotic locations (other than Afghanistan and/or Iraq) with little hotel expense

Why slow to Norfolk

I'm wondering why Norfolk was the last pick for folks. The area is great and the base huge.

bugsy said:

I'm wondering why Norfolk was the last pick for folks. The area is great and the base huge.

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1) It's competing against San Diego and Hawaii.
2) Norfolk is not known to be a hotspot for young recent college graduates, even with a large military population (no top tier professional sports, no large colleges (ODU doesn't count even though I think it's a great school), etc etc)
3) It's an east coast base - east coast is known as more "uptight"
4) Huge base = lots of brass

Just a few of my thoughts on why. Personally I love the area and would go back in a heart beat. But I wouldn't have the same thoughts as a 21/22 year old.

Norfolk is definitely not "sexy," even though it can be a very decent, good place to live ...anyones heard of Virginia Beach? Williamsburg??

But I believe the major factor is 2 issues ...

1. More SWOs doing Protramids there than anywhere's else ...it's "old hat." (And ... a whole bunch of those had poor experiences, sitting @ the pier, chipping paint, counting seagulls. Make that "lousy, hot, old hat." We all know the story of the grass being greener, the "other" place being exotic, the idyllic clime of San Diego, hula and geisha girls of the Pacific, outdoor wonders of the Northwest, beaches of FL ...

Whadya say of Norfolk? "Lots of cool tunnels and traffic back-ups!" Does anyone know anyone ... who last trumpeted ..."I'm SOOOOO excited! We're going to NORFOLK for vacation!! YIPPEE!"??????

Perception is not reality is not perception is not reality is not ...

2. It is a perceptual suburb/extension of the Yard. The very place virtually every one of those soon-to-be ensigns want to ESCAPE!

This is viewed as wing-spreading, adventure time ... not COL, great housing @ fair prices and proximity to the ship, family fun spots, wonderful churches and synagogues, great opportunities for signif others, super places to get that next degree, wonderful school systems, etc. One day very soon those will matter ...but not on this port-o-call. This is pure geography and the ignorance of youth.

btw, did we mention distance from ma n pa???

Lived in the area for 30 years, both active duty and retired. Loved it. There is a lot to do. And everyone in the military seemed to either hate it or love it. State government is slow to address traffic issues since it is federal government. Summers are miserably humid. There is still a touch of the "Sailors and dogs keep off the grass" mentality from the locals. But I know O-6s who reported there as Ensigns and have been there, except for maybe a War College year, ever since. A lot of varied good billets.

Positive:

Thanks for the video post. Forwared to some MIDS and they sent it to parents. They were all appreciative since they had not seen the "selection video" and didn't know where to find it. They all thought it was great. Norfolk seems like a good duty station to me after Burns Oregon as first permanent duty station.

I was surprised that the Japan choices didn't run out a bit faster than they did. I would think the out of the country selections would be more appealing to those trying to "see the world" while they are in the Navy over San Diego.

Was also surprised that Sasebo was one of the last selected. Thought that Yokosuka and Sasebo would be first gone after Pearl and San Diago. Maybe ship availability and duty selection??

AF6872 said:

Positive:

Thanks for the video post. Forwared to some MIDS and they sent it to parents. They were all appreciative since they had not seen the "selection video" and didn't know where to find it. They all thought it was great. Norfolk seems like a good duty station to me after Burns Oregon as first permanent duty station.

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You're welcome! Hope your MC selection daughter's roomie got a good billet for future roommate reunion vacations!