Officer

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson cruises alongside fast combat support ship USS Camden conducting replenishment at sea (RAS) operations. Camden is currently conducting refueling operations in the support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Supply, Transportation, Logistics

Job Description:

Officers in this field provide the inventory, organization, and careful transport of the materials and resources needed by the Navy’s Sailors, ships, squadrons, submarines, and shore stations across the globe. This worldwide effort requires individuals with strong leadership, organization, and strategic planning skills. As a natural leader, if you are also proficient in math and enjoy planning and troubleshooting, a career as a Supply, Transportation, and Logistics Officer may prove ideal for you.

What Will You Do?

Your job is to ensure that materials needed by ships, squadrons, submarines, and shore facilities are available and in good order. As the Navy’s true business managers, Officers in this field are either part of the Navy Supply Corps or are transportation and logistics managers. These Officers perform executive-level duties in inventory control, financial management, physical distribution systems, petroleum management, personnel transportation, and other related areas. Your office may be on an aircraft carrier in the South China Sea or on the flight line of an air cargo terminal in Japan. Your knowledge of logistics might save hours of time getting critical supplies to Sailors in the field. As a Supply, Transportation, and Logistics Officer you may also:

• Analyze the demand for supplies and forecast future needs
• Manage the inspection, shipping, handling, and packaging of supplies and equipment
• Direct personnel who receive inventory and issue supplies and equipment
• Evaluate bids and proposals submitted by potential suppliers
• Study ways to use space and distribute supplies efficiently
• Determine the fastest, most economic way to transport cargo or personnel
• Oversee the handling of special items, such as medicine and explosives

Special Pay/Bonuses

As a Navy Officer, your hard work is not only rewarded with an excellent salary, you’ll also receive generous bonuses. Officers can earn additional pay for sea duty or special pay for serving on a submarine.

Skills and Training

There are a few ways to become a Navy Officer. Some prospective Officers attend Officer Candidate School (OCS), a 12-week Navy orientation school in Newport, Rhode Island. OCS prepares you for the roles and responsibilities expected of and afforded to U.S. Navy Officers through academic and military courses and physical fitness training. Course subjects include Navy operations, orientation and administration, Navy history, strategic deterrence and sea control, shipboard management, combat systems, ship control, and surface ship fundamentals.

As a Supply Corps Officer, you will further attend the Navy Supply School in Athens, Georgia, for a 27-week Basic Qualification Course. This course emphasizes problem-solving in real shipboard situations and provides training in inventory management, food and retail operations, leadership, and management.

You may also receive specialized training in transportation management, freight classifications, methods of working with civilian and other service carriers, and special handling of medicine and explosives.

Career Outlook

The skills you will acquire as a Supply, Transportation, and Logistics Officer are essential to businesses and industries in every sector. The leadership, organization, and strategic planning experience you stand to gain will provide you with invaluable experience for both Navy and civilian careers. Training in this field will prepare you for management positions in hospitals, schools, government agencies, airlines, shipping firms, and any number of other private sector positions.