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Navy NEC · Combat & Infantry

W08A Patrol Boat Coxswain

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

A Patrol Boat Coxswain supervises the boat crew during hoisting and lowering operations. The coxswain handles and stows all types of cargo in the boat and assists with salvage operations.

Core Skills

  • Crew supervision during hoisting and lowering
  • Boat cargo handling and stowage
  • Assistance with marine salvage 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.

Sailors and Marine Oilers

Boat cargo handling, hoisting and lowering supervision, and salvage assistance transfer most directly to the deck-work side of this occupation.

How to prepare: Target entry-level deck positions and ask employers which vessel-specific credentials and deck-skills training they require; entry-level sailors have no formal education requirement.

What the civilian work involves
  • Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.

Motorboat Operators

Supervising boat crews during hoisting and lowering provides relevant crew-coordination experience, although the verified duties do not establish navigation or engine-control experience.

How to prepare: Assemble an official sea-service transcript or assignment history with vessel particulars and assigned duties for a Coast Guard endorsement evaluation. Water transportation roles beyond entry-level sailor and oiler work typically require several years of sea time.

What the civilian work involves
  • Operate engine throttles and steering mechanisms to guide boats on desired courses.
  • Organize and direct the activities of crew members.
Civilian tools and software (examples)
  • Global positioning system GPS software

Notes & Sources

  • Most water transportation jobs require a TSA Transportation Worker Identification Credential and a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential with applicable endorsements; training, screening and examination requirements depend on the work.
  • Open-ocean service requires USCG-verified STCW training.
  • The Coast Guard evaluates military sea service for merchant-vessel equivalence and endorsement scope; a DD-214 alone is not acceptable sea-service evidence.
Evidence for this guidance (5 documents)
  1. NAVPERS 18068F Vol II (NEOCS, Jul 2026 edition): NEC W08A

    [1] NEC entry "W08A - Patrol Boat Coxswain"; cached text line 16006; NAVPERS 18068F Vol II, 2026-07 edition

    Supports: Crew supervision during hoisting and lowering, Boat cargo handling and stowage, Assistance with marine salvage operations, Sailors and Marine Oilers (O*NET 53-5011.00), Motorboat Operators (O*NET 53-5022.00)

  2. O*NET: Sailors and Marine Oilers

    [2] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Sailors and Marine Oilers (O*NET 53-5011.00)

  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Water Transportation Workers

    [3] How to Become; training, licenses and related experience; updated August 27, 2026, checked September 23, 2026

    Supports: Sailors and Marine Oilers (O*NET 53-5011.00), Motorboat Operators (O*NET 53-5022.00)

  4. O*NET: Motorboat Operators

    [4] O*NET 30.3 occupational data

    Supports: Motorboat Operators (O*NET 53-5022.00)

  5. USCG: 46 CFR 10.232 military sea-service evidence and credit

    [5] Paragraphs (a) and (d)(1), official eCFR snapshot September 21, 2026; retrieved September 24

    Supports: Motorboat Operators (O*NET 53-5022.00)

Defense contractor jobs for W08A

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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