United States Naval Special Warfare Command
Active	April 16, 1987
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Navy
Role	NSW provides a versatile, responsive and offensively focused force with continuous overseas presence
Size	6,600+
Part of	U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
Garrison/HQ	Coronado, CA
Engagements	Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Restore Hope Battle of Mogadishu Operation Enduring Freedom *Operation Red Wing *Operation Anaconda Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Urgent Fury Operation Earnest Will
Commanders
Current commander	Rear Admiral Joseph D. Kernan

The United States Naval Special Warfare Command (SPECWARCOM, NAVSOC, or NSW) was commissioned April 16, 1987, at Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado in San Diego, California. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Special Operations Command ( USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Coronado is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Unified Task Force (UNITAF was a United States led United Nations sanctioned multinational force which operated in the Republic of Somalia from 9 The Battle of Mogadishu (also referred to as the Battle of the Black Sea) or Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF is the official name used by the U Operation Red Wing was a failed counter insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan, involving four members of the U Operation Anaconda is the code name for an operation in early March 2002 in which the United States military, along with allied Afghan military forces attempted to The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign The Invasion of Grenada, codenamed Operation Urgent Fury, was an Invasion of the nation of Grenada, an island in the Caribbean Sea 100 miles north Operation Earnest Will ( 24 July 1987 - 26 September 1988) was the U The uniformed services of the United States have two grades of rear admirals. Rear Admiral Joseph D Kernan, USN (born February 4, 1955) is the current Commander United States Fourth Fleet and U As the Naval component to the United States Special Operations Command headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The United States Special Operations Command ( USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Naval Special Warfare Command provides vision, leadership, doctrinal guidance, resources and oversight to ensure component maritime special operations forces are ready to meet the operational requirements of combatant commanders. ^[1]

Background

Today's Naval Special Warfare operators can trace their origins to the Scouts and Raiders, Naval Combat Demolition Units, Office of Strategic Services Operational Swimmers, Underwater Demolition Teams, and Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons of World War II. The United States Naval Special Warfare Command ( SPECWARCOM, NAVSOC, or NSW) was commissioned April 16 1987 at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado The Office of Strategic Services ( OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. Underwater Demolition Teams ( UDT) were a precursor to the current United States Navy SEALs The UDT's conducted beach and hydro-reconnaissance explosive cable World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including While none of those early organizations have survived to present, their pioneering efforts in unconventional warfare are mirrored in the missions and professionalism of the present Naval Special Warfare warriors.

To meet the need for a beach reconnaissance force, selected Army and Navy personnel assembled at Amphibious Training Base, Little Creek, on 15 August 1942 to begin Amphibious Scouts and Raiders (Joint) training. Little Creek is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. The Scouts and Raiders mission was to identify and reconnoiter the objective beach, maintain a position on the designated beach prior to a landing and guide the assault waves to the landing beach.

World War II

By the time American became involved in World War II, Hitler and his Axis forces had control over a large portion of Europe, Asia and North Africa. If the Allied forces were to stand a chance, there would have to be several full-scale landings. The US Navy decided that to do the job right required sending in their own. They needed brave men to reconnoiter the landing beaches, take note of obstacles and defenses and ultimately guide the landing forces in. Later, during the war, the Army Engineers passed down demolition jobs to the US Navy. They were to clear any obstacles and/or defenses in the near shore area. Beginning a tradition that continues today, these brave men contributed immensely to the war effort. ^[2]

Scouts & Raiders

Before there were Navy SEALs or Underwater Demolition Teams or Naval Combat Demolition Units, there were Scouts and Raiders. Underwater Demolition Teams ( UDT) were a precursor to the current United States Navy SEALs The UDT's conducted beach and hydro-reconnaissance explosive cable Formed as a joint Army-Navy beach recon unit eight months after Pearl Harbor, the first S & R boat crews underwent intense training at Amphibious Training Base (ATB) Little Creek in Virginia before deploying to North Africa where they earned eight Navy Crosses. Pearl Harbor is a Harbor on the Island of O{{okina}}ahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan This was just the first of many war-time missions for the versatile Scouts and Raiders. ^[3]

