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CHAPTER 1
YOUR CAREER IN THE NAVY
The Navy, like any other large organization,
constantly strives to be among the leaders in the many
fields of technological advancement through
continuing research and developmental efforts. These
efforts also encompass the design and application of
modern managerial techniques to do the best job in
the most efficient and effective manner because we
are, first of all, an organization of people.
When you accepted a commission in the Navy,
you became a member of the Navy team. You can
expect a challenging and rewarding career in such
varying fields as aviation, oceanography, space
development, nuclear propulsion, sound propagation,
ship and weapons systems development, financial and
personnel management, and project development and
management.
OFFICER CATEGORIES
You received your commission as either a line or
staff officer, depending upon your educational and
physical qualifications, your interests, and your prior
experience.
Within the line designation, you are
either an unrestricted line (URL) officer or a restricted
line (RL) officer. Defined simply, URL officers are
those considered eligible for command either ashore
or at sea within one of the five areas of warfare
expertise:
surface, aviation, submarine, special
operations, or special warfare. General URL officers
are eligible only for command of shore activities.
The RL officer category includes those officers
qualified to serve in highly specialized jobs, such as
engineering duty or aeronautical engineering and
maintenance duty.
RL officers may command
auxiliary vessels and designated shore activities.
Officers specializing in areas such as medicine,
supply, civil engineering, law, dentistry, theology, or
nursing receive commissions in the staff corps. Like
RL officers, staff corps officers are not eligible for
command at sea but may assume command of
activities within their own corps.
OFFICER ASSIGNMENTS
Specific types of duty assignments for each
officer will vary, depending on the officer’s specialty,
educational training, and interests. Those of you who
plan a career in the unrestricted line will find
additional information in the Naval Officer Career
Planning Guidebook, OPNAV P-13-1-86.
Typical professional development patterns are
shown in view A of appendix I. These illustrations
show the general progression of assignments and
promotions the various officer communities can
expect.
(The number of years’ continuous service
[YCS] between promotions shown in the exhibits is
an average.) No two officers will follow identical
career patterns; however, on the average, the
successful officer will meet most of the career
milestones in about the same sequence shown in
appendix I. For instance, if you select a career as a
surface warfare officer, you may stay at sea the first 4
years because of operational requirements or personal
choice. During this time you will strive to complete
personnel qualification standards (PQS) and qualify
as division officer, officer of the deck, engineering
officer of the watch, surface warfare officer and be
selected for department head school. Then you may
rotate ashore for staff duty or to attend the Naval
Postgraduate School. Although you did not follow
the development plan exactly, you will have obtained
the experience and qualifications necessary to make
you competitive with your year-group peers.
Views B through H of appendix I are examples of
professional development patterns in other career
specialty fields. The career path for female officers
parallels that of male officers except as constrained by
law.
MILITARY DUTY FOR WOMEN
Navy and Marine Corps women are a valuable
personnel resource who contribute significantly to the
Navy’s mission.
Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 6015, states that
women are allowed to fly combatant aircraft in
combat and serve on combatant vessels if attached to
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