GURPS Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (for GURPS Special Ops 3rd Edition)

While the Navy SEALs are well-covered in fiction, non-fiction, and gaming, their counterparts that drive them into and out-of combat zones are less covered.  These are the men and women titled Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman.  The Naval Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) program evolved from the PT boats Sailors of WWII and the “Brown Water Navy” of Viet Nam. They are specially trained to conduct and support Special Operations missions in a maritime environment and work primarily with Naval Special Warfare Sea, Air, and Land Teams (SEAL).  Typical missions include:

• Collect information about enemy military installations and shipping traffic in coastal or riverine areas.
• Insert/extract SEALS and other Special Operations personnel from a variety of NSW Boats.
• Operate independently in small units to accomplish operational tasks.
• Operate and maintain weapon systems, communications, electronics, small boats, and other equipment associated with SWCC missions.
• Conduct direct action raids against enemy shipping and waterborne traffic.

Naval Special Warfare has a small, powerful, and elite force of 600 active duty and 125 reserve SWCC operators, all of whom are enlisted personnel. These Special Warfare Boat (SB) operators support the worldwide operations of 2,450 active duty and 325 reserve SEALs. The total NSW force of 5,400 active duty and support personnel and 1,200 reserves comprises only 1% of all Navy personnel.

SWCCs are all classified by their rating, which as of shortly after 9/11/2001, they were granted the specific rating (job code) of SB (for Special Warfare Boat Operator).  This means that for the most part, this will be the only job they get assigned.

SB Rating Insignia

Number of SWCC Forces

Naval Special Warfare has three Special Boat Teams to which SWCC personnel are assigned: Special Boat Teams TWELVE (SBT-12), TWENTY (SBT-20), and TWENTY-TWO (SBT-22). Each is unique in its location, mission, primary designated Operational Area, and numbers and type of craft. They are all under the overall command of Naval Special Warfare Group FOUR, which is headquartered in Little Creek, VA.

SBT-12 is based in Coronado and led by an O-5 Navy SEAL Commander. It has Enlisted SWCC personnel who operate and maintain (81-foot) Mark V Special Operations Craft (SOC-R) and (11-meter) Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. These craft normally operate in detachments of two boats with crews. SBT-12 supports NSW maritime and coastal Special Operations missions in the Pacific and Middle East. The command deploys detachments aboard amphibious ships, to Naval Special Warfare Unit ONE (NSWU-1) in Guam, Naval Special Warfare Unit THREE (NSWU-3) in Bahrain.

SBT-20 is based in Little Creek, Virginia and led by an O-5 Navy SEAL Commander. It has Enlisted SWCC personnel who operate and maintain (81-foot) Mark V Special Operations Craft and (11-meter) Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. These boats normally operate in detachments of two boats with crews. SBT-20 supports NSW maritime and coastal operations in Europe, the Mediterranean, and South America. It deploys detachments aboard amphibious ships and to Naval Special Warfare Unit TWO (NSWU-2) in Stuttgart, Germany, and Naval Special Warfare Unit TEN (NSWU-10) in Rota, Spain.

SBT-22 is based at John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and led by an O-5 SEAL Commander. It has Enlisted SWCC personnel who operate and maintain (33-foot) Special Operations Craft Riverine (SOC-R). These craft normally operate in detachments of two boats with crews. SBT-22 supports NSW riverine operations worldwide.

Special warfare combatant-craft crewman (SWCC)

The U.S. Navy’s Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC, pronounced “swick”) are Special Operations Forces who operate and maintain an inventory of small craft used to support special operations missions, particularly those of the U.S. Navy SEALs. Individually, SEALs and SWCC go through separate specialized training programs that emphasize special operations in the maritime environment. SWCC are trained extensively in craft and weapons tactics, techniques and procedures. Focusing on clandestine infiltration and exfiltration of SEALs and other special operations forces, SWCC provide dedicated, rapid mobility in shallow water areas where large ships cannot operate. SWCC must be physically fit, highly motivated, combat-focused, and responsive in high stress situations.

