Limited Duty Officer and Chief Warrant Officer

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APPLICANTS

IN PURSUIT OF A CAREER AS AN LDO OR CWO

References:

IDENTIFYING AND COUNSELING POTENTIAL CANDIDATES

 Competition for selection into both of these communities has been, and will continue to be, extremely keen.  The number one criteria for selection and successful service as an LDO or CWO is sustained superior performance in a variety of challenging assignments with increasing responsibility and leadership.

 Interested personnel should prepare early in their career to ensure that they will be competitive for selection when eligible to apply.  Many successful candidates begin as early as P03.  Most have a combination of tough jobs, exceptional performance, outside education and correspondence courses that are well-documented in their enlisted evaluations and service record.

Since LDOs/CWOs are commissioned directly from the enlisted ranks, division officers and other officers in the chain of command should be alert to recognize, counsel and encourage their outstanding enlisted personnel who possess the potential to excel as "Mustangs".

 Increased knowledge acquired by on-the-job and specialized training through schools and correspondence courses should be sought by all potential candidates.  Many candidates apply repeatedly; unless they demonstrate continued growth in experience and training, they will not be competitive for selection.

"Quotas" for individual designators vary from year to year depending on retirements, changes in authorized billets and other manning considerations.   Therefore, a decision to apply (or not) should not be based on previous year's quotas.  Each year the Navy selects approximately 200 to 300 new LDOs and about the same number of warrant officers.  While a particular designator may be closed for a year or two, it will reopen.  Many successful LDOs and CWOs applied several times before being selected.  Selection opportunity increases significantly with additional experience and knowledge.

PRECEDENCE AND AUTHORITY

Generally, Limited Duty Officers (LDOs) and Chief Warrant Officers (CWOs) enjoy the same precedence and exercise the same authority as officers not restricted in the performance of duty (see Chapter 10, U. S. Navy Regulations, 1990). 

a.   Any LDO or CWO who is ordered as commanding officer or

executive officer of a ship by the Chief of Naval Personnel is determined to be fully qualified and eligible to succeed to command at sea under the provisions of Navy Regulations.

b.  A line LDO or CWO not ordered to duty per paragraph a, who is attached to and serving in a ship, shall be designated as eligible to succeed to command at sea by the first commanding officer who authorizes him or her to perform all deck duties afloat (Navy Regulations, Articles 1084 and 1085).  This designation shall be by an official letter to the officer concerned, with a copy to the Chief of Naval Personnel. Further designation by subsequent commanding officers is not necessary. LDOs and CWOs so designated are eligible for command at sea within the provisions of Article 0902 of Navy Regulations and MILPERSMAN article 1210-280.

            c.  LDOs and CWOs are eligible for command ashore when the officer's designator is appropriate to the function of the activity to which attached. A letter of designation is not required. Articles 1084 and 1085 of Navy Regulations and MILPERSMAN article 1210-280 apply.

            d.  Navy CWOs have provided invaluable leadership since our beginnings as a naval force over two hundred years ago. On 13 December 1775, the Continental Congress created warrant officer grades for surgeons, chaplains, boatswains, carpenters and other specialists to serve in tasks vital to establishing and maintaining a fleet.  They are a special category of officers who should not be considered "junior officers". Although junior in pay grade, Navy CWOs have an average of 17 years enlisted service prior to commissioning. The wealth of technical experience and leadership they bring to the officer corps allows them to work closely with, and fully understand the requirements of, enlisted technicians in their charge. Warrant officers "bridge the gap" between the enlisted technician level and other officers, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

LDOs perform duties:

            -  In specific occupational fields;

            -  That require authority equivalent to other officer categories and greater than that of a CWO;

            -  That require strong managerial skills;

            -  That are outside the normal development pattern for unrestricted or restricted line officers (e.g., duties that would require excessive technical training or extensive on-the-job training).

Because CWO assignments are often repetitive in nature, they continue to grow in experience, knowledge and value to the Navy as they progress through the warrant officer ranks. They perform duties:

-  Limited in scope (in relation to other officers);

            -  That are technically oriented;

-  Repetitive in nature;

-  Not significantly affected by advancement in rank.

GETTING STARTED

 First, read OPNAVINST 1420.1 (series). Go over it carefully before starting your application, making note of sections applicable to you as an individual candidate. 

     -Changes (if any)are announced by NAVADMIN message approximately 1 May of the year the application is due.

      -Check your local service record for completeness.  Look for missing/misfiled evaluations, qualifications, awards, etc. Make corrections as soon as possible.

      -Obtain a copy of your enlisted microfiche record to ensure it is also current.  Send Microfiche Record Request Form, NAVPERS 1070/879 (Rev 6-90)(S/N 0106-LF-010-0900) to Navy Personnel Command, Pers-312G, 5720 Integrity Drive, Millington, TN 29055-3120.

      -POls who wish to apply for LDO must have taken the CPO exam in January of the year the application is due to NPC and be selection board eligible.  The current year exam "profile sheet" must accompany the application.

      -Where eligibility is computed "as of 1 October of the year application is made", that means as of 1 October of the year that your application is due to NPC. If your application is due 1 October 2004, eligibility is to be computed as of 1 October 2004.

      -All inquiries concerning the application, including verification of its receipt, should be directed to PERS-801G.

Send mail to LDO/CWO OCM with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: August 09, 2004