First Group

The first group included Phil H. Bucklew, the "Father of Naval Special Warfare," after whom the Naval Special Warfare Center building is named. Phil H Bucklew ( December 18, 1914 &ndash December 30, 1992) the recognized "Father of U The United States Phil Bucklew Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC also know as 'The Center' is a component command of the Naval Special Warfare Command and Commissioned in October 1942, this group saw combat in November 1942 during OPERATION TORCH, the first allied landings in Europe, on the North African coast. Scouts and Raiders also supported landings in Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, Normandy, and southern France. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Salerno is a town in southern Italy, capital of the province of the same name in the region of Campania. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Second Group

A second group of Scouts and Raiders, code-named Special Service Unit #1, was established on July 7, 1943, as a joint and combined operations force. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The first mission, in September 1943, was at Finschafen on New Guinea. Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known Later ops were at Gasmata, Arawe, Cape Gloucester, and the East and South coast of New Britain, all without any loss of personnel. Cape Gloucester (also known as Tuluvu is a headland in the northwest of the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, at. This article discusses the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea Conflicts arose over operational matters, and all non-Navy personnel were reassigned. The unit, renamed 7th Amphibious Scouts, received a new mission, to go ashore with the assault boats, buoy channels, erect markers for the incoming craft, handle casualties, take offshore soundings, blow up beach obstacles and maintain voice communications linking the troops ashore, incoming boats and nearby ships. The 7th Amphibious Scouts conducted operations in the Pacific for the duration of the conflict, participating in more than 40 landings. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions

Third Group

The third Scout and Raiders organization operated in China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Scouts and Raiders were deployed to fight with the Sino-American Cooperation Organization, or SACO. To help bolster the work of SACO, Admiral Ernest J. King ordered that 120 officers and 900 men be trained for "Amphibious Roger" at the Scout and Ranger school at Ft. Pierce, FL. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King GCB ( November 23, 1878 &ndash June 25, 1956) was Commander in Chief United States Fort Pierce is a city in St Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is also known as the Sunrise City sister to San Francisco California, the They formed the core of what was envisioned as a "guerrilla amphibious organization of Americans and Chinese operating from coastal waters, lakes and rivers employing small steamers and sampans. " While most Amphibious Roger forces remained at Camp Knox in Calcutta, three of the groups saw active service. They conducted a survey of the Upper Yangtze River in the spring of 1945 and, disguised as coolies, conducted a detailed three-month survey of the Chinese coast from Shanghai to Kitchioh Wan, near Hong Kong

Naval Combat Demolition Units

In September of 1942, 17 Navy salvage personnel arrived at ATB Little Creek, Virginia for a one-week concentrated course on demolitions, explosive cable cutting and commando raiding techniques. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders The Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy 's Atlantic Fleet. On 10 November 1942, this first combat demolition unit succeeded in cutting a cable and net barrier across the Wadi Sebou River during Operation TORCH in North Africa. Sebou (سبو is a River in northern Morocco. The river is 458 km long and has an average water flow of 137 m3/s North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Their actions enabled the USS DALLAS (DD 199) to traverse the river and insert U.S. Rangers who captured the Port Lyautey airdrome. The United States Army Rangers or simply Army Rangers are specialized elite American light infantry and Special operations troops

Plans for a massive cross-channel invasion of Europe had begun and intelligence indicated that the Germans were placing extensive underwater obstacles on the beaches at Normandy. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. On 7 May 1943, LCDR Draper L. Kauffman, "The Father of Naval Combat Demolition," was directed to set up a school and train people to eliminate obstacles on an enemy-held beach prior to an invasion. Rear Admiral Draper Laurence Kauffman (1911-1979 was a pioneering Underwater demolition expert who served during the 1960s as 44th Superintendent of the United States On 6 June 1943, LCDR Kaufmann established Naval Combat Demolition Unit training at Ft. Pierce. Fort Pierce is a city in St Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is also known as the Sunrise City sister to San Francisco California, the By April 1944, a total of 34 NCDUs were deployed to England in preparation for Operation OVERLORD, the amphibious landing at Normandy. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

On 6 June 1944, in the face of great adversity, the NCDUs at Omaha Beach managed to blow eight complete gaps and two partial gaps in the German defenses. Omaha Beach was the Code name for one of the principal landing points of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings The NCDUs suffered 31 killed and 60 wounded, a casualty rate of 52%. Meanwhile, the NCDUs at Utah Beach met less intense enemy fire. Utah Beach was the codename for one of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June They cleared 700 yards (640 m) of beach in two hours, another 900 yards (820 m) by the afternoon. Casualties at Utah Beach were significantly lighter with 6 killed and 11 wounded. During Operation OVERLORD, not a single demolitioneer was lost to improper handling of explosives.

