Navy NEC · Combat & Infantry

O20A SO Candidate

Current service use not established

This code is listed in the directory. Inclusion alone does not confirm current service use.

A Navy Enlisted Classification: a skill designation sailors hold in addition to their rating.

Overview

A Special Operator candidate uses explosives to demolish underwater and land objects and obstacles. The candidate applies basic skills in underwater search, surveillance, beach reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and the operational use of SCUBA.

Core Skills

Underwater and land obstacle demolition
Basic underwater search and surveillance
Basic operational use of SCUBA
Beach reconnaissance and coastal observation basics

Civilian Career Paths

Career associations are editorial assessments of the cited evidence, not an official crosswalk unless the evidence explicitly says so. O*NET supplies civilian occupation information, not proof of a military match. Related experience does not confer civilian qualifications. Tasks and tools below describe civilian work, not military training.

Commercial Divers

Basic operational SCUBA qualifications, underwater search, and underwater demolition experience provide a foundation for commercial diving work.

How to prepare: Have a commercial diving employer assess your documented military training, dive records, and existing qualifications against the intended assignments and OSHA dive-team requirements to identify specific gaps. If pursuing an ADCI card, request an assessment of whether your completed instruction meets its recognized-equivalent provision before enrolling in additional schooling.

What the civilian work involves

Check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges.
Descend into water with the aid of diver helpers, using scuba gear or diving suits.
Obtain information about diving tasks and environmental conditions.

Civilian tools and software (examples)

Diving logbook software
Diving table software

Notes & Sources

For operations covered by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.410, dive-team members need task-relevant equipment, diving-mode, operations, and emergency-procedure experience or training, plus CPR and first aid training. Those exposed to or controlling hyperbaric exposure also need diving physics and physiology training; limited additional tasks during training require direct experienced supervision.
OSHA prohibits diving or other hyperbaric exposure during a temporary physical impairment or condition known to the employer that is likely to compromise safety or health.
ADCI card requirements are program-specific, not a universal government license: Entry Level requires 625 documented hours of qualifying formal instruction or a recognized equivalent. Its Air Diver classification requires at least 100 field days and 30 working dives as an Air Diver, with only surface-supplied dives counting toward those requirements.

Evidence for this guidance (4 documents)

NAVPERS 18068F Vol II (NEOCS, Jul 2026 edition): NEC O20A
[1] NEC entry "O20A - SO Candidate"; cached text line 9168; NAVPERS 18068F Vol II, 2026-07 edition
Supports: Underwater and land obstacle demolition, Basic underwater search and surveillance, Basic operational use of SCUBA, Beach reconnaissance and coastal observation basics, Commercial Divers (O*NET 49-9092.00)
O*NET: Commercial Divers
[2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data
Supports: Commercial Divers (O*NET 49-9092.00)
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.410: Qualifications of dive team
[3] Commercial Diving Operations, paragraphs (a) and (b). Verified 2026-09-24.
Supports: Commercial Divers (O*NET 49-9092.00)
ADCI: Commercial diver classification requirements
[4] Entry Level and Air Diver card classifications. ADCI framework, not a universal government license. Verified 2026-09-24.
Supports: Commercial Divers (O*NET 49-9092.00)

Defense contractor jobs for O20A

Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.

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