Lt. Matt Serio was one in all two Built-in Air and Missile Protection (IAMD) WTIs chosen for follow-on tutorial coursework as a part of the WTI Scholar Program whereas at Naval Floor and Mine Warfighting Improvement Middle (SMWDC).
Serio was chosen to attend the Naval Postgraduate Faculty (NPS) in Monterey, California, later this yr to finish a fully-funded, in-residence graduate diploma program that’s accessible to WTIs by the WTI Scholar program.
“The WTI Students program permits me to pursue in-residence graduate schooling at NPS for particular applications whereas executing a manufacturing tour,” stated Serio. “It’s an ideal match for me as a result of it permits me to execute my manufacturing tour instantly after finishing my WTI course of instruction but in addition permits me to complete my shore tour with a grasp’s diploma — it’s a best-of-both-worlds alternative.”
The WTI Students program started when leaders at SMWDC noticed a return on funding from officers within the WTI program who already had a grasp’s diploma or have been incomes their levels by the NPS distance studying program. The pilot preliminary program launched with 4 attendees in 2020 and has continued to develop.
Serio described the chance as an ideal probability to fulfill each private {and professional} targets as a WTI, which can assist make him aggressive amongst his friends and permit him to earn a Grasp’s of Science in House Programs Operations.
“It’ll permit me the possibility to earn my grasp’s diploma, which is one thing I’ve private curiosity in in addition to one thing required to be able to pursue command at sea, which I’ve skilled curiosity in,” Serio defined.
Beforehand, any WTIs have needed to forgo the chance to acquire graduate schooling as a result of WTI profession path constraints precluding prolonged in-residence instructional excursions. To fight this, NPS has stepped in and tailor-made sure curriculums permitting WTIs to acquire a grasp’s diploma at an accelerated paced and get again to the fleet to fill key billets.
“I like to recommend any WTI who desires the ‘better of each worlds’ alternative to finish their in-residence graduate schooling whereas finishing their manufacturing tour,” stated Serio. “In case you are prepared to PCS for a yr I don’t see any cause eligible candidates shouldn’t apply. Speak to your chain of command and go for it!”
There are 4 WTI specialties:
• Anti-Submarine Warfare / Floor Warfare
• Amphibious Warfare
• Mine Warfare
• Built-in Air and Missile Protection
To accommodate these distinction topics, NPS was capable of leverage the prevailing curricula and capabilities it already had and cater to every WTI specialty fairly than having to create one thing totally new.
SWOs concerned with becoming a member of the SMWDC crew and changing into WTIs can ship an electronic mail to SWO_WTI@navy.mil for extra info. For extra details about SMWDC go to www.fb.com/SMWDC or https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/nsmwdc./
