Careers in the Navy
- Cyber Warfare Engineering Officer
- Civil Engineer
- Naval Surface Warfare Officer
- Intelligence Officer
- Navy Electronics Technicians
If you’re interested in becoming part of the team that equips the US Navy’s forces to win wars and maintain America’s military dominance in the world’s waterways, perhaps you would be interested in learning about some of the important Navy careers that are available. The Navy is a significant employer of both officers and enlisted personnel in a variety of different roles. Let’s take a look at five different career paths that are important to the US Navy’s success in their critical stated missions.
1. Cyber Warfare Engineering Officer
A cyber warfare engineering officer is a computer network operations manager who specializes in securing the Navy’s computer network and computerized tactical systems. CWEs typically work in onshore environments. Their educational requirements include a bachelor’s degree in an information-related major course of study such as computer engineering or computer science. The degree must be earned from an academic institution approved by the National Security Agency.
2. Civil Engineer
When the Navy needs to build new infrastructure or perform maintenance on existing infrastructure, they call on civil engineers to oversee the construction and supervise the maintenance. These officers supervise the Navy’s skilled labor force of Seabees in building docks, bridges, naval bases, airfields and a broad variety of other structures.
3. Naval Surface Warfare Officer
The Navy has an ongoing need for capable and trustworthy commanding officers who have the leadership and interpersonal skills necessary to manage the day-to-day operations aboard seagoing and airborne vessels. Each cruiser, aircraft carrier, destroyer, warfare ship and frigate the Navy maintains needs a commanding officer, and naval surface warfare officers fill that role. To qualify for this position, you’ll need to hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution. If this is your career goal, it is possible that you may qualify for financial support for your degree through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program.
4. Intelligence Officer
Intelligence officers supervise the gathering and dissemination of operational intelligence that Navy commanders rely on to make appropriate decisions. This responsibility extends in many different directions. Some intelligence officers work at monitoring national security threats. Others work on briefing higher-level naval and governmental officials to provide them with information of critical importance.
Both enlisted personnel and officers can serve the intelligence needs of the naval community. The role of intelligence officer pays more, but it requires you to assume a higher level of responsibility and leadership. It also requires a greater investment in your education, as you must have at least a bachelor’s degree to qualify.
5. Navy Electronics Technicians
Navy aircraft and ships rely on an increasingly complex grouping of technological innovations for day-to-day operations. Navy ETs are responsible for performing the constant maintenance, monitoring, repair and upkeep these electronic and mechanical systems need for optimum functional operations.
This is typically a role filled by enlisted personnel who show aptitude for engineering. They might specialize in a field such as electrical engineering, nuclear engineering, computer science or aerospace engineering. The Navy typically gives ETs training that can sometimes later be applied for credit towards an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
Related Resource: What is the Secret Service?
These roles are all important to the US Navy’s success in remaining a dominant global military force. If you’re interested in pursuing a US military career, these are five important Navy careers that are all worth training for and pursuing.