CHAPTER  8 PROFESSIONAL  READING Although you may think you cease to be a student when you graduate and receive your commission, you will have to do a great deal of studying and reading as long as you remain in the Navy.   The main difference is that instead of being taught, you will be doing most of the studying on your own.   Much of your reading will   be   necessary   to   enable   you   to   do   your   job properly, to train you for a more responsible job, and to  broaden  your  general  knowledge.    While  most  of your reading will be professional in nature, try to do some   outside   reading. You   should   have   a   good working knowledge of the following publications: Navy Regulations, 1990 Standard Organization and Regulations of the U.S. Navy, OPNAVINST 3120.32 Naval   Military   Personnel   Manual   (MIL- PERSMAN), NAVPERS 15560 Information  and  Personnel  Security  Program Regulation, OPNAVINST 5510.1 Your  command’s  organization  and  regulation manuals Your   command’s   administration   office   should have copies of these publications.   It can also advise you on other pertinent manuals you should review.  At the end of this section is a list of periodicals and books we recommend that you read. READING HINTS Use  the  following  procedures  to  save  time  and make your reading of Navy material easier: Become   familiar   with   your   command’s inventory of Navy publications/books.   Keep up with the  Navy  Directives  System  through  its  instructions and notices.   Review them every quarter, if possible, after  your  command  receives  the  new  cumulative indexes. Do not just plunge into the various books and publications.    Look  over  the  field  first.    See  which ones  are  available  and  have  been  published  most recently. Read the preface or foreword first to learn the purpose of the book, its intended audience, and how to use it. Scan the chapter titles in the table of contents. Thumb   through   the   index. Examine   paragraph headings and subtitles, if any, to see what the author thinks  is  important.    This  procedure  is  also  a  good way to read or review a book when you are in a hurry. COMMAND INDOCTRINATION Most  commands  have  indoctrination/familiari- zation courses specifically designed to help you gain general knowledge of your command’s organization, equipment, and operations.   This general knowledge will help you no matter what department you are in. Use  these  courses  as  a  guideline  to  help  focus  your research into your new job.  You can gain most of the important information you need to properly perform your  duties  by  answering  the  questions  contained  in each course. NONRESIDENT TRAINING A wide variety of nonresident training course are available   to   Navy   members. More   than   100 nonresident  training  courses  are  written  specifically for officer training.  These courses range from general military   subjects,   such   as   Naval   Orientation,   to specific   billet   packages,   such   as   the   Shipboard Electronics   Material   Officer,   or   Engineering   Duty Officer. Most  Navy  nonresident  training  packages consist of the following materials: Nonresident training course (NRTC).    NRTCs are self-study courses, which may include exercises, lessons, or examinations designed to assist the student in  acquiring  the  knowledge  or  skill  described  in  the associated text. Text  for  NRTC.    The  text  for  an  NRTC  may consist  of  either  (1)  a  training  manual  (TRAMAN) written  specifically  for  a  particular  NRTC  or  (2)  an existing   Navy   manual,   directive,   or   commercially procured text. 8-1