Special Operations

Job Description

While their missions are closely guarded secrets, it’s common knowledge that Navy Special Operations teams are the best in the world. Sailors in special warfare jobs are in the business of saving lives and keeping our country operationally safe. From combing the depths of the sea for explosives to jumping from helicopters to save others and embarking on classified assignments, you’re a force to be reckoned with as a Sailor in one of these roles.

What Will You Do?

As an Officer in the Special Operations community, you may be called upon at a moment’s notice to clear land mines in the far corners of the globe or even train dolphins to utilize their sonar capabilities. Special Operations Officers may be trained to jump from airplanes with high-altitude parachutes or operate stealthy watercraft, inflatable boats, or scuba gear. As an Officer in Special Operations, you might:

Perform underwater location and identification of foreign and domestic ordnance, as well as rending safe, disposing of, or recovering ordnance
Conduct reconnaissance and demolition of natural or man-made underwater obstacles prior to amphibious landings

Earn While You Learn

You might learn the fundamentals of explosive ordnance disposal through formal Navy schooling. Or you may learn about chemical/biological warfare, military tactics, deep-sea diving, or a number of other tactical military procedures.

The courses in this field are demanding, but individuals who accept these challenges are rewarded with extra pay and extraordinary duty assignments.

Special Pay/Bonuses

Special Operations Officers assigned to diving duty are eligible to receive dive pay. Demolition Duty Pay is payable to Officers working with explosives and demolitions during training.

Special Operations (SPECOPS) Officers Training

The Special Operations Officer training pipeline is determined by whether the officer is being assigned to Diving Operations or the Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

Career Outlook

Although the Officer careers in Special Operations have few civilian counterparts outside of medical emergency and law enforcement, the leadership, tenacity, and combat strategy skills you will acquire are highly respected by any employer.

Financial support from our alumni, friends, and family members helps to enrich the ROTC experience for all of our cadets and midshipmen. For example, donations help offset increasing costs for various activities, like training competitions and formal events (e.g., the annual military ball), so that our cadets and midshipmen can more readily participate.

You can donate to support our ROTC efforts at this Division of Military Education link. Thank you for helping prepare America’s future military leaders!

Air Force ROTC : Boston College, Brandeis University, Bridgewater State University, Emmanuel College, Northeastern University, Simmons University, Suffolk University, University of Massachusetts at Boston, & Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Army ROTC: Babson College, Bentley University, Brandeis University, Bridgewater State University, Curry College, Fisher College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Stonehill College, & University of Massachusetts at Boston. (In May 2024, the U.S. Army Cadet Command elevated the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to satellite status in our partnership, which means Army ROTC will be providing two cadre members who will be assigned full-time to the MMA campus at a future date.)

Navy/Marine Corps ROTC: Boston College & Northeastern University, with MIT, Harvard University, & Tufts University also falling under BU Navy/Marine Corps ROTC command, but with separate facilities.