Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three rescued General Douglas MacArthur (and later the Filipino president Manuel L. Quezon) from the Philippines after the Japanese invasion and then participated in guerrilla actions until American resistance ended with the fall of Corregidor.

PT boats subsequently participated in most of the campaigns in the Southwest Pacific by conducting and supporting joint/combined reconnaissance, blockade, sabotage, and raiding missions as well as attacking Japanese shore facilities, shipping, and forces.

PT boats were used in the European Theater beginning in April 1944 to help the Office of Strategic Services insert spies and French Resistance personnel and for amphibious landing deception.

The modern special boat operator grew out of efforts during the Vietnam War to develop forces for riverine warfare.

Nicknamed (SWIFT) crews BSU-1 would directly support Naval Special Warfare Operations, initially outfitted primarily by Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) and the newly established SEALs.

The boat team held off a force of roughly 150 Colombian rebel insurgents believed to be part of Colombia's counter-revolutionary movement (FARC).

Short of ammunition and water, the team held on until first light on day three, regrouped and counter-attacked, punching a hole in the insurgents defense line and later linking up with U.S. Navy SEALs and Colombian special forces.

[14] Some unconventional tactics and equipment were used, such as canoes with outboard motors, small boats, and jetskis for low-profile collection operations.

[16] SWCC also perform search and rescue for combat and humanitarian assistance, help law enforcement agencies, and train foreign units.

The SWCC Basic Insignia is a 2.5-by-1.25-inch silver matte metal pin depicting a Mark V Special Operations Craft atop a bow wave in front of a naval enlisted cutlass crossed with a cocked flintlock pistol.

SWCC candidates then go to Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School (NSWPS, also called BUD/S Prep) in Great Lakes Chicago, then to Coronado, California, to attend Basic Underwater Demolition Orientation/or SEAL Orientation (BO).

Applicants must: Initial SWCC training consists of: To proceed to basic crewman training, a trainee must pass this test: But the Navy says it expects successful candidates to perform more like this: The two-month Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School (NSW Prep or BUD/s Prep) takes place at Great Lakes, Illinois.

NSW Prep has one goal: Improve a SWCC candidates physical readiness for the grueling trials of Basic Crewman Selection (BCS).

Physical training is geared to prepare the student to meet the requirements of the operational special boat teams.

CQT concentrates on teaching maritime navigation, communications, waterborne patrolling techniques, marksmanship and engineering, as well as small unit tactics and close-quarters combat.

[26] Candidates that have made it through the pipeline are awarded their SWCC pins, designating them as a Special Warfare Boat Operator (SB) rating.

SWCCs receive broad individual and detachment in-house training and attend schools as needed to support Naval Special Warfare Command.

The Maritime Craft Aerial Deployment System (MCADS) drops an 11-meter RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) rigged with four large parachutes from the back of a C-130 or C-17 at about 3,500 feet.

[30] SWCC personnel can also use Army CH-47 helicopters to insert and exfiltrate their boats, using slings dubbed the Maritime External Air Transportation System (MEATS).

[31] In November 2024, The New York Times published reporting on the prevalence of chronic brain trauma among members of the Navy's Special Boat Teams.

The investigation revealed that medical professionals were warning about the risk of brain injuries during missions, including warnings that boat crews could be subjected to sudden "jerks of up to 64 Gs" and suggested that some providers were concerned that the missions were contributing to neurological injuries such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.).

[32] A group of 12 SWCC veterans, nearly all at the chief or senior-chief level, reported a range of symptoms including cognitive decline, impulsivity, depression, and violent behavior, often escalating as they progressed in their careers, attributing these issues to the physical impacts from the boats.