WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy has established the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Unrestricted Line (URL) Officer Acquisition Corps (AC) and Major Program Manager (MPM) career path, the chief of naval personnel public affairs said in a release.
The NSW URL AC will professionalize an acquisitions career path for SEAL officers and build a cadre of leaders who can expertly develop, field and sustain capabilities needed for NSW’s and the Navy’s future operating environment, according to the release.
Experience, education and certification requirements for major acquisition command selection result in career patterns different from URL officers who serve exclusively in their primary warfare specialty. The most significant difference is the need for NSW URL AC designated officers to serve in acquisition-related billets before and after completing NSW O-5 command or NSW O-5 acquisition milestone assignments.
SEAL officers selected for NSW URL AC will receive designation as NSW AC eligible via an additional qualification designator.
NSW AC eligible candidates can compete for Major Program Management (MPM) and sequential major acquisition command slating after a minimum of 48 months of experience in acquisition-coded or related billets. Officers who accept orders to NSW O-5 acquisition milestone assignments will not be eligible to compete for URL major operational command.
The first NSW O-5 acquisition milestone board is slated to occur concurrently with the NSW commanding officer/executive officer administrative board in 2019.
