Navy Collateral Duty: Complete List

Ted Kingston•April 6, 2025

Inside every Navy command, beyond the hierarchy and designated roles, lies an intricate, often underappreciated system that keeps everything moving. It isn’t detailed in your rating manual. You won’t find it laid out in a qualification card.

Yet, it plays a pivotal role in shaping readiness, morale, and mission execution across the fleet. These are collateral duties—the supplemental responsibilities taken on by sailors and officers alongside their primary roles.

More Than Just “Extra Work”

Collateral duties aren’t just administrative busywork. They’re functional pillars. They ensure compliance with regulations, sustain unit morale, and offer junior personnel and seasoned leaders alike a broader scope of influence.

These roles are operationally significant. They’re how commands stay aligned, supported, and legally compliant—day in, day out.

A Broad Spectrum of Opportunities

These roles span three main categories:

In-command support: Examples include training monitors, safety coordinators, and program managers who handle routine functions that keep the command mission-focused and policy-aligned.
In-rate special assignments: These duties deepen rating-specific knowledge while offering new contexts for applying your skills—without straying far from your designated NEC or career path.
Out-of-rate billets: Sometimes, you’ll be tasked with duties entirely outside your MOS or warfare designation. These provide cross-functional experience and leadership exposure that can elevate your performance in EVALs and make your FITREP stand out.

Career Impact Beyond the Surface

Grasping the full spectrum of these responsibilities doesn’t just help you do your job well—it helps shape a strategically competitive profile.

Advancement boards look closely at the scope, impact, and execution of collateral duties when evaluating leadership potential and command value.

And more than just checking boxes, these assignments mold adaptable sailors and multidimensional leaders—exactly what 21st-century naval operations demand.

Navy Collateral Duty Comprehensive List

100 Ton Craftmaster

Operating under this designation involves multi-domain seamanship mastery. The role requires practical command across critical shipboard functions, with instruction and application in:

Firefighting & Damage Control: Tactical use of suppression systems and emergency containment measures.
Marlinespike Seamanship: Handling of lines, knots, and anchoring methods essential to deck operations.
Navigation: Plotting courses, interpreting charts, and applying collision avoidance techniques.
Radio Procedures: Management of maritime communication protocols and distress systems.
Vessel Handling & Seamanship: Direct control over vessel maneuvering, docking, and mooring under variable conditions.
Marine Deck Operations: Oversight of cargo handling, replenishment at sea, and deck machinery use.
Maritime Regulations: Compliance with U.S. and international law governing vessel conduct and safety.
Radar & Bridge Resource Management: Coordinated use of electronic systems and crew management to ensure safe navigation and mission execution.

3M – Preventive Maintenance Manager

This role manages the Ships’ Maintenance and Material Management (3-M) System, the central hub for fleet-wide maintenance oversight.

Core Functional Areas

Maintenance Scheduling & Tracking: Plans and logs preventive, corrective, and alternative maintenance actions.
Resource Control: Aligns manpower and material assets with equipment lifecycle demands.
Data Utilization: Employs historical maintenance data to optimize readiness and anticipate failures.
Process Governance: Ensures consistent application of maintenance procedures through standardized documentation and quality checks.

The 3-M System empowers commands to extend equipment longevity, minimize unplanned outages, and maintain combat readiness.

AirSpeed Team Member

Assigned within a Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) framework, this position supports performance enhancement using proven industrial methodologies.

Primary Contributions

Analytical Evaluation: Applies Lean, Six Sigma, and Theory of Constraints to pinpoint inefficiencies.
Cross-Functional Engagement: Collaborates with work centers to understand, document, and resolve production gaps.
Operational Optimization: Targets initiatives that reduce cycle times, cut costs, and boost mission effectiveness.
Reporting & Metrics: Constructs evidence-based reports and dashboards to visualize progress and validate solutions.

By embedding CPI culture across command operations, this role strengthens throughput, accountability, and mission sustainment.

