본문 바로가기 주메뉴 바로가기
국회도서관 홈으로 정보검색 소장정보 검색

목차보기

Title page

Contents

Highlights 2

Letter 9

Background 14

2017 Mishaps at Sea 14

U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) 16

Prior GAO Work on SWO Training 17

SWOs Separate Earlier and at Higher Rates Compared with Officers in Similar U.S. Navy Communities, and Female SWOs Separate at Higher Rates than Males 18

SWOs Separate from Their Community Earlier and at Higher Rates than Officers in Similar U.S. Navy Communities 18

Female SWOs Separate at Higher Rates than Male SWOs 23

The U.S. Navy's Commissioning Practices Limit Surface Warfare Officer Training Opportunities aboard Ships 27

The U.S. Navy Commissions Nearly Double the Number of SWOs Needed to Meet Personnel Needs, Limiting Training Opportunities aboard Ships 28

The U.S. Navy Commissions and Trains Junior Officers as SWOs Who Are Guaranteed the Option to Transfer to Other U.S. Navy Career Fields 32

The U.S. Navy Commissions Nuclear-Trained SWOs That Spend Half as Much Time on Ships than Their Peers 33

The Career Path for U.S. Navy SWOs Differs from Officers in Selected Foreign Navies and Other U.S. Navy and U.S. Maritime Communities 36

U.S. Navy SWOs Have a Generalist Career Path, but Others Specialize Duties 36

Other Key Differences Exist in Training and Proficiency Development and Retention Practices 40

The U.S. Navy Has Recently Made Incremental Career Path Changes for SWOs, but Has Not Regularly Evaluated Alternative Career Path and Proficiency Models 45

U.S. Navy Has Made Incremental Changes to SWO Career Path and Proficiency Models 45

A Majority of SWOs Believe That Specialized Career Paths Would Be Best for the U.S. Navy 46

A Substantial Number of SWOs Do Not Want to Become Ship Commanding Officers 48

A Majority of SWOs Believe the U.S. Navy Could Improve Proficiency Requirements for Commanding Officers and Other SWOs 51

Other Career Path and Proficiency Policies Present Advantages and Disadvantages 53

U.S. Navy Has Not Taken Key Strategic Workforce Planning Actions for SWOs That Evaluates the Navy's Current Approaches or Alternative Career Path and Proficiency... 54

Conclusions 56

Recommendations for Executive Action 57

Agency Comments and Our Evaluation 59

Appendix I: Data Sources and Methods Used for Retention Analyses 62

Appendix II: Nominal Cost of the U.S. Navy Surface Warfare, Aviation, and Submarine Officer Career Paths 81

Appendix III: Foreign Navy and U.S. Maritime Organization Profiles 86

Appendix IV: Surface Warfare Officer Survey Questionnaire, Demographic Information, and Weighted Responses 121

Appendix V: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 146

Appendix VI: Comments from the Department of the Navy 159

Appendix VII: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments 178

Tables

Table 1. Summary of the Career Path Models for the U.S. Navy, Selected Foreign Navies, and the U.S. Coast Guard 37

Table 2. Characteristics of Commissioning Programs and Ship-Driving Training for Surface Warfare Officer Equivalents among the U.S. Navy, Selected Foreign Navies,... 43

Table 3. Characteristics of Retention Practices for Surface Warfare Officer Equivalents among U.S. Navy, Selected Foreign Navies, and Other U.S. Navy and U.S. Maritime... 44

Table 4. Population Count of the U.S. Navy Unrestricted Line Officer Communities from July 2003 through March 2020 63

Table 5. Demographic Composition of the U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Community Compared with Other U.S. Navy Unrestricted Line (URL) Officer Communities 65

Table 6. Average Years of Service from Commissioning to Separation by U.S Navy Officer Community and Accession Source 66

Table 7. Number and Percent of Male and Female U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) during Calendar Years 2003 through 2020 66

Table 8. U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Community 10-year Retention Rate Compared with other U.S. Navy Unrestricted Line (URL) Officer Communities 68

Table 9. U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Retention Rates Using the Life Table Method 69

Table 10. U.S. Navy Submarine Officer Retention Rates Using the Life Table Method 70

Table 11. U.S. Navy Aviation Officer Retention Rates Using the Life Table Method 71

Table 12. U.S. Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal and Special Warfare Retention Rates Using the Life Table Method 72

Table 13. Male U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Retention Rates Using the Life Table Method 73

Table 14. Female U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Retention Rates Using the Life Table Method 74

Table 15. Bivariate Regression Results from Cox Proportional Hazard Model 76

Table 16. Multivariate Regression Results from Cox Proportional Hazard Model 79

Table 17. Nominal Per-Officer Costs of the U.S. Navy Surface Warfare, Aviation, and Submarine Officer Career Paths through 23 Years of Commissioned Service 81

Table 18. Survey-Based Estimates of U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers Demographic Information 127

Table 19. Survey-Based Estimates Regarding the Number of Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Commanding Officers U.S. Navy SWOs Have Worked For 128

Table 20. Survey-Based Estimates Regarding the Effectiveness of Generalist Career Path in Developing U.S. Navy Commanding Officers 129

Table 21. Survey-Based Estimates Regarding Opportunities to Develop the Skills Needed to Perform Proficiently as a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) 130

Table 22. Survey-Based Estimates Regarding What Career Path Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) Believe Would Best Prepare SWOs For Their Service in the United... 132

Table 23. Survey-Based Estimates Regarding Surface Warfare Officers (SWO) Personal Preference of a Career Path Option 135

