{"id":45497,"date":"2024-01-09T17:42:59","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T17:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/01\/09\/heres-what-the-navy-is-doing-to-boost-swo-retention\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:16:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:16:58","slug":"heres-what-the-navy-is-doing-to-boost-swo-retention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2024\/01\/09\/heres-what-the-navy-is-doing-to-boost-swo-retention\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s what the Navy is doing to boost SWO retention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Retention among surface warfare officers<\/a> going into department head school is slightly down from last year, but numbers overall remain up as the service has launched several initiatives to keep SWOs<\/a> in the service longer, according to officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SWOs have historically departed their community at higher rates than the submarine and aviation communities, and the Navy has been working to keep more of them in the ranks with a variety of incentives in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For fiscal year 2023, SWO retention among division officers who choose to go to department head school was 34.7 percent \u2014 slightly down from last year\u2019s 35.1 percent retention rate, according to Vice Adm. Brendan McLane, commander of Naval Surface Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile each year\u2019s group is unique, our 10-year department head retention average is about 35 and a half percent,\u201d McLane told reporters on Friday, ahead of the Surface Navy Association\u2019s annual conference this week. \u201cSo we continue to assess our retention trends through surveys with our division officers, we follow the GAO reports closely and then we engage a lot on the deck plates with our officers to find out what\u2019s most important to them and then what we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a bid to keep its SWOs, the Navy offers up to $105,000 for SWOs who become department heads, and active-duty lieutenant commander SWOs can get up to $46,000 after signing on for another three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\t