ASF/VBSS – Auxiliary Security Force & Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure

This dual-role assignment merges base-level defense with tactical interdiction authority in maritime law enforcement scenarios.

ASF Responsibilities

Security Augmentation: Supports base defense operations during high-alert or emergency situations.
Contingency Readiness: Reacts to threats such as terrorism, natural disaster, and civil disorder with rapid response protocols.
Force Multiplication: Operates under the direction of Security Forces to expand protection during elevated security postures.

VBSS Duties

Maritime Interdiction: Boards and secures vessels suspected of illegal activity including piracy, smuggling, and trafficking.
Tactical Training: Executes close-quarters combat, inspection procedures, and threat suppression techniques.
Law & Safety Compliance: Enforces U.S. Navy protocols and international maritime law during boarding actions.

VBSS teams enhance maritime domain awareness and operational reach, projecting control and maintaining order across contested waters.

ATFP/RIVERINE – Anti-Terrorism Force Protection Specialist / Riverine Forces Operator

Two high-impact roles, each engineered to defend critical infrastructure and enforce maritime dominance in conflict-prone terrain. Both demand deep tactical instinct and operational adaptability.

Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP)

Command-Level Execution: Crafts and directs force protection policy at the operational level. Oversees anti-terror training cycles, vulnerability assessments, and emergency response planning.
Cross-Agency Synchronization: Serves as the strategic conduit between command and civilian/military law enforcement. Regularly coordinates with NCIS, emergency planners, and chemical-biological threat experts.
Policy-to-Tactics Integration: Converts high-level doctrine into usable field guidance. Trains personnel in tactics ranging from Armed Sentry to Security Reaction Force basics.
Inspection & Exercise Lead: Administers ATFP evaluations and manages performance in real-world scenarios and drills.

Riverine Forces

Brown Water Dominance: Maintains operational control in riverine and near-shore environments. Denies enemy mobility while enabling secure transit for allied forces.
Unconventional Threat Engagement: Conducts high-tempo combat and security operations against irregular combatants, waterborne improvised threats, and insurgent activity.
Hybrid Warfare Readiness: Integrates maritime combat tactics with land-sea coordination. Provides strategic extension of blue-water capabilities into inland zones.

CCC – Command Career Counselor

Not just a mentor—this is a career architect. The CCC reshapes potential into action by aligning personal assets with professional direction.

Custom Career Planning: Evaluates a Sailor’s entire profile—training, aptitude, past assignments—to guide next steps and specialization options.
Transitional Strategy: Equips separating personnel with tools for civilian re-entry. Offers direction on second careers, VA benefits, and higher education transitions.
Placement Optimization: Applies test metrics and interviews to drive smarter advancement, rating changes, and retention initiatives.
Command-Level Advisory: Serves as the senior advisor on personnel development strategies for the chain of command.

CCS – Command Climate Specialist

Acts as the cultural strategist within the command, delivering EO policy enforcement and structural equity guidance with precision.

EO Infrastructure Expert: Sets the framework for equitable treatment, free from discrimination or harassment. Audits climate policies against Navy-wide standards.
Field-Level Training Facilitator: Conducts seminars and workshops that move beyond compliance—aiming at lasting behavior change.
Inspection-Grade Oversight: Provides command readiness for Inspector General evaluations and EEO complaint handling processes.
Leadership Integration: Acts as senior policy advisor to commanders, bridging policy with execution.

CFL – Command Fitness Leader

The CFL isn’t just a coach—it’s the command’s tactical edge in health resilience and physical qualification.

Fitness Strategy Coordinator: Develops full-spectrum fitness plans that align with operational demands and OPNAVINST 6110.1H criteria.
Assessment Authority: Runs Physical Fitness Assessments (PFAs), resolves exemptions, and interprets readiness trends.
Nutritional & Lifestyle Guide: Delivers command-wide counsel on healthy living and weight standards, with medical and performance safety in mind.
Chain-of-Command Liaison: Interfaces across departments to enforce standards, identify at-risk personnel, and support remediation plans.

