class), it is a requirement for advancement to E-6 (petty officer 1st class). It is not uncommon for sailors in paygrades E-1 to E-4 to earn their ESWS pin after completing the requisite qualifications (provided they are also up-to-date on their PQS). Sailors for whom ESWS is their secondary community (mostly those in the air warfare community) are not required to re-qualify. An enlisted person who has qualified for his or her ESWS pin places the designator SW after his or her rate and rating; for example, Senior Chief Yeoman Martinez, having qualified for her ESWS pin, is identified as YNCS(SW) Martinez. For those enlisted personnel who are subsequently commissioned as officers and are shipboard SWO's, the ESWS badge is replaced, but only after they have fully completed their Surface Warfare Officer qualifications. Unlike other warfare pins available to both enlisted and officers, the ESWS and SWO pins differ by more than just color (gold for officers and silver for enlisted is a common theme in U.S. Navy uniforms). The blade weapons behind the hull on the SWO pin are swords. The blade weapons on the enlisted pin are cutlasses. This can clearly be seen in the curvature of the blades and the shape of the handguards. This derives from the sword being a symbol of naval officers and their authority, while cutlasses were traditionally issued for battle to enlisted sailors during the age of sail. The ESWS is tall and wide. Updated ESWS requirements as of November 2020 The new instruction will do away with the requirement for all first-tour Sailors to walk away from their first sea-duty command with their ESWS qualification. Sailors will not be required to enroll in a command’s ESWS program until they reach a journeyman or master-level (E-5 - E-9). These Sailors will be enrolled in their ESWS program after 12 months onboard, or at the commanding officer’s discretion, and from there will have 18 months to qualify in ESWS. In attempts to improve damage control and ship survivability, the updated program will add more prerequisite PQS, including the following: Damage Control 301-312. Damage Control Watches 301, Sounding and Security. Ship’s Maintenance and Material Management (3-M) Systems 301-303. Medical corps officer Surface warfare medical corps insignia: A gold metal pin, with a spread oak leaf surcharged with a silver acorn on two crossed swords, on a background of ocean swells. Nurse corps officer Surface