155 Future Surface Warfare Officers Graduate the Basic Division Officer Course

by Courtesy Story

28 October 2022 SAN DIEGO , CA, UNITED STATES -- Mariner Skills Training Center Pacific (MSTCPAC) hosted a graduation of 155 Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC) students at Naval Base San Diego’s Theater, October 28.

BDOC is a nine-week course focused on division leadership and is the surface warfare officer (SWO) career path's initial training. The course provides practical instruction in navigation, seamanship, and shiphandling both in the classroom and in simulators. Its curriculum serves as the first training milestone in the SWO career path, which can lead to command at sea.

Rear Adm. Joseph Cahill from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 15 served as the guest speaker.

“This graduation marks an important moment for each of these tremendous surface warfare officers,” said Cahill. “Today they transition to their roles aboard warships as leaders, ship drivers, and warfighters.”

The BDOC curriculum includes shipboard navigation and maritime law, division officer administration, shiphandling, and damage control. Students also receive practical training in the Conning Officer Virtual Environment (COVE) simulator, weapon fundamentals, damage control, and shipboard training. COVE is a virtual-reality technology that provides an immersive experience for students to practice shipboard navigation and shiphandling in a realistic, safe environment.

Lt. j.g. Juliet O’Brien was recognized at the graduation for being the honor student of the graduating class and Ens. Jack Ransick was announced as the class’ top shiphandler.

The new BDOC graduates will attend Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase I next. OOD Phase I focuses on building bridge resource management and shiphandling skills. Before the new officers arrive at their ships, they will have completed 15 weeks, or 550 hours of training at BDOC and OOD Phase I. These two courses ensure that graduates are confident and competent when they arrive to their ships for the first time. Following completion of these two courses, each ensign will report to their first warship, where they will focus on qualifying as OOD and earning their SWO qualification pin.

“Our new prospective surface warfare officers have training that’s better than ever before,” said Capt. Leonardo Giovannelli, commanding officer, Mariner Skills Training Center Pacific (MSTCPAC). “I hope that these junior officers will continue to feel confident in their training when reporting to their first ship, knowing they are now skilled mariners.”

Mariner Skills Training Center Pacific (MSTCPAC) was established in October 2020 to conduct hands-on seamanship and navigation training as part of the revamped SWO training pipeline. MSTCPAC is located at Naval Base San Diego (NBSD), San Diego, California and its mission is “to ready sea-bound warriors to serve on surface combatants possessing the shiphandling and navigation skills to fulfill the Navy’s mission of maintaining global maritime superiority.”