CFS – Command Financial Specialist

The CFS brings structure to personal finance in a world where poor decisions can undermine careers and missions alike.

Financial Readiness Adviser: Leads financial literacy campaigns to combat debt, prevent bankruptcy, and reduce security clearance risks.
Case-Specific Counseling: Tailors advice for everything from auto loans to retirement investment, offering confidential, actionable plans.
Instructional Lead: Builds and delivers finance-focused briefings and workshops. Equips Sailors with the knowledge to manage, not just survive.
Executive Support Role: Functions as the CO’s primary advisor on financial wellness issues across the command.

Command Security Manager

The command’s first and final checkpoint on information integrity. Operates as the principal architect of internal security protocols.

Policy Stewardship: Implements and audits the command’s Information Security Program. Maintains full-spectrum awareness of personnel, cyber, and physical vulnerabilities.
Direct Access to CO: Operates with unrestricted access to command leadership. Ensures swift updates on breaches or policy lapses.
Compliance Custodian: Tracks all classification procedures, insider threat programs, and compartmented access coordination.
Distributed Tasking Oversight: While tasks may be decentralized, the Security Manager remains accountable for cohesive execution across departments.

Correctional Custody Specialist

Where discipline meets care. This specialist blends firm control with structured rehabilitation inside naval correctional facilities.

Facility Operations Command: Manages sally ports, lockdown units, and perimeter security posts with procedural rigor.
Movement Control Authority: Oversees detainee and prisoner transfers both inside and beyond the brig.
Behavioral Oversight: Maintains appropriate levels of supervision based on the nature of confinement, with escalation readiness for riot, fire, or disaster events.
Rehabilitation Facilitator: Applies structured routines that support behavior change and restore readiness in awardees where applicable.

Coxswain

Backed by a USCG OUPV license, this operator holds command of small commercial vessels—with full accountability for passenger safety and maritime law adherence.

Vessel Command: Operates uninspected passenger vessels up to 100 gross tons. Licensure limits carry to six fare-paying customers.
Mariner’s Operational Discipline: Manages all aspects of vessel handling—navigation, docking, and radio use—often in coastal or inland waters.
Commercial Maritime Interface: Delivers transport services while maintaining documentation, safety compliance, and U.S. Coast Guard standards.

Emergency Management Specialist

Operating at the confluence of strategic foresight and operational readiness, the Emergency Management Specialist architects comprehensive disaster response frameworks.

Program Development: Crafts and administers command-wide disaster preparedness plans covering both natural and man-made incidents.
Incident Integration: Coordinates across military and civilian authorities to align emergency response procedures and streamline interagency action.
Specialized Training Lead: Conducts hands-on instruction in nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) defense, including decontamination and individual protection measures.
Equipment Compliance: Performs maintenance on NBC gear under the strict regulatory oversight of Nuclear Regulatory Commission standards.

EPT – Engineering Plant Technician

This watch station functions as the engineering nerve center aboard Littoral Combat Ships, blending mechanical mastery with firefighting proficiency.

Machinery Command: Monitors and maintains propulsion systems—including Rolls-Royce waterjets and General Electric engines—ensuring sustained ship mobility and combat capability.
Multidisciplinary Role: Balances electrical repair, diesel mechanics, firefighting, and precision machining as part of a lean yet high-performing engineering team.
Readiness Oversight: Reports directly to the Readiness Control Officer and Officer of the Deck, ensuring engineering systems remain fully mission-capable.
Role Specificity: Restricted to EM, EN, GSE, and GSM ratings (E-5 to E-7) assigned to LCS platforms.

Field Recruiter / Canvasser

Field recruiters serve as the Navy’s frontline talent scouts—engaging, qualifying, and shaping the future force.

Candidate Identification: Locates potential enlistees and officer candidates through targeted outreach in schools, community events, and digital platforms.
Screening & Guidance: Conducts initial assessments and offers structured career advice aligned with Navy needs and applicant potential.
Family Interface: Assists prospective recruits’ families with information and support during the enlistment transition.
Retention Pipeline: Delivers early-stage Navy indoctrination and mentorship to ensure smoother onboarding.