In August 1944, NCDUs from Utah Beach participated in the landings in southern France, the last amphibious operation in the European Theater of Operations. Utah Beach was the codename for one of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June Southern France (or the South of France) colloquially known as Le Midi, is a loosely defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that The European Theater of Operations (ETO is the term used in the United States to refer to US operations north of Italy and NCDUs also operated in the Pacific theater. The Pacific Ocean theater was one of four major naval theatres of war of the Second World War that pitted forces of the Japan against those of the United NCDU 2, under LTjg Frank Kaine, after whom the Naval Special Warfare Command building is named, and NCDU 3 under LTjg Lloyd Anderson, formed the nucleus of six NCDUs that served with the Seventh Amphibious Force tasked with clearing boat channels after the landings from Biak to Borneo. The United States Naval Special Warfare Command ( SPECWARCOM, NAVSOC, or NSW) was commissioned April 16 1987 at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado

OSS Operational Swimmers

Some of the earliest World War II predecessors of the SEALs were the Operational Swimmers of the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Many current SEAL missions were first assigned to them. OSS specialized in special operations, dropping operatives behind enemy to engage in organized guerrilla warfare as well as to gather information on such things as enemy resources and troop movements. ^[4]

British Combined Operations veteran LCDR Wooley, of the Royal Navy, was placed in charge of the OSS Maritime Unit in June 1943. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Their training started in November 1943 at Camp Pendleton, moved to Catalina Island in January 1944, and finally moved to the warmer waters in the Bahamas in March 1944. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and Within the U.S. military, they pioneered flexible swim fins and facemasks, closed-circuit diving equipment, the use of swimmer submersibles, and combat swimming and limpet mine attacks. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States

In May 1944, GEN Donovan, the head of the OSS, divided the unit into groups. He loaned Group 1, under LT Choate, to ADM Nimitz, as a way to introduce the OSS into the Pacific Theater. They became part of UDT-10 in July 1944. Five OSS men participated in the very first UDT submarine operation with the USS BURRFISH in the Caroline Islands in August 1944. The Caroline Islands form a large Archipelago of widely scattered islands in the western Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Guinea.

Underwater Demolition Teams

Patch of the Underwater Demolition Teams

On 23 November 1943, the U.S. Marine landing on Tarawa Atoll emphasized the need for hydrographic reconnaissance and underwater demolition of obstacles prior to any amphibious landing. Underwater Demolition Teams ( UDT) were a precursor to the current United States Navy SEALs The UDT's conducted beach and hydro-reconnaissance explosive cable Tarawa is an Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. After Tarawa, 30 officers and 150 enlisted men were moved to Waimanalo Amphibious Training Base to form the nucleus of a demolition training program. Tarawa is an Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. This group became Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) ONE and TWO. Underwater Demolition Teams ( UDT) were a precursor to the current United States Navy SEALs The UDT's conducted beach and hydro-reconnaissance explosive cable

The UDTs saw their first combat on 31 January 1944, during Operation FLINTLOCK in the Marshall Islands. The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean FLINTLOCK became the real catalyst for the UDT training program in the Pacific Theater. In February 1944, the Naval Combat Demolition Training and Experimental Base was established at Kihei, Maui, next to the Amphibious Base at Kamaole. Kīhei is a Census-designated place (CDP in Maui County, Hawai{{okina}}i, United States. The Island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 Eventually, 34 UDT teams were established. Wearing swim suits, fins, and facemasks on combat operations, these "Naked Warriors" saw action across the Pacific in every major amphibious landing including: Eniwetok, Saipan, Guam, Tinian, Angaur, Ulithi, Pelilui, Leyte, Lingayen Gulf, Zambales, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Labuan, Brunei Bay, and on 4 July 1945 at Balikpapan on Borneo which was the last UDT demolition operation of the war. Enewetak (or Eniwetok) is an Atoll in the Marshall Islands of the central Pacific Ocean. Saipan (saɪˈpæn /saɪˈpɑn/ or /ˈsaɪpæn/ in English is the largest Island and Capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated Tinian (ˈtɪniən /ˌtiːniˈɑːn/ is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (14°59’51”N 145°37’39”E Angaur (or Ngeaur) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Ulithi is an Atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km (103 nautical mi east of Yap. The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching. For the mountain chain see Zambales Mountains. For the ethnic group see Sambal people. Iwo Jima ( 硫黄[[wikt 島|島]] officially Iōtō,also frequently Iōjima: “ Sulfur island” is an island of the Japanese is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū Labuan is the main island of the Malaysian Federal Territory of Labuan. Brunei Bay ( Malay: Teluk Brunei) is the gateway to Brunei and Borneo. Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of Borneo island in the East Kalimantan province a resource-rich region well known for its Timber, Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia.

