While assigned to a ship, of course... I have heard that they can (and are often expected to) qualify for normal officer watchstanding duties when on a ship, but I can't find any info on their ability to fully qualify as a SWO. There are specialty surface warfare pins for almost every other staff corps, why none for JAG?
there isn't one for IWO either. when Johnny_B got his SWO pin his ship CO had to grant permission for him to do so as at the time only SWOs to get it. he got around it by using the fact that he had already begun working on it before the new reg came down so he grandfathered him in.
since he hasn't been on sea duty in a while I do not know what current regs on it are.
May depend on the individual officer's route to his JAGC commission. Many JAGC officers were previously commissioned as unrestricted line officers (ROTC or Academy graduates). I was a product of the two year ROTC program while in Law School at Cornell. I received full training and was commissioned as a line Ensign. I only served in the line for two days, however, the day of my commissioning on graduation from Cornell Law School in 1971, and the day I was promoted from line Ensign to LT JAGC at Naval Justice School to begin the JAG Officer course there. Some JAGC officers, however, received direct commission after law school, with no line training whatsoever (other than Officer Indoctrination School, know as "charm school" to which all direct commission staff corps offices attend). A JAGC who previously served on active duty as a line officer should clearly be able to earn SWO pin as any other qualified line officer. Someone like me who was trained and commissioned as unrestricted line should also arguable be able to qualify for a SWO pin if they meet all normal requirements and qualifications. Direct Commissoned officers, who never received line training at all (navigation, engineering etc.), I would think, should not be allowed to qualify for the SWO pin.
Whether or not you commisioned as a line officer or not wouldn't matter. It used to be anyone could get a SWO pin. Then the SWO pride community stepped in and the Navy decided only those holding the 116X designator (baby SWO's, if you will) and certain type of LDO/Warrant Officer could earn SWO pins, every one else needed a waiver. Lately there's been talk of changing that. I honestly don't know what the regs say now.
Even aviators can't get SWO pins nowadays. In the past, they have been able to earn one while on deployment, but that's changed in recent years. There's been talk of some skippers authorizing it, but it's not up to skippers, it's up to big navy, and any pins "earned" by non SWO's are not valid.
Also, I have neither seen nor heard of any JAG's that are unrestricted line officers. That right there should disqualify them from earning any warfare qualification that an unrestricted line officer would earn. As for skippers using a JAG to stand watches on the bridge... if he can use a midn to do this, I suppose there's no harm in using a JAG, but I can't imagine the JAG is ever going to qualify as OOD. Maybe the conning officer or junior OOD. And even then I can't imagine the skipper expecting that. Maybe if the JAG pushes for it. However, I'm not a SWO, so I don't know for sure.
Originally posted by AoiSonlee: Whether or not you commisioned as a line officer or not wouldn't matter. It used to be anyone could get a SWO pin. Then the SWO pride community stepped in and the Navy decided only those holding the 116X designator (baby SWO's, if you will) and certain type of LDO/Warrant Officer could earn SWO pins, every one else needed a waiver. Lately there's been talk of changing that. I honestly don't know what the regs say now.
The restrictions Aoison is refering to were delineated in OPNAVINST 1412.2H
I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of OPNAVINST 1412.2J, which is the latest version in the series, and allows a wider range of designators as well as spells out the requirements to attend SWOSCOL, etc. Unfortunately, the site is down currently. Updates to follow.