IA/GSA – Individual Augmentee / Global War on Terrorism Support Assignment Deployer

IA/GSA personnel represent individual deployment versatility—supporting missions outside their standard unit structures in high-demand regions.

Independent Deployment: Fills critical skill gaps by embedding with Joint Task Forces, often under Central Command’s broad operational umbrella.
Mission Flexibility: Executes roles spanning logistics, security, communications, or technical support based on the deployment need.
Global Reach: While most serve in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, or the Horn of Africa, others deploy worldwide based on geopolitical demand.
Reserve and Active Mix: Half the IA/GSA deployment force originates from the Navy Reserve, enhancing total force capability.

Instructor

More than a lecturer—this is a subject matter authority tasked with translating complex naval doctrine into accessible, actionable training.

Content Delivery: Conducts lectures, facilitates workshops, and guides learners through practical and theoretical instruction across a wide range of naval topics.
Skill Transfer: Mentors junior Sailors by embedding personal experience into technical training environments.
Mission-Ready Output: Prepares personnel for high-performance roles at sea and ashore, directly contributing to mission execution.
Worldwide Assignability: Eligible for placement at domestic and overseas bases, ships, and specialized training facilities.

LCAC – Landing Craft Air Cushion Crew Member

LCAC crews operate the Navy’s high-speed amphibious transport platforms—essential for ship-to-shore logistics in expeditionary environments.

Crew Composition: Operates as a five-person team consisting of Craftmaster, Engineer, Navigator, Deck Engineer, and Loadmaster.
Amphibious Mobility: Transports heavy cargo, weapons systems, and personnel over beachheads and shallow water zones.
High-Speed Execution: Utilizes air cushion technology to deliver payloads at rapid transit speeds, bypassing traditional harbor limitations.
Combat Utility: Supports Marine and Naval joint operations in contested coastal regions and humanitarian missions.

Leader (All Enlisted E-4 and Above)

Leadership at every rank is a principle of service—not a perk of position. E-4 and above are expected to model, mentor, and mobilize.

Authority with Intent: Exercises command within the boundaries of assigned duties, guiding subordinates with purpose and structure.
Mission Execution: Aligns daily actions with the strategic objectives of the Navy, delivering results through delegation and oversight.
Mentorship by Default: Serves as a professional example, shaping attitudes, behavior, and performance of junior personnel.
Scalable Responsibility: As rank increases, so does scope—expanding from work center supervision to department or command leadership roles.

MUSE – Mobile Utilities Support Equipment Technician

The MUSE technician is a field-deployable engineer who builds temporary power and thermal systems from concept to commissioning.

System Command: Designs, installs, and maintains mobile utilities ranging from 2500kW diesel generators to 5000kVA substations and 20kPPH steam plants.
Engineering Expertise: Applies physics, thermodynamics, advanced math, and rotational kinematics to field scenarios—no lab required.
Diagnostics Authority: Conducts complex system protection studies and performance diagnostics using state-of-the-art test instruments.
Lifecycle Ownership: Manages entire equipment lifecycle—from procurement through disposal—ensuring operational sustainability.

Naval Special Warfare Combat Support / Combat Service Support

Personnel assigned under this capacity operate at the sharp end of logistics and operational readiness for elite Navy Special Warfare (NSW) missions.

Tactical Support Integration: Delivers direct operational and logistical support tailored to NSW missions across sea, land, and air.
Core Competency Mastery: Demonstrates proficiency in SOF history, command structure, mission planning, weapons handling, and field communication systems.
Security-Ready Knowledge Base: Trained in anti-terrorism, force protection, operational risk management, and basic trauma response.
Cross-Functional Adaptability: Works seamlessly across supply chains, combat logistics, maritime movement, and security operations in high-threat zones.

Naval Special Warfare / Reconnaissance Medic

This hybrid specialist is both a tactical operator and a front-line medical authority in one of the Navy’s most high-risk, forward-deployed roles.

