Career Paths

We encourage all officers to think long-term and develop a career plan whether you plan on staying for a career or not. To help you think along those lines, below is a generic tour progression up to O5. Keep in mind, however, that no two career paths look the same.

Operational tour

· Initial Navy experience in a non-OCEANO experience either on a ship or other deployable unit.

· The goal of this tour is to develop a solid understanding of the Navy missions and operations from a war-fighters perspective.

Initial/Second 1800 tour

· The goal of this tour is to develop a solid understanding of the Navy missions and operations from an OCEANO perspective.

· By the end of this tour you should have a good understanding of both the OCEANO community (structure, mission, and operations) as well as a good idea of what you would like to focus in (Discipline and Focus Area).

· Your first tour does not lock you into any particular path.

Education tour

· Formal education in the OCEANO Disciplines.

· All O4 and above billets have a sub-specialty code of 6401P which signifies graduate level education in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology. This is a 2+ year course of study at the Naval Postgraduate School and is normally accomplished at the 6-9yr point in a career.

Operational tour

· Mid-grade Navy experience in a non-OCEANO experience either on a ship or strike group staff.

· This is also known as the “O4 sea-tour” and is a wicket for promotion to O5.

Leadership tour

· Your second (or third) OCEANO tour at a mid-grade level.

· This tour can focus on developing leadership skills through an OIC, or XO billet.

Staff tour

· Informal education in the business of the Navy.

· This tour relies on your operational experience, but is centered on a particular focus area (such as requirements, budget, manpower, etc.).

· Primarily accomplished via a staff tour (N2/N6, CNMOC, NOOC).

O5 Milestone tour

· This is a capstone tour of the previous 15 years or so of your Navy experience.

· Your specific career path can influence your suitability for specific milestone tours.