// Officer Designator · O-1 to O-10 · NATO OF-1 to OF-9

SPECIAL WARFARE OFFICER / SEAL (1130)

The Unrestricted Line community of Navy SEAL officers — Naval Special Warfare ground, maritime, and air combat.

Insignia

Designator

1130

Abbreviation

NSW

Community

Unrestricted Line

Paygrade Range

O-1 to O-10

NATO Range

OF-1 to OF-9

OVERVIEW

The 1130 Special Warfare Officer designator identifies Unrestricted Line officers in the U.S. Navy who serve as Navy SEALs — Sea, Air, and Land special operations forces. SEAL officers lead small assault teams (typically 16-Sailor platoons) on direct-action, special-reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, and unconventional-warfare missions worldwide. The community is one of the smallest URL communities in the Navy and operates under U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, CA.

Selection is brutal. Officer candidates undergo the same Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training and SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) as enlisted SEAL candidates, with attrition routinely above 70 percent. Successful officers earn the iconic Special Warfare Insignia — the "Trident" — and are then assigned to one of the SEAL Teams or Naval Special Warfare Development Group.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Command a 16-Sailor SEAL platoon as a junior officer
Plan and execute direct-action, special-reconnaissance, and counter-terrorism missions
Lead a SEAL Troop, Squadron, and ultimately a SEAL Team as a senior officer
Maintain personal mastery of small-unit tactics, weapons, diving, parachuting, and combat first-aid

HISTORY

The U.S. Navy's special-warfare lineage begins with the WWII Naval Combat Demolition Units and Underwater Demolition Teams that cleared the way for the Normandy and Pacific landings. President John F. Kennedy formally established the SEAL Teams in January 1962 with the commissioning of SEAL Teams ONE and TWO. The 1130 officer designator was created shortly thereafter to formalize the career path of SEAL platoon commanders.

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the SEAL community grew significantly to meet the operational demands of two decades of counter-terrorism deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and the Philippines. Today the community remains small but has elevated leadership presence — including a four-star NSW combatant-command billet and the senior-enlisted MCPON-equivalent Force Master Chief role.

COMMISSIONING SOURCES

USNA
NROTC
OCS
STA-21

TRAINING PIPELINE

1. BUD/S — Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL~6 months
NAB Coronado, CA
Three-phase training: physical conditioning, combat diving, and land warfare on San Clemente Island.
2. SQT — SEAL Qualification Training~6 months
NAB Coronado, CA
Advanced tactics, weapons, communications, and combat-medicine prior to Trident pinning.
3. Static Line / Free-Fall Parachute Course~4 weeks
Fort Benning, GA / Yuma, AZ
Airborne and military free-fall qualification.

TYPICAL CAREER PATH

O-1
BUD/S + SQT
Six months of BUD/S followed by SQT — earn the Trident.
O-2/O-3
Platoon Commander
Lead a 16-Sailor platoon through pre-deployment workup and overseas deployment.
O-4
Troop Commander
Lead a SEAL Troop (multiple platoons) on combat and theater security cooperation deployments.
O-5
Squadron Commander / Team XO
Senior leadership role at a SEAL Team or Squadron.
O-6
SEAL Team Commanding Officer
Command of a SEAL Team — capstone tour for the 1130 community.

RELATED DESIGNATORS

RELATED BASES

How to address

Same as the underlying officer rank — e.g., "Lieutenant Smith." NSW community is addressed as "SEAL" in writing and informally.

Prerequisites

Pass the Officer Selection Panel and Physical Screening Test (PST)
Successful completion of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training
Successful completion of SEAL Qualification Training (SQT)
Maintain Top Secret clearance and Tier-1 medical and physical readiness

Common assignments

Platoon Commander, SEAL Team ONE through TEN (Coronado, CA or Virginia Beach, VA)
Troop or Squadron commander at a SEAL Team
Officer at Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU)
Joint or Special Operations Command staff billet

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The 1130 designator identifies an Unrestricted Line officer in the Naval Special Warfare community — a Navy SEAL.

Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training is conducted at the Naval Special Warfare Center on Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California — the only BUD/S facility in the world.

BUD/S has historically averaged a 70–80% attrition rate across all classes. Officer candidates train alongside enlisted candidates and face the same standards.

SOURCES

Last updated 2026-05-02

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