A model for future Naval Surface Warfare officer detailing

Abstract

This thesis develops a model for a possible future Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) detailing system. It does so by examining the current SWO Detailing System in the context of the greater SWO Career Management System. Minimum criteria applicable to any future detailing systems are then developed. Using these criteria, an object-oriented model for a future SWO Detailing System is created with the Unified Modeling Language. The model developed assumes a future SWO Career Management System where SWOs progress from being generalists to specialists (e.g., a future SWO may specialize as a Combat Systems Officer). Many of the concepts developed are applicable to the current SWO Detailing System. Primary among these concepts is that the current system (and any future system) will benefit from the use of a more object-oriented database to store and manage historical and statistical information about individual SWOs. In addition, customized user interfaces for detailing system users that access this same database but have different functionality will improve both the experience and results of the SWO detailing process. Finally, the introduction of computerized analytical tools (both statistical and data-mining) will help the detailer better balance the sometimes conflicting objectives of the detailing process.