AN ANALYSIS OF ENLISTED SWCC AND SEAL OFFICER RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE

Abstract

This thesis analyzes various organizational design theories and intrinsic motivational models to evaluate the feasibility of creating an unrestricted line SWCC officer program. The two deployable operating factions within Naval Special Warfare (NSW) are the SEALs and the SWCC operators. Of the personnel inventory of SWCCs, the majority are enlisted with the exception of Chief Warrant Officer, which commissions directly from the enlisted force. The current model has the SEAL community providing the command-level and officer leadership for the SWCC community. Two case studies were analyzed: the all-enlisted Air Force Pararescue community, which developed the Combat Rescue Officer program in 2000, and the Norwegian Marine Jaegar Kommando, which combined combat diver and boat operators into a singular Maritime special operations unit underneath a newly designed special operations command. This research concludes that the current SWCC manning model would have to be changed to support the creation of an unrestricted line officer program, but doing so could incentivize SEAL junior officers. The new model should create greater leadership opportunities between the SWCC and SEAL communities. This was demonstrated successfully in the Air Force in creating an officer corps from an existing enlisted career field. Likewise, the Norwegians demonstrated that reorganizing using a similar organizational effectively increased efficiency and leadership.