U.S. DOD Form dod-opnavinst-1412-8b

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVYOFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS 2000 NAVY PENTAGON WASHINGTON, DC 20350-2000 OPNAVINST 1412.8BN7623 SEP 2004OPNAV INSTRUCTION 1412.8BFrom: Chief of Naval OperationsTo: All Ships and Stations (less Marine Corps field addresseesnot having Navy personnel attached)Subj: SURFACE WARFARE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OFFICER (SWMDO)QUALIFICATION AND DESIGNATIONRef: (a) Naval Military Personnel Manual, Article 14105001. Purpose. To revise and reissue the requirement forqualification and designation as a Surface Warfare MedicalDepartment Officer. This is a significant revision and shouldbe reviewed in its entirety.2. Cancellation. OPNAVINST 1412.8A.3. Discussion. The program described in this instruction isdesigned to recognize the significant contributions made byofficers of the medical department while serving in surfaceships. SWMDO qualification represents a level of shipboardknowledge and experience that distinguishes an officer orwarrant officer of the medical department from his or her peers.The use of the Surface Warfare Officer Division Officer At-SeaTraining Program reduces the variance between qualificationprograms aboard different ships. The SWMDO qualificationprogram is not mandatory for all afloat medical departmentofficers and, therefore, not all officers are expected toparticipate. Progress toward SWMDO qualification, if pursued,should be in conjunction with, but should not interfere with,the primary duties of a medical department officer.4. Eligibility. The following are eligible to attaindesignation as Surface Warfare Medical Department Officers:a. Commissioned medical department officers assignedpermanent change of station (PCS) or temporary additional duty

OPNAVINST 1412.8B23 SEP 2004(TAD) to a commissioned U.S. Navy or Military Sealift Command(MSC) surface ship or afloat staff.b. Ready Reserve Officers (Inactive Duty) meeting thefollowing criteria:(1) Assigned to afloat reserve unit for a minimum of 96drill periods within a 3-year period, of which at least 40 mustbe performed onboard ship.(2) Pursue qualification over a minimum of three 2-weekAnnual Training (AT) periods.Note: Qualifications earned while on active duty remain ineffect for Reserve officers.5. Standards. The intent of this instruction is that allofficers seeking SWMDO qualification meet the same requirementsand high standards of performance. An officer pursuingqualification as a SWMDO must:a. Be a graduate of at least one of the following coursesof instruction:(1) Surface Warfare Medical Department OfficerIndoctrination Course.(2) Dental Officers’ Operational Forces ManagementSeminar.Course.(3) Commander Amphibious Task Force (CATF) Surgeon(4) Landing Force Medical Staff Planning Course.(5) A formal course of operational medicaltraining certified as equivalent to the above by theforce medical officer of the applicable Type Commander(TYCOM).b. Be assigned in a commissioned U.S. Navy or MSC surfaceship as a commissioned officer for a minimum of 6 monthscumulative duty. This duty need not be continuous.c. Complete Shipboard Fire Fighting Schoold. Complete Basic Damage Control (NAVEDTRA 43119-G)Watchstations 301-306.2

OPNAVINST 1412.8B23 SEP 2004e. Complete the Surface Warfare Officer Division OfficerCourse (SWOSDOC) At-Sea Curriculum. This includes allInteractive Courseware (ICW), practicums, practical problems,case studies, and satisfactory performance (80%) on all moduletests.Note: This does not include or require qualification as Officerof the Deck Underway or attending the Surface Warfare OfficerSchool Division Officer Course (SWOSDOC) in Newport, RhodeIsland. The intention to include modules such as OOD(inport)and CICWO in the requirement is to increase the medicaldepartment officer’s level of shipboard knowledge and experiencethat distinguishes this officer from his or her peers. Standingwatches outside medical should not be allowed.e. Demonstrate a working knowledge of shipboardorganization and chain of command; ship training and deploymentcycles; naval correspondence, including message traffic; afloatmedical supply operations; shipboard preventative medicine,occupational health, safety, and sanitation requirements andprograms; shipboard wellness and health promotion programs;medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) procedures; medical aspects ofnuclear, biological, and chemical defense; and the specificresponsibilities of medical department officers at sea,including the management of combat casualties and medicalaspects of operations other than war.f. Demonstrate effective medical/clinical/leadershipperformance in direct patient care at sea or in support ofdirect patient care at sea.g. Demonstrate effective leadership, administrative andmanagement skills while performing duties as a medicaldepartment officer afloat by receiving no unsatisfactory grade(below C-2) on a medical or dental inspection or evaluation,including a medical readiness assessment (MRA) or dentalreadiness assessment (DRA), as applicable, in any area for whichthe officer is directly responsible or accountable. Any sucharea receiving an unsatisfactory grade must be documented assatisfactory during a subsequent re-inspection in order for theofficer to be recommended by his or her commanding officer forSWMDO designation. In the case of a medical or dentaldepartment head, this includes all areas of medical or dental,as applicable. Since a medical department officer’s serviceafloat may not coincide with a formal MRA or DRA, personalparticipation in an MRA or DRA, while desirable, is not requiredfor SWMDO designation.3

OPNAVINST 1412.8B23 SEP 2004h. After satisfying the requirements in paragraphs 6athrough 6g, display a general professional knowledge of allaspects of own ship’s systems, interrelations, capabilities, andmission in terms of above PQS requirements before a multi-memberboard. This board will be chaired by the commanding officer,surface warfare qualified MSC area, sub-area, or afloat staffcommander (as appropriate) or a designated Surface WarfareOfficer, lieutenant commander or senior, and comprised ofSurface Warfare officers and the ship’s senior SWMDO (if theship has a SWMDO assigned).6. Previously Designated Surface Warfare Officers. Medicaldepartment officers previously designated as Surface WarfareOfficers or Surface Warfare qualified per OPNAVINST1412.2(series) may request designation as SWMDO upon completionof 12 months satisfactory performance in a medical departmentbillet aboard a surface ship, including receiving nounsatisfactory grade on a medical or dental inspection orevaluation. Qualification may be approved by the commandingofficer as outlined in paragraph 7.7. Approval of Qualificationa. The commanding officer may qualify an officer as a SWMDOupon completion of all requirements listed in paragraph 6.b. Medical department officers assigned to afloat MSC unitsmay be qualified by requesting the convening of a board throughthe Naval Fleet Auxillary Commodore, MSCLANT or MSCPAC, asappropriate.c. Once qualification is achieved, transfer from one shipto another shall not require requalification as a SWMDO.However, requalification or a formal demonstration of knowledgein a particular watchstation in the new ship may be required asdirected by the commanding officer.d. If qualification has not been achieved upon transfer toanother ship, the commanding officer of the ship receiving theofficer will recognize recorded attainment to date but mayrequire a demonstration of knowledge in any or all areas asdeemed appropriate.e. In the interest of maintaining consistent standards ofqualification, Type Commanders (including Naval Air Forces U.S.Atlantic and Pacific Fleets (AIRLANT/PAC) and Submarine ForcesU.S. Atlantic and Pacific Fleets (SUBLANT/PAC) for surface ships4