Free time/Missions/Weapons

[sean-sean]

Hello. First of all Im 17 and interested in joining the SWCC program. I have a few question for you boat guys.

1. Free time during training. When you guys go to SWCC school/CQT, is it a constant 8/12 weeks of training or do you get the weekends off like at BUD/S?

2. Free time. Do you guys get 30 days paid vacation a year? I know its standard for the Navy, but from reading SEAL books it doesnt sound like SEALs get much time off due to constant training, or any vacation for that matter.

3. Missions. You guys don't always work side by side with SEALs do you?

4. Missions. With all the different unconventional warfare, direct action, combating terrorism, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, etc. types of missions, do you actually get out of the boats for any of theses?

5. Weapons. Do all SWCC personel carry there own firepower, such as an assault rifle and a pistol, along side the big guns on the boats?

Any answered questions would be much appreciated

Thanks
Sean

[Gedicks]

2. Free time. Do you guys get 30 days paid vacation a year? I know its standard for the Navy, but from reading SEAL books it doesnt sound like SEALs get much time off due to constant training, or any vacation for that matter.

I'm not SWCC so I'll leave the other questions for someone qualified to answer them. But as far as "paid vactaion" or leave as we call it in the military you do earn 30 days a year. Everyone in the Navy earns 2.5 days of leave per month. However, just becasue you have leave doesn't mean you can take it whenever you want. It is up to your command on when and for how long they allow it's personnel to take leave. If you accumulate too many days of leave that is called "use it or lose it". Basically what that means is that if you get too many days built up you have to use a certain amount or they will be automatically deducted. When that happens you do have the option of selling the days back. The Navy figures out what you make per day and will pay for however many days of leave you want to sell back to them. But it doesn't have to be "use it or lose it" for you to sell it back, you can opt to sell back days whenever. Hope that helped.

[Kinnikinik]

I'll hit you up one at a time:

1. Free time during training. When you guys go to SWCC school/CQT, is it a constant 8/12 weeks of training or do you get the weekends off like at BUD/S?

You will have little free time during training. Your best bet is to just resign yourself to being dedicated to training for the full 20 weeks that you are there. You will have weekends off, but you will have things that you need to take care of during part of that weekend. Your best bet is to rest up for the next week. When I went through I did get a little bit of fun in San Diego during weekends, but most of the time I just went out to eat (and you will eat ALOT) and crashed on my friend's floor watching football.

2. Free time. Do you guys get 30 days paid vacation a year? I know its standard for the Navy, but from reading SEAL books it doesnt sound like SEALs get much time off due to constant training, or any vacation for that matter.

You are still in the Navy and you are entitled to all the benefits that a regular Navy person would be... which means 30 days vacation a year. The difference is you are not going to have much of a choice of when you take that leave. Here is a hint: If you get a chance to take leave, take it. It is possible to use your full 30 days a year, but you have to work it. One thing to note is that you can sell back days of leave when you reenlist or get out of the Navy, so some people conserve leave for the extra cash.

3. Missions. You guys don't always work side by side with SEALs do you?

No. SWCC operators have their own set of missions and do operate independently. As much as the SEALs like to call us taxi drivers, when they are onboard that is usually our mission. To insert and extract them. Basically to get them where they need to go to do their mission. Some other missions SWCC boats have been involved in are Coastal Interdiction (smuggling), enforcement of embargo, dignitary escort, fire support, and joint operations training. Also, SEALs are not the only people we work with. I have worked with Marine Recon, British SBS, and other foreign Special Forces types frequently. At some times even more than I worked with the Seals.

4. Missions. With all the different unconventional warfare, direct action, combating terrorism, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, etc. types of missions, do you actually get out of the boats for any of theses?

Ever seen Apocolypse Now? "Never get off the boat man!" For the most part it is true. Some missions require you to get off the boat, but for the most part, your purpose in life is to keep that boat moving swiftly, and at certain times, to move swifty and be deadly. Still, a good part of training is in land navigation and other terrestrial operations and a SWCC guy can operate effectively on the ground. Much like any Special Ops people, we are trained for whatever mission we are needed for. The more diverse training you get, the more likely you are to get the special missions.

5. Weapons. Do all SWCC personel carry there own firepower, such as an assault rifle and a pistol, along side the big guns on the boats?

Yes. All SWCC operators are equipped with a pistol (currently a H&K 9mm) and an M4 Carbine (chopped down version of the M-16). This is in addition to the crewserved weapons. Also, for port security and boardings it is general practice to have a Mossberg shotgun onboard each craft. The gunner generally has a grenade launcher attatched to his M4.

Good luck with everything and I hope I answered things to your satisfaction. If not, feel free to ask more and I will see if I can help you out.

J

[sean-sean]

Hey, thanks Ge****s and Kinnikinik, helped a lot, greatly appreciated.

Sean

[Kinnikinik]

Anytime. If you have more questions, this is the place to ask them.