Table 24. Survey Responses from Junior Surface Warfare Officers: How Likely Would You be to Continue your Career After You Have Satisfied Your Current Service... 139

Table 25. Survey-Based Estimates from U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers Who Have Not Served as Commanding Officers on their Desire to Become a Commanding Officer 140

Table 26. Sample Design and Number of Responses 154

Figures

Figure 1. Overview of Significant Mishaps at Sea for U.S. Navy Surface Ships, January-August 2017 15

Figure 2. Type and Number of U.S. Navy Surface Ships, as of April 2021 16

Figure 3. Career Progression and Key Duties U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) Perform Aboard Ships 17

Figure 4. Retention Rates for Officers in Select U.S. Navy Communities, by Years of Service, Fiscal Year 2004 through March 2020 19

Figure 5. Nominal Personnel, Training, Retention, and Moving Costs of the U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Career Path through 23 Years of Commissioned Service 22

Figure 6. Retention Rates for U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers, by Gender and Years of Service, Fiscal Years 2004 through March 2020 24

Figure 7. Female Representation in U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Community, Calendar Years 2004 through 2020 26

Figure 8. U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Requirements for Ensigns aboard Ships and Ensign Over Execution, Fiscal Years 2017 through 2021 28

Figure 9. Average Years of Experience on Surface Ships for Nuclear-Trained and Non-Nuclear Trained Surface Warfare Officers 34

Figure 10. Selected Foreign Navies and U.S. Maritime Communities That Specialize Officer Career Paths by Ship Department Duties 39

Figure 11. Selected Foreign Navy and U.S. Maritime Community That Specialize Officer Career Paths by Ship Type 40

Figure 12. Survey-Based Estimates on What Career Path Would Best Prepare U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers for Duty 47

Figure 13. Survey-Based Estimates of U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers Who Have Not Held Command on Whether They Would Like to Become Commanding Officers 49

Figure 14. Survey-Based Estimates of U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Personal Preference of Career Path 50

Figure 15. O-1 to O-3 Grade U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officers' Survey-Based Estimates of Likelihood of Retention if Placed in Various Career Paths 51

Figure 16. Survey-Based Estimates of Observed Effectiveness of Current U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Career Path in Developing Experienced Commanding Officers 52

Figure 17. Nominal Officer Costs for U.S. Navy Surface Warfare, Aviation, and Submarine Officer Community through 23 Years of Commissioned Service 82

Figure 18. Nominal Training Costs for U.S. Navy Surface Warfare, Aviation, and Submarine Officer Community through 23 Years of Commissioned Service 84

Figure 19. Nominal Retention Costs for U.S. Navy Surface Warfare, Aviation, and Submarine Officer Community through 23 Years of Commissioned Service 85

Figure 20. French Navy Surface Warfare Officer Career Paths and Ships 87

Figure 21. Nominal French Navy Surface Warfare Officer (Operations) Career Path 88

Figure 22. Nominal French Navy Surface Warfare Officer (Engineering) Career Path 88

Figure 23. French Navy Junior Surface Warfare Officer (Operations) Training Programs 89

Figure 24. Italian Navy Surface Warfare Officer Career Paths and Ships 91

Figure 25. Nominal Italian Navy General Staff Officer Surface Fleet Career Path 92

Figure 26. Nominal Italian Navy Naval and Mechanical Engineering Officer Career Path 93

Figure 27. Nominal Italian Navy Weapons Engineering Officer Career Path 94

Figure 28. Nominal Italian Navy Supply Officer Career Path 95

Figure 29. Italian Navy Junior General Staff Officer Surface Training Programs 95

Figure 30. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force-Category 1 Surface Warfare Officer Career Paths and Ships 98

Figure 31. Nominal Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Surface Warfare Officer Career Path 99

Figure 32. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Junior Category 1 Surface Warfare Officer Training Programs 100

Figure 33. Republic of Korea Navy Surface Warfare Officer Career Paths and Ships 101

Figure 34. Nominal Republic of Korea Navy Surface Warfare Officer Career Path 102

Figure 35. Republic of Korea Navy Junior Surface Warfare Officer Training Programs 103

Figure 36. United Kingdom Royal Navy Surface Warfare Career Paths and Ships 104

Figure 37. Nominal United Kingdom Royal Navy Warfare Officer Surface Fleet Career Path 105

Figure 38. Nominal United Kingdom Royal Navy Engineer Officer Career Path 106

Figure 39. UK Royal Navy Junior Warfare Officer Surface Training Programs 107

Figure 40. U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Career Path and Ships 108

Figure 41. Nominal U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer Career Path 109

Figure 42. U.S. Navy Junior Surface Warfare Officer Ship-Driving Training Programs 110

Figure 43. U.S. Naval Aviation Officer Career Path and Ships 111

Figure 44. Nominal U.S. Naval Aviation Officers Career Path 112

Figure 45. Ship-Driving Training for U.S. Naval Aviation Officers 112

Figure 46. U.S. Navy Submarine Officer Career Path and Submarines 114

Figure 47. Nominal U.S. Navy Submarine Officer Career Path 115

Figure 48. U.S. Navy Junior Submarine Officer Training Programs 115

Figure 49. Nominal U.S. Coast Guard Officer Career Paths and Ships 117

Figure 50. Nominal U.S. Coast Guard Deck Watch Officer to Operations Afloat Career Path 118

Figure 51. Nominal U.S. Coast Guard Student Engineer to Naval Engineer Career Path 119

Figure 52. U.S. Coast Guard Deck Watch Officer Ship-driving Training Programs 119