How to Be a Captain on a Navy Ship
If you want to become the captain of a Navy ship, you must start early. A naval captain usually has at least a bachelor's degree, but many have master's degrees and some even doctorates. Navy captains also have at least 20 years of distinguished service. Even with all of these qualifications, the competition for the limited number of command slots is fierce. The first thing you must do, however, is earn a commission as an officer in the navy.
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Instructions
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Apply to one of the three officer commissioning sources. If you are a civilian or already enlisted in the navy and have a bachelor's degree, you can apply for Officer Candidate School. If you have not entered college, you can apply for an appointment to the US Naval Academy, but the requirements for this route are highly restrictive. A third option is to enter Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) when you enter college.
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Earn a commission as an ensign in the navy. This is done by completing one of the three commissioning programs. All three require basic military training, academic training and training at sea. The training is rigorous, but if you want to be a Navy captain in command of a ship, you must complete it.
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Serve the Navy with honor and receive excellent fitness reports (FITREPs) in an operational career field. Being an officer in a support field will not lead to promotion to a command position on a ship.
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Get promoted and get a position as an executive officer(XO) on a ship. The XO is the second-in-command and is in the best position to be selected as a ship's captain, or "skipper."
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Communicate your desires for command clearly but tactfully to your superiors. They are the ones who will be making recommendations for you. Continue to serve honorably until you are given a command.
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Tips & Warnings
"Captain" is an officer's rank in the Navy and and a title of command, but they are not necessarily related. The commander of a ship is called "captain," but may not hold the rank of captain. Someone may hold the rank of Captain and not be in command of a ship.
