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Navy NEC · Combat & Infantry

O23A SDV MK8/MK11 Operator

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.

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Overview

An SDV MK8 and MK11 Operator conducts tactical Naval Special Warfare and unconventional warfare operations with SEAL Delivery Vehicles in deployed environments. The operator maintains Dry Deck Shelters, deploys ancillary systems, implements quality assurance procedures, performs parachuting and explosives demolition, and uses all types of SCUBA operationally.

Core Skills

  • Dry Deck Shelter operation and maintenance
  • Operational use of multiple SCUBA types
  • Quality assurance in deployed SDV operations

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

Operational SCUBA qualification and Dry Deck Shelter operation and maintenance provide directly relevant experience for commercial diving and equipment care.

How to prepare: Have a commercial-diving employer assess your existing qualifications, training records, and dive logs against the intended assignments and applicable OSHA requirements, then identify any gaps before selecting further training or an ADCI card route.

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 work covered by OSHA commercial-diving rules, assignments must match demonstrated experience or training in relevant equipment, diving modes, operations, and emergency procedures. All team members need CPR and first-aid training; those exposed to or controlling hyperbaric exposure also need diving-related physics and physiology training.
  • OSHA prohibits diving or other hyperbaric exposure during a known temporary impairment likely to adversely affect safety or health.
  • If pursuing ADCI classification, Entry Level requires 625 documented hours of formal instruction under ANSI/ACDE-01-2015 or a recognized equivalent. Air Diver requires at least 100 field days and 30 working dives as an Air Diver, with only surface-supplied dives counting. These are ADCI program conditions, not a universal government license.
Evidence for this guidance (4 documents)
  1. NAVPERS 18068F Vol II (NEOCS, Jul 2026 edition): NEC O23A

    [1] NEC entry "O23A - SDV MK8/MK11 Operator"; cached text line 9305; NAVPERS 18068F Vol II, 2026-07 edition

    Supports: Dry Deck Shelter operation and maintenance, Operational use of multiple SCUBA types, Quality assurance in deployed SDV operations, Commercial Divers (O*NET 49-9092.00)

  2. O*NET: Commercial Divers

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Commercial Divers (O*NET 49-9092.00)

  3. 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)

  4. 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 O23A

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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