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Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC)

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC) are members of Special Boat Teams (SBTs) and, along with the Navy SEALs, are under the umbrella of the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW).

SWCC insignia

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman - Role

The primary role of SWCCs is to insert and extract Special Operations Forces, typically SEALs, over the ocean and along river networks (littoral warfare), using a range of specialised surface boats. SWWCs carry out a range of maritime special operations:

Counterterrorism
Unconventional Warfare
Foreign Internal Defense
Direct Action
Special Reconnaissance
Hydrographic Reconnaissance

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman - Boats

MK V Special Operations Craft (MK V SOC)
NSW Rigid Inflatable Boat (NSW RHIB)
Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R)

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman - Organization

SWWCs are assigned to Special Boat Teams (SBTs)

Special Boat Team 12 (SBT-12) - West Coast - Coronado
- NSW RHIBs
- MK V Special Operations Craft
Special Boat Team 20 (SBT-20) - East Coast - Little Creek, Va.
- NSW RHIBs
- MK V Special Operations Craft
Special Boat Team 22 (SBT-22) - South - Stennis, Miss
- Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R)

SWCC - Training

SWCC candidates undergo a 14-week Crewman Qualification Training (CQT) which covers:

navigation
craft maintenance and repair
towing
weapons (both mounted guns and personal firemarms)

SWWCs from Special Boat Team-22 operating a Special Operations Craft-Riverine (SOC-R) during a training exercise. Note the firepower present on the boat. When coming in for a hot extraction of SEALs, the SWWCs will pour huge amounts of suppressive fire into the shoreline and treelines surrounding it in order to keep any heads down. SOC-Rs can carry an array of GAU-17/A 7.62mm miniguns, .50 cal MSHB machine guns and M60, M240 7.62mm belt-fed machine guns and even 40mm automatic grenade launchers.

DoD photo by: IS1 JEREMY RICHARDSON, USN

Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman - Notable Operations

2003 - present - Iraq - Operation Iraqi Freedom
SWWC/SEAL teams secured several off-shore oil platforms, ensuring they could not be destroyed by Iraqi forces
SWCC boat teams secured the Khor Al Abdullah, Khor Az Zubayar and Shat Al Arab waterways