SCWS Design History

The Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist program evolved from the desire to have the Occupational Field 13 ratings participate in a warfare proficiency recognition program along with other rating groups in the U. S. Navy. This effort began in the late 1980's and resulted in the publication of the draft requirements document for attaining the Seabee warfare proficiency designation in 1990. The program was announced to the reserve Seabee Master Chiefs during a meeting of unit master chiefs of the Reserve Naval Construction Force (RNCF) in early 1991.

CDR Larry G. DeVries, CEC, USNR, was Commanding Officer of Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalion TWENTY SIX at the time. RNMCB 26 was headquartered at NAF Detroit, Selfridge National Guard Base, Mt. Clemens, Michigan. The Battalion Master Chief was BUCS David Kessler, USNR. Upon return from the master chief's conference Senior Chief Kessler passed on the word of the program. He was enthused about the program in that the Seabees appeared to be about to receive a warfare designation to recognize the role they had played in the Navy since their creation in World War II. CDR DeVries reviewed the document and observed that the warfare recognition program had a plan for requirements but there was no indication of a design for the device which would eventually be awarded to thousands of Seabees both active duty and reserve. The most visible part of the program, the device design, was not shown. After several questions regarding any proposed designs it was determined that there indeed was no design.

CDR DeVries called on a friend in the reserve Civil Engineer Corps that he had known from active duty in the early 1970's, CDR Ross S. Selvidge, CEC, USNR. CDR Selvidge had a undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Southern California and had an interest in uniforms and medals from a design viewpoint. He had held a number of positions including Executive Officer in RNMCB 16, Armed Forces Training Center, Los Alamitos, CA. During a phone call in early 1991 CDR DeVries asked CDR Selvidge, "It looks like we have a program but no design for the device exists, how about designing one?"

"Well, of course," was the reply. The volunteer design project was started in earnest.

After review of the other Navy warfare device designs regarding their size, the elements in their design and the way the devices were presented, CDR Selvidge sketched several possibilities. He felt the key elements of the design were: (1) oak leaves, traditional for the CEC and Seabees as a building material, (2) the enlisted Seabees' 1903 Springfield rifle, the first Seabee issue rifle during WW II, (3) an officer's cutlass, representing the officer's weapon, (4) a fouled anchor, highlighting the U. S. Navy and present in many Navy warfare devices, and (5) the Seabee emblem, an historical Seabee symbol widely recognized. CDR Selvidge worked on several possibilities and faxed several preliminary designs to CDR DeVries for comments.

After several phone conversations the two agreed that there should be two designs proposed one for officers and one for enlisted consistent with most of the other Navy warfare devices. More detail design work was done by CDR Selvidge to get the proportions correct in relation to the size of the device. A key goal was to have the new device design be distinctive but not to have it stand out as over-designed or unusual in size or appearance. Warfare devices are worn on many different uniforms and the device needed to be presentable in many circumstances.

The officer's device was to feature a horizontal sword and the enlisted design was to feature a horizontal 1903 Springfield rifle both just behind the Seabee emblem but in front of the fouled anchor. The oak leaves were to extend to the right and left and provide the background to the other elements.

The next step was to contact the Master Chief of the Seabees at the time EQCM Herman Hart, USN. CDR Selvidge faxed a copy of the two designs to him at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command plus the typewritten reasons for including the elements in the design. Master Chief Hart was pleased to have received the designs with as much work at that point already accomplished. The publicity of the Selvidge designs in various NAVFAC and Seabee publications during April-May 1992 resulted in several other designs being forwarded to headquarters. Different proposals were sketched by others and were forwarded to Master Chief Hart but none had as much work done on them or were as thoroughly researched as the Selvidge designs.

The Selvidge designs were reviewed by Master Chief Hart in consultation with other unit master chiefs and the staffs of two major Seabee commands, COMCBLANT, Norfolk, VA and COMCBPAC, Pearl Harbor, HI. After many reviews and meetings by the staffs the two Selvidge designs were combined into one design for both officers and enlisted to be distinguished only by the material finish - gold for officers and silver for enlisted. The final design was one cutlass and one rifle crossed behind the Seabee emblem all in front of the fouled anchor with the oak leaves in the background.

The instruction was released, "Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist", OPNAVINST 1410.1, Department of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, DC 20350-2000, in March 1992 (See Note below). One last step was suggested and taken by the Master Chief in mid-1992 and that was to pass the design by the Army's Office of Heraldry for comments. The office indicated there was no conflict with existing designs of a similar nature. At this point Master Chief Hart was anxious to get the device design project into the contractor's hands and he forwarded it. The contractor received the design and after several phone calls between CDR Selvidge and the contractor samples were produced of the first articles by the firm.

After the final samples came out of the production processes the contractor mailed several of the enlisted and several of the officer devices to CDR Selvidge for first article review. CDR Selvidge mailed one of each to CAPT DeVries, soon after his promotion. The designs looked good. Several more adjustments were made to improve the surface finish appearance of the officer device and the two devices were finally set for production. Several more phone calls were made and Master Chief Hart's office provided the approval to proceed with production. The device design was final at last! The contractor then proceeded using production processes.

In the mean time the administrative procedures for authorization to wear the warfare device had been followed with qualifications documentation packages submitted through the chain of command. CDR Selvidge and CAPT DeVries both qualified along with many other officers and enlisted personnel both active duty and reserve. COMCBLANT was the issuing authority for all hands. All personnel that were qualified received a letter of authorization and a certificate of award. For example, CAPT DeVries received his official letter of designation (after submitting his documentation) from 2nd Naval Construction Brigade, Norfolk, VA, dated 24 Nov 92.

CDR Selvidge was the first to wear the SCWS device. He wore it at his reserve center at Los Alamitos, CA, in March 1993 during a drill weekend using the officer device sent to him for review by the contractor. CAPT DeVries wore his device in March 1993 at the Public Works Center, Naval Base Great Lakes, Illinois, where he was performing active duty for training. In all the device design took a little over 3 years from concept through production to final availability.

The device was in the Navy exchanges about June 1993 and it was quickly purchased and worn by all authorized personnel. The Seabee Combat Warfare Specialty device and program was a long time in coming but the wait was worth it. The Seabees had finally joined their shipmates in the Navy's warfare specialty recognition program.