Navy SEAL and Navy SWCC training share a foundation rooted in rigorous training, water competency and high fitness standards. Many people ask about the differences between these Navy Special Warfare programs, and while both are highly selective and physically challenging, they differ in their tactical mission and training focus.
Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land) and SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen) are special operations forces within the U.S. Navy. While they often work alongside each other on critical missions, their training pipelines are similar yet distinct; they are tailored to their respective tactical skills and missions. Understanding where these programs intersect and diverge reveals much about the demands and expectations placed on America’s most elite maritime warriors.
The Similarities Between SEAL and SWCC
The processes to become a SEAL or SWCC are physically tough, mentally demanding and push their students to see just how bad they want to be in these units. Getting accepted into either one begins in the recruiter’s office.
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Navy SEAL and SWCC candidates undergo a rigorous selection process designed to assess their physical, mental and emotional resilience. They must complete the Navy Physical Screening Test (PST) — which consists of a 500-yard swim, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and 1.5-mile timed run — at a high level to qualify for their contract and enter the special programs pipeline before boot camp.
After boot camp, they attend the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School (NSW Prep) for four weeks and BUD/S orientation (BO) for three weeks in Coronado, California, which helps rebuild prospective candidates after Navy boot camp and emphasizes fitness training, testing, water competence and teamwork. Students will have to pass the PST (plus other tests) during NSW Prep.
The Navy SEAL and SWCC programs test candidates under extreme conditions. They require high standards of endurance, swimming, running and calisthenics, testing the students’ will to continue each day and to be a good team player. Since SEALs and SWCC operate in maritime environments, comfort in the water is essential. Training includes drownproofing drills, open-water swims and underwater exercises. After NSW Prep and BUD/S orientation, the training diverges, but both training pipelines have an average attrition rate of approximately 70%-80%.
The Differences Between SEAL and SWCC
After Prep and BO, the training pipeline changes. SEAL candidates will attend BUD/S and SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), and SWCC will attend Basic Crewman Selection (BCS), Basic Crewman Training (BCT) and Crewman Qualification Training (CQT).
Navy SEAL Training
The core SEAL training pipeline, Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S), lasts 21 weeks, followed by SQT for an additional 26 weeks. SEAL training initially emphasizes mental and physical toughness, then focuses on tactical skills such as diving, shooting, demolition, land warfare, small-unit tactics and parachuting.
Navy SWCC Training
The SWCC program is about eight months in total. It focuses on special boat operations, navigation, heavy weapons, communications and insertion/extraction methods using high-speed craft. SWCC candidates go through BCS for seven weeks, BCT for seven weeks and CQT for 21 weeks.
BUD/S is notorious for “Hell Week,” a grueling 5½-day (120-hour) test of endurance, sleep deprivation and teamwork. This occurs during the fourth week of BUD/S. SWCC candidates have their own version of demanding evolutions called “The Tour” — a 72-hour block of training designed to test candidates’ physical and mental endurance. It is in the fifth week of BCS, complete with runs, swims, boat team exercises and sleep deprivation.
SEAL candidates earn the Trident insignia after successfully completing SQT. After spending more than a year in training, newly minted SEALs will be assigned to a SEAL team in Little Creek, Virginia, or Coronado.
SWCC candidates earn their own unique SWCC insignia, symbolizing their special warfare qualification. There is additional training for the SWCC called Initial Acquisition Training (IAT). After completing training, these special boat operators will be stationed at special boat teams at Little Creek, Coronado; or at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
The Differences and Similarities Continue After Training
The SEALs will continue to train for a wide variety of direct-action missions, reconnaissance, counterterrorism and unconventional warfare, conducting operations on land, sea and air. The SWCC will continue to specialize in maritime mobility — operating fast boats to insert, extract and support SEALs and other special operations forces, often under fire or in hostile environments.
SWCC training places a stronger emphasis on maritime navigation, boat maintenance, weapons mounted on craft and advanced communications systems. SEALs are trained as versatile combatants and divers, with more emphasis on infiltration/exfiltration by any means necessary. Both units will drop their boats from aircraft and are qualified for static-line and free-fall jumps.
Future Opportunities
SEALs and SWCC operators can be part of the Navy’s Tier One Unit, the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU).
Over the years, our SWCC candidates have undergone the same type of preparation training as our SEAL candidates who are getting ready for BUD/S. Both require running, load bearing, swimming, pool skills, and strength and stamina to be successful. The biggest differences are truly in the tactical skill sets in the mission and technical skills emphasized to perform their important roles in Naval Special Warfare.
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