The rapid demobilization at the conclusion of the war reduced the number of active duty UDTs to two on each coast with a complement of 7 officers and 45 enlisted men each.

The Korean War began on 25 June 1950, when the North Korean army invaded South Korea. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Korean People's Army (short KPA is the Military of North Korea. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Beginning with a detachment of 11 personnel from UDT 3, UDT participation expanded to three teams with a combined strength of 300 men. As part of the Special Operations Group, or SOG, UDTs successfully conducted demolition raids on railroad tunnels and bridges along the Korean coast. On 15 September 1950, UDTs supported Operation CHROMITE, the amphibious landing at Inchon. Incheon is a metropolitan city and a major seaport on the west coast of South Korea, near Seoul. UDT 1 and 3 provided personnel who went in ahead of the landing craft, scouting mud flats, marking low points in the channel, clearing fouled propellers, and searching for mines. Four UDT personnel acted as wave-guides for the Marine landing.

In October 1950, UDTs supported mine-clearing operations in Wonsan Harbor where frogmen would locate and mark mines for minesweepers. On 12 October 1950, two U. S. minesweepers hit mines and sank. UDTs rescued 25 sailors. The next day, William Giannotti conducted the first U. S. combat operation using an "aqualung" when he dove on the USS PLEDGE. For the remainder of the war, UDTs conducted beach and river reconnaissance, infiltrated guerrillas behind the lines from sea, continued mine sweeping operations, and participated in Operation FISHNET, which severely damaged the North Korean's fishing capability.

Navy SEALs & SWCC

Although Naval Special Warfare personnel comprise less than one percent of U.S. Navy personnel, they offer big dividends on a small investment. SEAL and SWCC units' proven ability to operate across the spectrum of conflict and in operations other than war in a controlled manner, and their ability to provide real time intelligence and eyes on target, offer decision makers immediate and virtually unlimited options in the face of rapidly changing crises around the world. The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen ( SWCC, pronounced "swick" operate and maintain the inventory of state-of-the-art high-performance boats used ^[5]

SEALs

Navy Special Warfare Trident Insignia worn by qualified U.S. Navy SEALs. The Special Warfare insignia, also known as the “SEAL Trident” or its more popular nickname "The Budweiser," is one of the most recognizable combat

SEALs are U.S. Special Operations Command’s force-of-choice among Navy, Army and Air Force Special Operations Forces (SOF) to conduct small-unit maritime military operations which originate from, and return to a river, ocean, swamp, delta or coastline. The United States Special Operations Command ( USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. In most countries special forces (SF is a generic term for highly-trained Military teams/units that conduct specialized operations such as Reconnaissance This littoral capability is more important now than ever in our history, as half the world’s infrastructure and population is located within one mile (1. 6 km) of an ocean or river. ^[6]

Responding to President John F. Kennedy's desire for the Services to develop an Unconventional Warfare (UW) capability, the U.S. Navy established SEAL Team ONE and SEAL Team TWO in January of 1962. John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of Formed entirely with personnel from Underwater Demolition Teams, the SEALs mission was to conduct counter guerilla warfare and clandestine operations in maritime and riverine environments. Underwater Demolition Teams ( UDT) were a precursor to the current United States Navy SEALs The UDT's conducted beach and hydro-reconnaissance explosive cable ^[7]

Navy SEALs have distinguished themselves as an individually reliable, collectively disciplined and highly skilled maritime force. Because of the dangers inherent in NSW, prospective SEALs go through what is considered by many military experts to be the toughest training in the world. The intense physical and mental conditioning it takes to become a SEAL begins at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training which is conducted at the Naval Special Warfare Center in San Diego, CA. The United States Phil Bucklew Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC also know as 'The Center' is a component command of the Naval Special Warfare Command and

SEAL candidates begin Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Training in Coronado, CA. Coronado is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. This six-month course of instruction will focus on physical conditioning, small boat handling, diving physics, basic diving techniques, land warfare, weapons, demolitions, communications, and reconnaissance.

