Lincoln Prepares Future LDOs, Warrant Officers for Success

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kathleen L. Church, USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs

USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) participated in a weekly limited duty officer (LDO) and chief warrant officer (CWO) recruitment training session, May 16.

Lincoln holds the training to prepare interested Sailors for the extensive application process, one that provides the Navy with officer technical managers and specialists who exercise leadership in key positions throughout the service.

"The chance to become an LDO or CWO is an exceptional opportunity for leadership," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mike Guertin. "It is never too early to start preparing for the transition."

Guertin implemented the LDO/CWO recruitment and training aboard Lincoln to provide enlisted Sailors with tools and information about career advancement. He recommends to interested parties that they sit in on the training to get extra information about a competitive process designed to select Sailors who have demonstrated sustained superior performance throughout their careers.

The admission process focuses on promotion rankings, command endorsement, interview appraisal sheets, leadership traits, major accomplishments, significant in-rate and watch station qualifications, certifications and the difficulty of previous assignments.

"It is important to set goals early in your career," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Laila Salaam. "Becoming an LDO or CWO is a long process full of hard work, but it is a process that will set you up for a stable future."

Guertin described the selection process as among the most competitive in the Navy. "Sailors need to make themselves look as good as possible because only the top few will gain a spot in the program," he said. In 2011, of the 1,020 Sailors who applied for the CWO program Navywide, 156 were selected.

"Lincoln had amazing success in the CWO program last year," said Guertin. "We had five people selected to become CWOs; most commands are lucky to get one Sailor selected."

The application process takes approximately 11 months before results are announced.

"Very few get to serve as an LDO or CWO," said Guertin. "It is a position to be proud of because you have proved to the Navy that you are in the elite in your rate."

Lincoln is currently deployed with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, which also includes embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, guided-missile cruiser Cape St. George (CG 71) and Destroyer Squadron 9, comprised of guided-missile destroyers USS Momsen (DDG 92) and USS Sterett (DDG 104). CSG 9 is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and combat flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.