For many enlisted Sailors, becoming an officer is their primary career goal. If they are successful, they will officially have the title of mustang, a person who has moved from enlisted to officer. Often information on the process can be scarce. To remedy this, the mustangs aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) held a commissioning fair, Aug. 7.

"It was first and foremost to introduce our Sailors who want to become officers to officers that are in a designation they might be interested in," said Ensign Brian Smith, the education services officer. "We had officers from five programs to discuss those options and answer any questions. We also had a PowerPoint and some guest speakers."

Some of the attendees may have only come for the free donuts, but they left with a wealth of information. The event was an open forum where the officers could share their experiences and their tips on how to successfully become an officer.

"The biggest note I took from the fair was to remain competitive and remain eager for the program of your choosing," Said Yeoman Third Class Joshua Hill, who attended the event. "I wasn't even aware of one of the programs before I went to the fair, but now it's another option for me."

The idea to have an officer job fair was thought up by one mustang who had seen commissioning power points and had also attended job fairs.

"It's great for us to show people power points that give them the information they need to become an officer, but I think the thing people struggle with is the mentorship part of it," said Lieutenant Joel Pena, one of the event organizers. "The best way that I see to get that out is for the Sailors to be able to talk to the officers in a setting like this."

Sometimes it is not information that holds Sailors back from becoming officers, it can be that they were caught up with their day-to-day responsibilities and lost the drive to pursue their officer package.

"A lot of Sailors talk about it, but they aren't willing to go through the process," said Smith. "I would like to see Sailors doing their due diligence, getting excited and starting the process; the sailors really have to take it from here, though."

The process may not be an easy one, but there are resources available and people who have been through the process willing to help. If you are interested in taking advantage of any of the Navy's officer programs, you can get help from the education services officer (ESO) located in the Maritime Square building room 203 at 2600 Washington Ave, Newport News, Virginia 23607.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS George Washington (CVN 73), visit www.navy.mil/.