First Phase Trains, develops, and assesses SEAL candidates in physical conditioning, water competency, teamwork, and mental tenacity. Second (Diving) Phase Trains, develops, and qualifies SEAL candidates as competent basic combat swimmers. During this period, physical training continues and becomes even more intensive. Emphasis is placed on long distance underwater dives with the goal of training students to become basic combat divers, using swimming and diving techniques as a means of transportation from their launch point to their combat objective. This is a skill that separates SEALs from all other Special Operations forces. Third Phase trains, develops, and qualifies SEAL candidates in basic weapons, demolition, and small unit tactics. Third Phase concentrates on teaching land navigation, small-unit tactics, patrolling techniques, rappelling, marksmanship, and military explosives. The final three and a half weeks of Third Phase are spent on San Clemente Island, where students apply all the techniques they have acquired during training. ^[8]

SDVT

SEALs using SEAL Delivery Vehicle‎

SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams historical roots began during WWII, however with Italian and British combat swimmers and wet submersibles. The SEAL Delivery Vehicle or (SDV is a manned Submersible and a type of Swimmer Delivery Vehicle used to deliver United States Navy SEALs and their Naval Special Warfare entered the submersible field in the 1960's when the Coastal Systems Center developed the Mark 7, a free-flooding SDV of the type used today, and the first SDV to be used in the fleet. The Mark 8 and 9 followed in the late 1970's. Today's Mark 8 Mod 1 and the soon to be accepted for fleet use Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS), a dry submersible, provide NSW with an unprecedented capability that combines the attributes of clandestine underwater mobility and the combat swimmer.

SWCC

SWCC in the Special Operations Craft-Riverine

The exclusive mission of SWCC operators is to expertly drive and provide small-caliber gunfire support on specialized high-tech, high-speed, and low-profile Surface Combatant Craft to secretly infiltrate and exfiltrate Navy SEALs on Special Operations missions worldwide. The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen ( SWCC, pronounced "swick" operate and maintain the inventory of state-of-the-art high-performance boats used The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen ( SWCC, pronounced "swick" operate and maintain the inventory of state-of-the-art high-performance boats used These missions include Direct Action on land, sea, coastline or rivers (such as strikes, captures, and ship take downs by Visit, Board, Search and Seizure), Special Reconnaissance, Coastal Patrol and Interdiction of suspect ships and surface craft, Counterterrorism operations, Riverine Warfare, Deception Operations, Search and Rescue Operations, and Foreign Internal Defense missions. ^[9] Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) operate and maintain the inventory of state-of-the-art, high-performance boats. Individually, SEALs and SWCC go through separate, but similar, specialized training programs that emphasize special operations in the maritime environment. SWCC are trained extensively in craft and weapons tactics, techniques and procedures. Like SEALs, SWCC must be physically fit, highly motivated, combat-focused and responsive in high stress situations. ^[10]

The SWCC designation is a relatively new Naval Special Warfare career path that is independent of the regular line Navy. Today’s Special Boat Teams have their origins in the PT boats of WWII, and the “Brown Water” naval force that was created in 1965 at the onset of the Vietnam War. The Patrol Coastal and Patrol Boat Torpedo are the ancestors of today's PC and MKV.

Global War on Terror

NSW is committed to combating the global terrorist threats. In addition to being experts in special reconnaissance and direct action missions, the skill sets needed to combat terrorism; NSW is postured to fight a dispersed enemy on their turf. NSW forces can operate from forward-deployed Navy ships, submarines and aviation mobility platforms as well as overseas bases and its own overseas units.

