3 of the most important military jobs

The last 100 yards of any war will always belong to the infantry.

Cyber Security

We have spent billions of dollars on electronic components for our warships, fighter jets and operating systems. If we cannot protect our assets, we will be caught with our pants down. Communication between ships, aircrafts and ground forces rely heavily on our satellites and severing that could be disastrous. Furthermore, a lot of our civilian infrastructure is at risk too. If the recent oil pipeline hacking has shown us anything, we are not as safe as we think we are.

If you are not overly familiar with how much a cyber attack could hurt us, see our feature A Primer on Cyber Security to get yourself up to speed.

Surface Warfare Officer: Weapons Officer

We know Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) is a broad term. However, it encompasses many of the most important jobs in the Navy. Among these we have the Weapons Officer. Some times referred to as “weps” or the “Wep-O,” their job is to advise the commanding officer on weapons operations, capabilities and solve tactical problems.

The USS Zumwalt, A $4 billion dollar warship, can wreak havoc, but it must be utilized properly. If the armaments are not employed correctly, the ship looses much of its battle prowess.

The Navy states a SWO must be an “expert on everything from engineering to combat systems to navigation.” Thus, even more responsibility is placed ob those responsible for “fighting the ship.”