SAN DIEGO – Ensign Brooks McNeal, a native of Woodruff, South Carolina, always wanted to do something service related.
Now, one year later, McNeal has the opportunity to learn leadership at the Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC), part of Surface Warfare Officers School San Diego.
“I'm very excited that BDOC is focused on giving us the information that's needed to go on a ship,” McNeal said. “It’s a great way to get some experience before we get on a ship and start leading sailors.”
BDOC is an intensive, nine week course of instruction designed to provide foundational classroom training to prospective surface warfare officers.
McNeal credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Woodruff.
“My parents always made me work for what I earned,” McNeal said. “Nothing comes easy or free. That's a good lesson to have for the service.”
McNeal, a 2015 graduate of Paul M. Dorman High School, is training to become a surface warfare officer.
“I’ll be leading and managing a division of sailors in a specific area on a ship,” McNeal said. “From standing watches, making sure the ship is safely navigating, and basically ensuring the ship is at its safest and most ready state at any given time to deter any threats that come up.”
The course places emphasis on classroom instruction and Conning Officer Virtual Environment (COVE) simulators, which simulate every class of ship in the U.S. Navy and all their homeports, in addition to many routine ports of call around the world. COVE reinforces concepts in navigation, seamanship, and shiphandling. BDOC also provides instruction on maritime warfare, divisional officer fundamentals, engineering, leadership and damage control.
The mission of Surface Warfare Officers School is to ready sea-bound warriors to serve on surface combatants as officers, enlisted engineers and enlisted navigation professionals to fulfill the Navy's mission maintaining global maritime superiority.
Once service members finish training they are deployed around the world putting their skill set to work aboard Navy ships, such as aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, amphibious warfare ships, mine warfare ships and littoral combat ships.
There are many sacrifices and goals one must achieve to be selected as a surface warfare officer and McNeal is most proud of the opportunity to lead sailors.
“That's one of the things I've always been excited about,” said McNeal. “I get a lot out of personal interaction.”
Surface warfare has been a part of world history for more than 3,000 years, and the United States has its stamp on that history with actions ranging from the American Revolution to modern day operations at sea around the world.
A key element of the Navy the Nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, according to Navy officials, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
As McNeal and other surface warriors continue to train, they take pride serving their country in the United States Navy.
“It means being part of something bigger than yourself and using skills that you've learned over the years and putting them to practice for the greater good and the best interest of the United States,” said McNeal. “It's fun and exciting.”
