A Day In The Life Of A Meteorology And Oceanography Officer At United States Navy
While Colleen has not yet served as a carrier strike group meteorologist, preparation for the role includes waking up early for self-care before "Morning Revel" and planning meetings, and requires flexibility to adapt to evolving missions by "checking email across multiple domains" and standing watch for 3-6 hours, dedicating time to studying areas for improvement and preparing for the next day. A carrier strike group meteorologist aims to provide the most relevant support possible, balancing immediate operational needs with long-term planning and continuous learning.
Meteorology, Oceanography, Military, Naval Operations, Planning
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Colleen Wilmington
Meteorology and Oceanography Officer
United States Navy
University of Kansas
Naval Postgraduate School
English, Writing & Education
Government & Public Sector, Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain
Operations and Project Management
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Veteran, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Morning routine includes self-care activities like workouts, meditation, or reading before official duties begin.
2. The role involves attending planning meetings to understand current and future operations, and adapting support based on evolving mission requirements.
3. A significant portion of the day is dedicated to standing watch (3-6 hours), focusing solely on providing the best possible support during that time.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a carrier strike group meteorologist look like?
But to be candid, I have not served that role yet. That's where I'm headed, starting in July of this year, following my graduation.
From being mentored by those who have filled the role and in previous work, the role involves waking up to do some self-care. This might be a workout or meditation, or reading before Morning Revel at 0600. Then it's getting ready and starting off the morning immediately with a sync.
This sync could be with fellow officers or with the team who worked the night shift. That will vary across jobs. From there, it's going into planning meetings, looking at current and future operations.
The goal is to find out, as far in advance as possible, what support is expected. It’s also about understanding how missions may have changed so I can provide the most relevant support.
It involves checking email across multiple domains as often as possible. This ensures I'm aware of any upcoming tasks or collaborations, and can send information where it needs to go as soon as I receive it.
Specifically for the carrier strike group meteorologist, whether working directly for the admiral or on the ship for the Ship Captain, we are expected to stand watch. Wherever we're standing watch, that's three to six hours of the day where our sole purpose is to stand that watch to the best of our ability.
After coming off watch, it's catching up on anything that happened that wasn't directly relevant to that watch. It also involves repeating morning meeting tasks, sending out plans, and ensuring we're prepared for tomorrow.
This includes studying to learn how I can help in areas where I'm not comfortable or haven't worked before. Then, I try to do some self-care again at the end of the day and prepare for the next one.
Advizer Personal Links
linkedin.com/in/colleen-wilmington