Job Description

Take part in direct action and unconventional warfare or conduct special reconnaissance and counterterrorism missions. Provide internal defense in foreign regions and offer dedicated support to your Special Operations counterparts. Your role as a SWCC will call on you to be the ultimate team player.

As a SWCC, you will routinely:

• Operate independently among small units or integrate with other U.S. Special Operations forces or within U.S. Navy carrier and expeditionary strike groups to accomplish operational tasks
• Operate and maintain ordnance systems, communications, electronics, small boats, and other equipment associated with SWCC and other special operations missions
• Perform direct action raids against enemy shipping and waterborne traffic
• Provide rapid mobility in shallow water areas where larger ships cannot operate

Specific Responsibilities

Insert and extract SEALs and other Special Operations personnel from a variety of Naval Surface Warfare vessels. Collect important data about enemy military installations and shipping traffic in coastal areas. Assist other military and civilian law enforcement agencies. As a SWCC, you will be called upon by your fellow Special Operations counterparts for support anywhere, anytime.

As SWCC you may receive specialized training in such areas as:

• Maritime navigation
• Radio communications
• Boat/propulsion systems engineering
• Parachute and helicopter operations

No college degree is required to become a Navy SWCC, but a high degree of difficulty and satisfaction come standard with nearly everything you’ll do. Training is tough and ongoing.

Work Environment

The Sailors who make up the SWCC community enjoy a unique solidarity. The feeling of camaraderie these warriors experience is just as intense as the missions they go on. What’s more, SWCCs are required to be navigational experts of aircraft, high-speed small boats and helicopters in order perform a variety of Special Operations missions. As a member of this force, you may be operating any of these vessels in arctic, desert or jungle environments. You may have to survive in enemy controlled areas, executing dangerous missions amid a wide range of climates across the globe. Standing side-by-side your fellow Sailors in order to protect our waterways.

Training and Advancement

As a SWCC, you will undergo some of the most intense and demanding physical and mental training in the world. While qualifying for SWCC in Delayed Entry Program is preferred, you may also volunteer to do so during basic training at Recruit Training Command (RTC), or at any time during your enlistment prior to your 31st birthday.

While at RTC, you will take part in a rigorous physical examination and medical screening. Upon review of your entrance medical examinations, further physical screening tests will be given at RTC and at the Naval Special Warfare Center (SWCC School).

Education Opportunities

As a member of the Naval Special Warfare/Naval Special Operations (NSW/NSO) community, you will have any number of unique opportunities to advance your knowledge. You may learn the fundamentals of explosive ordnance disposal through formal Navy schooling. Or you may receive education and training about chemical and biological warfare, military tactics, deep-sea diving or a number of other tactical military procedures. The courses in this field are demanding, but those who accept these challenges will be rewarded not only with extra pay, but extraordinary duty assignments anywhere in the world.

You can put your training and education to use outside your official duties. Through the American Council on Education (ACE), you may receive college credit for what you’ve learned in your training “pipeline.” Check out the ACE Military Guide Online to find out what training qualifies for college credit. If you have any questions about converting your Navy education into college credit, you can call ACE at 866-205-6267 for answers.

Pay Range

In addition to normal military pay and allowances, the Navy offers a $8,000 enlistment bonus for SWCCs. You will also earn extra special duty assignment pay and may qualify for additional parachute jump pay.

For complete details on available special pay and enlistment bonuses, contact a recruiter.

Qualifications

Only men are eligible to apply for the SWCC program. To qualify for SWCC training, you must:

• Meet specific eyesight requirements: 20/40 best eye; 20/70 worst eye; correctable to 20/25 with no color blindness
• Meet the minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) score: AR+VE=103, MC=51
• Be 30 years old or younger
• Be a U.S. citizen 

The chart below highlights the current minimum Navy Physical Screening Test (PST) requirements for Navy Challenge Programs – for aspiring members who are in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), in Boot Camp or already serving in the Navy.

After the Navy

Being part of a respected community like SWCCs only leads to further respect after the Navy. Your motivation and leadership skills will be valued by any employer. Your ability to focus on succeeding at any task at hand will be highly sought after. Jobs within the Naval Special Warfare/Naval Special Operations (NSW/NSO) forces have comparable civilian counterparts that include high-level security assessment and instruction, emergency medicine, personal security and more.