A friend of mine studied for 2 weeks and spent one extra week in shipboard walk-throughs to prepare for his enlisted surface warfare specialist (ESWS) qualification. Obtaining the qualification takes a passing score of 80% or higher on a (at this command) 100-question test, and passing an oral board administered by various shipboard personnel. After one unsuccessful test attempt I helped him study for a few days and my friend then managed to pass with an 83% and achieved satisfactory results on his board as well. He is now allowed to wear the designator pin for ESWS on his working and dress uniforms as proof of this achievement.
Am I proud of my shipmate? Certainly. But a selfish humor within me caused me to call the validity of his ESWS pin upon examining the actual test he took and after speaking with him in some detail about his oral board. He said 7 different people showed up, asked him 5 questions each, and that was it. The test was also full of simple short answer questions and, barring the fact that it was 100 questions, looked pretty easy. When I remember the time I spent preparing for my ESWS test (200 questions) and my oral board(s), my real exception to their ESWS program comes to light.
For us on active duty, it was difficult. Very difficult, very long, and unforgiving. You begin by learning to a great extent the inner workings of every aspect of all ship functions, such as engineering, supply, personnel, aviation, navigation, operations, combat systems, and so on. You do this by standing Under Instruction (UI) watchstations and getting them to sign off a qualification book to prove you have assimmilated the requisite knowledge to the appropriate level. Then once you feel you are ready, you turn in your book, which is then verified, and you are allowed to be proctored the aforementioned test. After the test, you go through 3 oral boards, and the failure of even one board nullifies your test score, and you have to retest, meaning you had to select a different test out of the 10 randomized versions. The first board was usually scheduled for 2.5 hours. The second, or "murder board", was not only scheduled for 3 hours and usually ran longer (mine was 4.5) but was sat by only senior officers and enlisted as well (Senior/Master Chiefs, the XO and CO of the ship, and various departmental Commanders [Papa Raynor] and Lieutenant Commanders). The third usually lasted less than 2 hours. To describe the amount of time it took me to feel prepared to test and board with confidence, I would use the word tremendous. 2 hours a night studying, standing different watches twice a week around the ship, and getting a stack of papers about 2 inches thick signed off by the watchstanders I was with. All that and more was my preparation for what ended up to be about, oh, let's say, about 7 months.
7 months.
Debasement?
Possibly.
Congratulations, nonetheless, are due to IT2 (SW) Sitzman upon the occasion of successfully completing the requirements to be designated an enlisted surface warfare specialist, and tomorrow, with the ship's crew as audience at Captain's Call, it will certainly be my personal pleasure to present him with his letter of designation and inaugurally pin the emblem on his chest.
Machinist's Mate,
Second Class,
Surface Warfare,
Donny R. Hathorn.
MM2(SW) Hathorn
