Preparing Engineering Duty Officers for Major Command Assignments

The U.S. Navys capabilities regarding the design, acquisition and maintenance of ships and shipboard systems needs continuous improvement to counter advancing threats.Engineering Duty Officers (EDOs) have long been associated with these capabilities in both technical and leadership positions. Over the years, the range and complexity of theseprofessional areas have increased, and some of the developmental leadership opportunities have become diluted, resulting in lower probability of success at command. This studycenters on analysis of the fundamental leadership requirements for EDOs. It focuses specifically on the leadership experiences required to prepare EDOs to successfully take commandand lead the Navys large, complex civilian organizations such as shipyards, warfare centers, regional maintenance centers and major acquisition programs. Based on qualitativeresearch findings, we make recommendations for improving the EDO community talent management practices to successfully prepare EDOs for command and leadership of majoracquisition programs