5. Rickover’s career choice prevented him from commanding a ship of the Navy
Though Rickover was qualified in the technical aspects of commanding both surface ships and submarines during the Second World War, his own career choice barred him from doing so. Rickover applied for and received the designation of EDO, (Engineering Duty Officer). Though still a line officer, he was a restricted one, and only unrestricted line officers were eligible for ship command. Only submarine-qualified line officers could command submarines. During most of the war, Rickover served in the Electrical Engineering Section of the Bureau of Ships, though he was seldom behind a Washington desk. He inspected the engineering spaces of ships damaged in combat whenever and wherever he could. Ships entering the yards for routine overhaul also occupied his attention. Rickover gained a reputation for possessing tireless and meticulous attention to detail, no matter how small.
He also developed working relationships with the shipyards that built, repaired, and maintained America’s fleets. This led to relationships with the yards’ contractors and vendors until he was one of the most well-known, albeit demanding, of the senior officers within the Bureau of Ships. Rickover assembled a team within his section which performed analyses and made recommendations regarding changes, new equipment, new processes, and new developments. But he made the final decisions, rather than delegating them as did so many of the other section chiefs in the bureau. His retention of the decision coming from his desk gave him authority which often exceeded that of a Captain, which he was, but his technical knowledge of the situation, down to the most minute detail, earned him the support of his superiors. His knowledge earned him respect, while his authoritarian manner created wariness within his opponents.