JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
On Feb.15, 2015, the Navy Personnel Command released the names of the all the Sailors who had been selected for promotion to limited duty officer and chief warrant officer.
The six Sailors from Joint Base Charleston selected for promotion are listed below.
Navy Nuclear Power Training Command
ETC Thomas Chase
EMC Nicholas Schweich
EMC Jace Waller Jr.
EM1 Thomas Augustine
MM1 Ryan Phinny
Navy Munitions Command Unit Charleston
Master Chief Mineman Jason Roach
The Navy has group of commissioned officers, unique among the services - the LDO and the CWO. Both of these officer programs allow senior enlisted personnel to receive a commission based solely on their technical, managerial and leadership abilities without completing a college degree (although it is highly encouraged). LDOs are former senior enlisted personnel (E-6 through E-9), or CWOs, who are considered very highly skilled in their Navy job, with strong managerial skills. As the name implies, limited duty officers, unlike unrestricted line officers, are commissioned officers with a "limited" career path. For example, an LDO will not normally be assigned command at sea, cannot be promoted higher than the rank of captain and will spend their career performing the similar duties within their specific technical or operational area of expertise.
Navy chief warrant officers are also technical specialists who have a higher level of specific knowledge skills than that of a master chief petty officer.. CWOs are selected from qualified chief petty officers. When selected to be commissioned as a CWO, they are commissioned as CWO3 vice CWO2 as is the case for E-7 and E-8 enlisted personnel. CWOs will spend their careers performing the similar or same duties within their specific technical or operational areas of expertise.
LDOs differ from CWOs primarily in degree of responsibility. CWOs have a more specific and limited technical/operational assignments and are more "hands on," continually using their skills, while LDOs apply their experience as technical managers within their field. LDOs will develop into shore and support commanding officers and area-specific program managers while CWOs can become officers-in-charge and technical and training program managers.
For applicant information visit the Navy Personnel Command website under Officers, Community Managers then LDO/CWO OCM or
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/officer/communitymanagers/ldo_cwo/Pages/IdentifyingCandidates.aspx.