While some of the tasks performed by Sailors in the Operations Specialist (OS) rating do not involve combat—Navigation and Search-and-Rescue Operations come immediately to mind—a great deal of their duties revolve around the detection, surveillance, and response to threats. The scope of their combat-related duties is dictated by their job which, in turn, determines the type of vessel to which they might be assigned. Operations Specialist engage in seven types of warfare operations: Air, Amphibious, Littoral, Mine, Submarine, Surface, and Naval Surface Fire Support.
Combat Air Controllers are primarily responsible for many aspects of Air Warfare operations—Air Defense, analyzing Contacts of Interest, planning aircraft missions, recommending engage tactics, and performing Battle Damage Assessments, to name a few. They also control the airborne assets used in search-and-attack plans for Surface Warfare and Undersea Warfare.
Navigation and Plotting Specialists are understandably involved in Amphibious Warfare and Naval Surface Fire Support. They plot amphibious craft positions and locations of other friendly vessels, delineate no-fire zones, plan fire-support engagements, determine the areas that will be affected by CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Explosive) actions, and plot Electronic Warfare and Mine Warfare information, to name just a smattering of their extensive duties.
Warfare Operators are the only Operations Specialists who deal with Ballistic Missiles; specifically, they are the source and conduit of information regarding ballistic Contacts of Interest (COI). Once a ballistic COI has been detected, Warfare Operators evaluate the contact information, report the contact, and, at the Chief Petty Officer rate, make battle-group level recommendations regarding Ballistic Missile Defense operations.
Related ItemsOperations Specialist (OS) Rating Badge
Operations Specialist (OS) Ball Cap Device
CWO Operations Technician Hard Shoulder Boards
CWO Operations Technician Soft Epaulets
CWO Operations Technician Sleeve Device
CWO Operations Technician Collar Device