Advanced Trauma Capability: Delivers independent emergency care in combat zones without direct physician oversight, including Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC).
Diving & Hyperbaric Medicine: Supports operations involving both open- and closed-circuit SCUBA; manages diving-related injuries and decompression procedures.
Special Operations Alignment: Provides embedded medical support for SEALs and Marine Reconnaissance units during high-risk missions.
Environmental Adaptability: Functions in hostile terrain, underwater environments, and austere field conditions with equal competence.

RCO – Readiness Control Officer

A cornerstone of LCS engineering operations, the RCO ensures propulsion and support systems are battle-ready on demand.

Control Station Command: Operates EOAA and MPCMS systems with authority over propulsion and auxiliary subsystems.
High-Responsibility Watch: Assigned to E-6 to E-8 enlisted technicians or junior officers (O-1 to O-3), reporting directly to the Chief Engineer.
Systems Continuity Oversight: Ensures engineering plant systems operate continuously under peacetime and combat loads.
Unique Platform Expertise: Manages advanced machinery suites specific to Littoral Combat Ships, including hybrid propulsion modules.

RDC – Recruit Division Commander

The RDC is the first model of Navy professionalism for every recruit—both mentor and disciplinarian in the high-pressure training pipeline.

Boot Camp Leadership: Teaches military fundamentals, physical fitness, and uniform standards while setting the tone for service-wide discipline.
Around-the-Clock Guidance: Maintains constant access to recruits, offering support and correction in equal measure.
Standards Enforcer: Shapes mental resilience and team cohesion through structured instruction and correctional feedback.
Cultural Gatekeeper: Imprints the Navy’s core values from day one through consistent leadership and example.

Safety Technician

Safety Technicians serve as operational risk advisors, ensuring command compliance with safety mandates and incident prevention frameworks.

Hazard Identification: Conducts site evaluations to pinpoint unsafe practices, hazardous substances, and at-risk behaviors.
Recordkeeping & Reporting: Maintains mishap reports, hazard logs, and program documentation to support command safety initiatives.
Training Implementation: Leads SOH (Safety and Occupational Health) indoctrination and refresher sessions tailored to both duty-specific and off-duty risks.
Program Outreach: Disseminates safety awareness through structured communication channels within the command hierarchy.

SAMI – Small Arms Marksmanship Instructor

The SAMI serves as the primary marksmanship authority within the unit, building firearm proficiency aligned with security operations.

Weapons Proficiency Training: Certifies personnel in pistol, rifle, and shotgun handling under OPNAVINST 3591.1 guidelines.
Tactical Application Instruction: Delivers real-world shooting scenarios and drills to simulate combat and defensive environments.
Force Protection Enablement: Supports arming initiatives critical to physical security of personnel and installations.
Sustainment Readiness: Tracks qualification cycles and ensures ongoing competency in weapons employment.

SARP – Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation Program (Counselor)

SARP counselors are front-line behavioral health professionals guiding Sailors through recovery and risk reduction with clinical precision.

Diagnostic Evaluation: Conducts intake interviews and structured assessments to determine scope and severity of substance misuse.
Treatment Plan Design: Develops individualized care strategies, incorporating both group and solo counseling frameworks.
Ethical Compliance: Upholds strict confidentiality and clinical ethics in accordance with the Counselor Code of Ethics.
Crisis Intervention & Education: Provides immediate response to high-risk cases and runs outreach campaigns on substance awareness.

NEC 810B – Navy Drug and Alcohol Counselor Intern

This internship track is the pipeline for becoming a certified Navy substance abuse counselor—functioning under guided supervision.

Supervised Counseling: Conducts client sessions under the oversight of certified professionals, gaining hands-on training in intake, treatment, and referral processes.
Outreach Participation: Assists with prevention education and early intervention efforts across the command.
Development Focus: Participates in ongoing professional workshops aimed at advancing clinical knowledge.
Internship Accountability: Operates under formal evaluation criteria with the goal of certification as a full counselor.

