Obtaining the Enlisted Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC) qualification, mandatory for Sailors in the Special Warfare Boat Operator rating, is one of the most challenging undertakings in the Navy. Display your pride of service and achievement with this SWCC belt buckle, manufactured to meet Navy uniform regulations and featuring the original SWCC insignia consisting of a flintlock pistol (cocked and ready for action), a naval cutlass, and a MK V Special Operations Craft. In 2016, the Navy introduced a new SWCC insignia that removed the swells and placed the boat atop a bow wave. The Special Warfare Boat Operator rating was established in 2006.
Sailors who have earned the SWCC qualification are members of a highly elite group. Each year, around 250 candidates are selected for SWCC training; of these, about half will graduate and go on serve in a Naval Special Warfare command. Their primary duties include maritime insertion/extraction of NAVY Seals or other Special Operations Forces, gathering information and intelligence on enemy installations and dispositions, and carrying out helicopter or parachute insertion operations. They may also be called upon to assist law-enforcement agencies, both civilian and military, if the need should arise.