As far as the Restricted Line (RL) Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) community goes, typically they get their surface warfare qualification as a URL SWO or other URL officer warfare qualification in another community, then apply for lateral transfer and redesignation into the EDO community. Do not confuse with the URL EOD community, which is exactly what it says it is.
An officer can go, say, SWO, from USNA, NROTC or OCS, and after obtaining their warfare qualification as a SWO during sea duty at the appropriate career juncture, they may competitively apply to go EDO. There is also a pre-designated SWO-ED option out of those commissioning sources I would think the challenge with NRE is the 5 years spent doing that ashore does not allow them to earn their warfare qualification in operational Fleet tours on the same schedule as year group peers (commissioning year competitors for promotion).
I simply don’t know if that is a possible path for NRE officers. I would expect the nuke community wants its 5 years pound of flesh in exchange for the $$$ shelled out. What potential to continue as an active duty officer In another officer community at the end of nuke ADSO is definitely a specific question to chase. All communities have detailed career paths and professional milestones to hit. The officers who fall behind that career path are usually not competitive for promotion.
Some reading on EDO:
Finally, as your daughter builds put her contrast and compare matrix, ROTC grads have to complete an additional 36 months of AD after they complete their initial ADSO out of NROTC, to be eligible for 100% of the very generous VA Post-9/11 GI educational benefit. Less than 36 months will prorate the 100% lower. More intel to gather about NRE, Master’s potential, how paid for, any ADSO incurred.
Now, you may step away from this firehose. I recommend visiting Off-Topic, where you can relax on the Bacon thread, Cocktail thread, Pet Thread, Everything Drawer Thread, etc.
