Navy METOC
MGO-M Career Info
As part of a typical career path for officers of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), a member who has successfully obtained their Primary Qualification (PQ) is encouraged to choose a stream in which to specialise. Those who are interested in Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) can opt for the specialisation of Maritime Geospatial Officer METOC (MGO-M). Under the current career structure within the RAN, MGO-M is a specialisation of the Seaman Branch; this specialisation is therefore only open to officers with a SMN PQ. Information on Officer Jobs and SMN PQ training is available at the Defence Jobs website.
Educational Pre-requisites and Training
Seaman Officers holding a Bachelor of Science majoring in Mathematics, Physics or a Physical Science (such as Oceanography) are eligible for selection as MGO-M Officers. Alternative degrees, although not preferred, will be considered subject to their Mathematics and Physics content.
The training runs for a total of 11 months and is conducted in two phases: eight months at the Bureau of Meteorology’s Training Centre in Melbourne followed by three months at HMAS ALBATROSS. The initial eight months with the Bureau provides fundamental theoretical and practical instruction which is followed by the Military METOC Course (MMC), delivering training in additional subjects and providing the work experience component of the overall training program. On successful completion of both phases, students are awarded a Graduate Diploma in Meteorology, which is fully accredited by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), and the MGO-M specialisation.
Career Path
Upon graduation, the fully qualified Forecasters are posted to a Tier 1 billet at one of Defence’s forecasting centres to consolidate their skills: the Joint Control Centre - Meteorology and Oceanography Operations (JCC METOPS) or the Naval Air Station Weather and Oceanography Centre (NWOC). JCC METOPS is part of the Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) and is currently located in Fleet Headquarters in Sydney. This centre is expected to move into the new HQJOC facility in Bungendore, NSW, at the end of 2008. NWOC is located at HMAS ALBATROSS, near Nowra, NSW.
Following time at one of the aforementioned centres (typically a two year posting), MGO-M Officers can either opt for a second Tier 1 posting or progress to a Tier 2 billet at the Operational METOC Centre (OMC) in HMAS KUTTABUL. The Tier 2 positions available deal primarily with the following aspects of METOC operations in the RAN:
- METOC Projects and Policy,
- Training, and
- Deployed METOC Operations.
Numerous avenues are open to MGO-M Officers to pursue further education. One such opportunity is a posting to the United States Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California, where a successful applicant undertakes a Master of Science (MSc) in Oceanography over 18 months. Attendance is based on competitive selection amongst eligible MGO-M Officers; usually Lieutenants of mid to late seniority who have completed at least one Tier 2 posting.
After completing Tier 2 postings and/or the MSc, a MGO-M Officer will generally have reached the rank of Lieutenant Commander. The typical career progression at this point is to:
- undertake the position of Officer In Charge (OIC) of one of the two operational centres (NWOC or the OMC),
- become Staff Officer 2 - Meteorology and Oceanography (SO2 MET) at the Joint Environment Centre in HQJOC (currently located in Fleet Headquarters in Sydney and moving to Bungendore at the end of 2008), or
- pursue an out-of-branch posting.
Personnel may undertake an out-of-branch posting at anytime during their MGO-M career, so long as they have completed a minimum period of consolidation post award of their specialisation. Some MGO-M Officers wish to return to their parent PQ to obtain other specialisations, such as Principle Warfare Officer (PWO), or to pursue other postings available to officers of that PQ, such as Flag Lieutenant. For a Lieutenant Commander, undertaking an out-of-branch posting provides a valuable opportunity to broaden their knowledge and experience both within the RAN and the wider ADF before promotion to Commander.
The Director of Oceanography and Meteorology (DOM) is the senior position within the Directorate and is held by an MGO Officer of Commander rank. Prior to filling this position, personnel will have been posted out of the branch, possibly completed the Australian Command and Staff Course and will generally have had recent experience in the higher command areas of the Joint or Fleet Headquarters.
A summary of the career progression for a prospective MGO-M Officer is illustrated, rather simply, by the following diagram. The boxes on the left indicate out-of-branch posting opportunities while those on the right show the postings available to an officer at that point in their MGO-M career.