Fleet Support Officer Fleet Training (FSOFT): should a sea tour be a requirement?

98 Pages·1.5 MB·en_US

by  Henderson, Rhonda M.

ntini EY KNOX LIBRARY SCHOOL
POSTGRADUATE
NAVAL
MONTEREY CA 9384W101

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
Monterey, California
THESIS
FLEET SUPPORT OFFICER FLEET TRAINING (FSOFT):
SHOULD A SEA TOUR BE A REQUIREMENT?
by
Rhonda M. Henderson
June 2000
Thesis Advisor: Julie Filizetti
Co-Advisor: George Conner
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

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June 2000 Master's Thesis
4. TITLEANDSUBTITLE : 5. FUNDINGNUMBERS
Fleet Support Officer Fleet Training (FSOFT): Shoulda SeaTourBe a
Requirement?
AUTHOR(S)
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Henderson, Rhonda M.
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Monterey, CA 93943-5000
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ABSTRACT(maximum200words) Thisthesis proposes a FleetSupportOfficerFleet Training(FSOFT)program that
wouldallow Fleet Support Officers (FSOs)to attend Surface Warfare Officer School in Newport, RI, be assigneda
Surface Warfare Officer(SWO) division officertour, as an initial assignment, andthen obtain awarfare pin.
Followingthe SWO division officertour, the FSO wouldresume acareer in the FSOcommunity. The feasibility of
such aprogram and the impacts on both the SWO and FSO communities are discussed. This program wouldprovide
FSOs with the necessary background and trainingto makethem bettersupport officers, more fullypreparingthem for
theircareers in the Navy. It wouldprovide FSOs with fleetexperience thatwouldgive them a greaterappreciation of
theNavy's mission. It would also givethem abetterunderstanding ofthe support required ofthe Fleet in the FSO
core competencies ofSpace andElectronic Warfare (SEW), Manpower Systems Analysis (MSA), and Logistics. The
program wouldalso give FSOs the essential skills in standingwatches and managing administrative duties ofa
division officer, and would betterprepare them to fill lieutenantcommander(LCDR) and above, at-seabillets in the
FSO community.
14. SUBJECTTERMS Fleet Support OfficerTraining, Training Program, Fleet Support Officer 15. NUMBER
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90
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Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
FLEET SUPPORT OFFICER FLEET TRAINING (FSOFT): SHOULD A SEA
TOUR BE A REQUIREMENT?
Rhonda M. Henderson
Lieutenant, Uniied States Navy
B.B.A., Finance, George Washington University, 1993
Submitted in partial fulfillment ofthe
requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT
from the
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
June 2000
f—>
ABSTRACT
This thesis proposes a Fleet Support Officer Fleet Training (FSOFT) program
that would allow Fleet Support Officers (FSOs) to attend Surface Warfare Officer
School in Newport, RI, be assigned a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) division officer
tour, as an initial assignment, and then obtain a warfare pin. Following the SWO
division officer tour, the FSO would resume a career in the FSO community. The
feasibility of such a program and the impacts on both the SWO and FSO communities
are discussed. This program would provide FSOs with the necessary background and
training to make them better support officers, more fully preparing them for their
careers in the Navy. It would provide FSOs with fleet experience that would give
them a greater appreciation of the Navy's mission. It would also give them a better
understanding of the support required of the Fleet in the FSO core competencies of
Space and Electronic Warfare (SEW), Manpower Systems Analysis (MSA), and
Logistics. The program would also give FSOs the essential skills in standing watches
and managing administrative duties of a division officer, and would better prepare
them to fill lieutenant commander (LCDR) and above, at-sea billets in the FSO
community.
IV