There were four months remaining on a seven-month deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and approximately eight months left in my squadron command tour when the detailer told me that my next set of orders would be as operations officer on board the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in Yokosuka, Japan. To say I was less than enthusiastic about moving my family overseas and spending a significant amount of time at sea, after already spending a substantial amount of time at sea and deployed in command, is an understatement. Further, I would be dishonest to write that post-command sea tours are the hidden gem of the Navy, as I would have gladly taken a couple of years ashore if offered. However, except for my time in command of an EA-18G Growler squadron, being operations officer on the Ronald Reagan was the most professionally rewarding job of my career to that point.
While the three post-command billets on aircraft carriers (operations officer, air boss, and navigator) for naval aviators may include a limited training track, there are important (but intangible) aspects of these jobs that are not addressed. In the event aviators receive similar orders and have successfully completed at least four of the seven stages of grief (shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression) and moved through to the upward turn, the following recommendations may prove useful.
Accept that you may know very little about your job. This is a challenge for anyone who has just completed a command tour, particularly if significant portions of that tour were spent underway. It is certainly humbling. Most naval aviators’ understanding of how an aircraft carrier operates is valuable but incomplete, and likely focused on the product (sorties) and not the complicated processes that enable it. They understand how to read and write portions of an air plan, the benefits of maximizing aircraft available on the flight deck, and the distance between Guam and Brisbane, for example. But they are less familiar with how to construct an air plan that builds in time for reactor department drills, the multiple aircraft elevator runs required to configure a flight deck, or how to account for the impact of either on the ship’s speed of advance.
Can the ship make it through a particular strait on time while providing opportunities for unit-level training to an embarked helicopter squadron based on prevailing winds? Several mistakes I made during my operations officer tour could have been mitigated had I asked a seasoned officer of the deck or tactical action officer for input. Decisions made by any of the three post-command aviators have significant impacts on both the ship and the strike group, and the sooner they can make informed decisions, the better.
What you learn is important. Post-command aviators already understand the product—efficient and effective sortie generation. What they learn in post-command billets is essential in making sure the carrier reliably delivers that product. They have likely spent the past several years considering how to employ aircraft in the event of war. Now they must learn enough about the processes so they can help best employ the aircraft carrier in the same scenario. The vast majority of the ship’s crew will not have the same context for decision-making.
Relationships matter. There is little aviators will do in these jobs that does not affect one of the other department heads or embarked commands. Post-command aviators already share a common language and background with the air wing, but the language and background of the other department heads and embarked commands may be very foreign. With a little effort to understand the underlying logic behind those differences and to build relationships, post-command aviators can be the few people on the ship who understand and resolve friction between the ship and embarked units. The ship and the strike group depend on their ability to integrate with the other departments and strike group commands.
Understand how your captain thinks. This should be obvious, but post-command aviators should not underestimate the demands on the commanding officer’s schedule. As a result, they must make decisions that have significant effects without prior consultation. Put serious effort into understanding the commanding officer’s priorities and approach to problem-solving. While the aviators in these billets are not in command, they can act with a much higher degree of autonomy if they understand how their commanding officer thinks.
Ratings and backgrounds are different, but sailors are sailors. The opportunity to continue leading and developing sailors is one of the highlights of the job. Once a carrier operations officer figures out what an antisurface warfare tactical air controller–qualified operations specialist is or the navigator learns what the career milestones are for quartermasters, post-command aviators will find that sailors are sailors. Helping them reach their next professional or personal milestone is just as satisfying as it was in previous aviation tours.
Find time to drive the ship. The process to qualify as a command duty officer (underway) may be a bit more rigorous than it was when aviators were in squadrons, but it is ultimately worthwhile. It is much easier to understand how decisions translate into reality when watching them play out in real time. It is also a great opportunity to mentor the junior officers who stand bridge watches, the overwhelming majority of whom have little to no experience with aviation.
Had I been offered another career option at the time, I would have taken it and avoided serving as a member of ship’s company. The job is extremely difficult and I learned much of the above the hard way, regardless of how self-evident these guidelines appear to be. Yet I am extremely grateful for the opportunities and experiences I had serving as operations officer on board the Ronald Reagan. The job is exceptionally rewarding and provides the opportunity to impact naval aviation and the broader Navy in tangible and immediate ways. Doing it well matters.