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**ADC** · 11-04-11, 09:39

Hi all
I am currently in the final year of an Electronic Engineering degree, and I have been looking at WEO. However looking back through the forums I have noticed that there could be a 6-10 year wait between "sea" jobs. To be honest this is a bit of a put off for me, as surely the reason to join the Navy is to go to sea? So considering this, could anyone tell me:

What sort of "shore" jobs could I get?

and:

Do submariner engineers get more "sea" time?

I would like to point out at this stage I have not got in touch with an AFCO, and that I am just researching the job, and I would like to hear from people that do the job rather than just get the recruiting spiel.

Thanks in advance.

**wave_dodger** · 11-04-11, 10:43

I'm not a pure WEO, but am now a WE Officer so take my 5 pennys worth with a degree of caution, but after your BRNC/SEMC time you will go pretty much straight away as a DWEO/CISO, thereafter you might be a second D/WE/CISO appointment but most likely not. Then the next routine sea job for you would be WEO as a junior/mid seniority Lt Cdr. Do the maths it likely to be 5-6 years at least between jobs.

However in between you could be with MCTA doing trials afloat, an IPT developing new capabilities and getting then to work afloat, with a support unit fitting/moving other capabilities. There are a range of possibilities.

Just look at the number of platforms we have and you can see why sea appointments will be limited.

Alfred_The_Great is a WE/PWO hybrid he is quite current and will no doubt pop up to add more detail.

**ADC** · 11-04-11, 11:11

Thanks for the reply.
Having done a quick Google search on MCTA and IPT, they look good as a job, but is the lifestyle on them still military? By that I mean are you posted to a shore establishment and live in the mess, or do you tend to get posted amongst civil servants?

**ADC** · 11-04-11, 17:11

Shameless self bump...

**older_joiner** · 11-04-11, 20:15

I'm only at BRNC at the moment, due to IFT next week, so take what you will from this until someone else comes along.
From what I have gathered, after BRNC it's the SEMC at Collingwood. That's for 13 months now (instead of the 10 previously). During that time you undergo 2 sea deployments, of 13 weeks each (as of the previous 10 month training period). During these you'll be a AWEO, then on the next deployment, a JWEO (I think it's JWEO), until you finish the course as a fully fledged DWEO and join the fleet proper at trained strength.
Talking to the DWEO on St. Albans when it was in Canary Wharf last year, I was led to believe the first 3 or so years involve a lot of sea time and then you are shore based until you reach a 2 and a half ringer status.

Happy to be corrected where required.

OJ

**Guns** · 11-04-11, 20:29

We don't let WEO's go to sea much as the static build up from their man made fibres are a really hazard.

**ADC** · 11-04-11, 20:40

O-J Thanks for the info, looks like the careers website needs updating a bit...

Guns, I take it that WEO's are considered to be like RAF officers then?