A path to professional leadership. 

America’s Navy employs the most highly qualified and talented men and women in the country. Each is a true professional in every sense of the word, holding to the highest standards in their everyday lives.

OFFICER TYPES
In order to know what it means to be a Navy Officer, it helps to understand the various types of Navy Officers.

Unrestricted Line Officer
These Officers are not restricted in the performance of duty and are eligible to command ships, submarines,
aircraft squadrons, fleets and shore bases. Jobs in this category include Surface Warfare Officers, Pilots, Navy
Flight Officers, Aviation Support Officers, Submarine Officers and Officers in Naval Special Warfare/Naval
Special Operations. They are commissioned through Officer Candidate School, the Naval Reserve Officers
Training Corps or the Naval Academy.

Restricted Line Officer
These Officers are designated for duties in aviation, engineering, aerospace engineering or special duty.
Jobs include Aviation Maintenance Officers, Specialists in Cryptographic Support, Intelligence, Automatic Data
Processing, Public Affairs and Oceanography. They are commissioned through Officer Candidate School, Officer
Development School, the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps or the Naval Academy.

Staff Corps Officer
These are specialists in career fields that are professions unto themselves, such as physicians, nurses, chaplains, lawyers, civil engineers, etc. They are commissioned through Officer Development School or
the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. 

Limited-Duty Officer
These are former Enlisted Sailors who are commissioned based on extensive training and experience in their jobs. They are limited to performing their duties within their specific field. While there are those who are born leaders, they still must acquire the skills and knowledge it takes to lead.

At Officer Candidate School (OCS) and Officer Development School (ODS) – as well as through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) or the Naval Academy – exceptional men and women hone
their leadership skills to form a strong foundation for a successful career as a Navy Officer.

To learn more, send cover letter or resume