War in Afghanistan

In response to the attacks on America Sept. 11, 2001, Naval Special Warfare forces put operators on the ground in Afghanistan in October. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The first military flag officer to set foot in Afghanistan was a Navy SEAL in charge of all special operations for Central Command. Additionally, a Navy SEAL captain commanded Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) South. Commonly referred to as Task Force K-BAR, the task force included Navy, Army, Air Force and Coalition SOF forces. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. During Operation Enduring Freedom, NSW forces carried out more than 75 special reconnaissance and direct action missions, destroying more than 500,000 pounds of explosives and weapons; positively identifying enemy personnel and conducting Leadership Interdiction Operations in the search for terrorists trying to escape by sea-going vessels. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF is the official name used by the U During Operation Red Wing, a counter insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan, involving four members of the U. Operation Red Wing was a failed counter insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan, involving four members of the U Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, S. Navy SEALs, which took place June 28, 2005. The SEALs were on a mission to try to find a key Taliban leader. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately However, goat herders stumbled upon the SEALs' hiding place and alerted local Taliban fighters. They were surrounded by Taliban forces and a firefight ensued. Three SEALs were killed during the operation. The fourth was protected by local villagers and later rescued by the US military.

SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afganistan's Kunar province. Michael Patrick Murphy ( May 7 1976 &ndash June 28 2005) was a United States Navy SEAL posthumously awarded the United The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government.

Iraq War

Naval Special Warfare has played a significant role in Operation Iraqi Freedom, employing the largest number of SEALs and SWCC in its history. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen ( SWCC, pronounced "swick" operate and maintain the inventory of state-of-the-art high-performance boats used NSW forces were instrumental in numerous special reconnaissance and direct action missions including the securing of the southern oil infrastructures of the Al Faw peninsula and the off-shore gas and oil terminals; the clearing of the Khawr Abd Allah and Khawr Az Zubayr waterways that enabled humanitarian aid to be delivered to the vital port city of Umm Qasr; reconnaissance of the Shat Al Arab waterway; capture of high value targets, raids on suspected chemical, biological and radiological sites; and the first POW rescue since WWII. Al-Faw (الفاو Fao is a small port on the Al-Faw Peninsula in Iraq near the Shatt al-Arab and the Persian Gulf. The Khawr Abd Allah (خور عبد الله is today an Estuary, but once was the point where the great Euphrates and Tigris rivers emptied into the Additionally, NSW is also fighting the war on terrorism in other global hot spots including the Philippines and the Horn of Africa. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Horn of Africa (alternatively Northeast Africa, and sometimes Somali Peninsula; shortened to HOA) is a Peninsula in East Africa ^[11]

SEAL Petty Officer Second Class Michael A. Monsoor was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Ramadi, Iraq. Master at Arms Second Class Michael Anthony Monsoor ( April 5, 1981 &ndash September 29, 2006) was a U Ramadi ( BGN: Ar Ramādī) is a City in central Iraq, about West of Baghdad

See also

• United States Navy SEALs
• United States Navy SWCC
• United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
• Naval Special Warfare Group THREE
• Naval Special Warfare Center
• Underwater Demolition Team

References

Much of this text in this article was taken from Official U.S. Navy SWCC web site which as a work of the U. The Navy's Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen ( SWCC, pronounced "swick" operate and maintain the inventory of state-of-the-art high-performance boats used The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as DEVGRU or SEAL Team Six ( ST6) by civilians is the United States Naval Special Warfare Group THREE (NSWG-3 based out of Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California is the Immediate superior in command to SEAL The United States Phil Bucklew Naval Special Warfare Center (NSWC also know as 'The Center' is a component command of the Naval Special Warfare Command and Underwater Demolition Teams ( UDT) were a precursor to the current United States Navy SEALs The UDT's conducted beach and hydro-reconnaissance explosive cable S. Government is presumed to be a public domain resource. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

Notes

Bibliography

• [1] Naval Special Warfare website
• [2] Naval Special Warfare, History page
• [3] Official U. S. Navy Seal Information Website
• [4] Official U. S. Navy SWCC Information Website
• Luttrell, Marcus. Marcus Luttrell (born 1975 is a former Petty Officer First Class and United States Navy SEAL. (2007). Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, New York: Hachette Book Group USA. (ISBN 0316067598)
• Cunningham, Chet. (2005). The Frogmen of World War II: An Oral History of the U. S. Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams, New York: Pocket Books. (ISBN 0743482166)

External Links

• U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command - official site.
• NavySeals.com
• ShadowSpear.com Special Operations