SWCC                                                                      150 points

Sailors in the SWCC program must have the following Basic Skills.  This represents a typical crewman – more seasoned SWCCs will have higher skill ratings, and some that have received specialty training will have additional skills.  Their are no Officer ranks in the SWCCs, they are led by Navy SEAL Officers as described above.

Attributes:  ST 12 [20]; DX 13 [30]; IQ 13 [30]; HT 12 [20].

Advantages:  Fit [5]; and 20 points in additional ST or HT; Desirable Advantages (p. SO51), Decorations (p. SO51-52), Military Rank (p. SO52-54), or Patrons (p. SO54).

Disadvantages:  Extremely Hazardous Duty [-20]; and -25 points selected from the Desirable Disadvantages list (p. SO56).

Basic Skills:  Administration (M/A) IQ [2]-13; Armoury (Small Arms) (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Armoury (Heavy Arms) (M/A) IQ [2]-13; Brawling (P/E) DX-1 [1/2]-12; Driving (Auto) (P/E) DX [1]-13; Electronics Operation (Communications) (M/A) IQ [2]-13; Electronics Operation (Sensors) (M/A) IQ [2]-13; Escape (P/H) DX-1 [2]-12; First Aid (M/E) IQ-1 [1/2]-13; Gunner (Machine Gun) (P/A) DX+1 [1]-14*; Gunner (Grenade Launcher) (P/A) DX+1 [1]-14*; Guns (Grenade Launcher) (P/E) DX+1 [1/2]-14*; Guns (Light Auto) (P/E) DX+1 [1/2]-14*; Guns (Pistol) (P/E) DX+1 [1/2]-14*; Guns (Rifle) (P/E) DX+1 [1/2]-14*; Guns (Shotgun) (P/E) DX+1 [1/2]-14*; Hiking (P/A) HT [2]-12;  Interrogation (M/A) IQ-2 [1/2]-11; Knife (P/E) DX-1 [1/2]-12; Leadership (M/A) IQ [2]-13; Mechanical (Small Boat Engines) (M/A) IQ+1 [4]-14; Navigation (M/H) IQ+2 [8]-15; NBC Warfare (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Orienteering (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Parachuting (P/E) DX [1]-13; Powerboat (P/A) DX+2 [8]-15; Sailor (M/A) IQ [2]-13; Savior-Faire (Military) (M/E) IQ-1 [1/2]-12; Scrounging (M/E) IQ [1]-13; Seamanship (M/E) IQ+2 [4]-15; Soldier (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Spear (P/A) DX-2 [1/2]-11; Stealth (P/A) DX-1 [1]-12; Survival (Desert) (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Survival (Island/Beach) (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Survival (Jungle) (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Survival (Woodlands) (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12; Swimming (P/E) DX+1 [2]-14; Tactics (Guerrilla) (M/H) IQ-1 [2]-12; Tactics (Infantry) (M/H) IQ-1 [2]-12; Tactics (Naval) (M/H) IQ [4]-13;  Throwing (P/H) DX-2 [1/2]-11.

Special Skills:

Foreign Language (+1, 2, or 4 points): Add Language (any) (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-12 (Basic); IQ [2]-13 (Intermediate); or IQ+1 [4]-14 (Advanced). Typical SWCC has at least one language at the basic level (usually assigned based on the needs of their respective team).

Maritime Craft Aerial Deployment System School: Add Parachuting (P/E) DX [1]-13.

Special Operations Combat Medic (+4 1/2 points): Increase First Aid to IQ+1[2]-15; add Diagnosis (M/H)  IQ-2 [1] – 13 and Surgery (M/VH) IQ-2 [2] – 13.

NCO** (+0 points): No additional requirements.

Customization Notes: This Template is intended for use in a 200-point campaign.  Spend your remaining 25 points to customize your character.  Up to five quirks can be taken for an additional 5 points.

* Includes +2 for IQ

** Military Rank [5/level] is required: Rank 1-2 for NCO’s, Rank 3 for warrant officers, and Rank 3+ for commissioned officers.

Note:  Details and stats for SOC-R, the Riverine Command Boat, and the Mark V Special Operations Craft will show up in a future blog post!

References:

This publication is a great document to show what SWCCs are capable of.