NEC 810C – Navy Drug and Alcohol Counselor

The 810C designation reflects full certification, authority, and accountability in the delivery of behavioral health services.

Autonomous Counseling Authority: Handles case management independently, including crisis response, treatment planning, and statistical tracking.
Clinical Reporting: Maintains detailed progress notes, prepares case summaries, and oversees intern development.
Preventative Strategy Contributor: Designs and leads prevention initiatives aimed at reducing command-wide substance misuse.
Ethical & Clinical Rigor: Adheres to best practices in addiction counseling while staying current with evolving substance abuse science.

SEL – Senior Enlisted Leader

Serving as the connective tissue between enlisted personnel and command leadership, the Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL) embodies institutional continuity and operational morale.

Command Integration: Directly advises the Commanding Officer on enlisted matters, workforce morale, and policy execution.
Communication Conduit: Translates strategic intent into practical messaging and feedback loops within the enlisted ranks.
Workforce Alignment: Ensures Sailors’ concerns, welfare needs, and developmental goals are surfaced and addressed at the top level.
Presence-Driven Leadership: Maintains credibility through direct, consistent interaction with all levels of command personnel.

Special Security Officer

The SSO functions as the sole authority over Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) operations and facilities within the command.

SCIF Oversight: Administers physical, procedural, and electronic security standards for Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities.
Clearance Management: Manages SCI access and compliance, including indoctrinations, briefings, and debriefings.
Operational Firewall: Acts as the final checkpoint for all SCI matters before dissemination or integration into command operations.
Designation Protocol: Must be officially appointed by the ONI or COMNAVNETWARCOM to assume full responsibilities under governing directives.

TSCE – Total Shipboard Computing Environment Supervisor

TSCE supervisors anchor all digital systems aboard Littoral Combat Ships—ensuring command-and-control infrastructure functions without disruption.

System Continuity Lead: Maintains and restores communications, sensors, combat systems, and network links during operations.
Tech Fault Response: Leads troubleshooting and resolution for failures across navigation data flow, mission package networks, and engineering control systems.
Multi-System Interface: Interfaces with the Tactical Action Officer and the Officer of the Deck, providing real-time tech support during shipboard operations.
Qualification Scope: Role limited to IT and ET ratings (E-5 to E-7), specializing in multi-domain electronic control systems.

UAV – Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Pilot / Maintainer

Operators and maintainers of unmanned platforms deliver precision intelligence and tactical reach without putting aircrew at risk.

Flight Operation Control: Executes launch, mission, and recovery phases via visual and remote instrumentation.
System Maintenance: Performs upkeep and diagnostics on UAV airframes, engines, sensors, and support systems.
Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge: Applies concepts in meteorology, aerodynamics, radio communication, and airspace coordination.
Dual-Role Agility: Balances technical proficiency with operational awareness during real-time UAV flight and surveillance tasks.

UCT – Underwater Construction Technician

As the Navy’s elite underwater engineering unit, UCTs deliver structural solutions beneath the surface and under combat conditions.

Construction Dive Operations: Conducts structural repairs, concrete work, cable laying, and demolition in subaquatic environments.
Multidisciplinary Tasks: Balances excavation, welding, component emplacement, and sea floor surveying with full diving qualifications.
Diving Operations Leadership: Supervises underwater construction teams and ensures strict adherence to decompression protocols and dive physics.
Equipment Specialist: Maintains, inspects, and adjusts diving systems while serving as both diver and tender in critical scenarios.
Project Management: Estimates material and labor for underwater builds, applying project foremanship to complex marine engineering missions.

The Career Shortcut Too Many Sailors Ignore

Career-minded sailors who stay passive risk getting outpaced. Volunteering for collateral duties isn’t extra—it’s strategic. These positions aren’t just boxes to check—they’re proof points. They show you’re not just qualified, but committed, capable, and promotable.

Taking on these roles delivers tangible results: performance bullets, leadership validation, and documented impact—fuel for stronger EVALs and advancement packages. Even more critical, high-visibility assignments naturally pull you into the orbit of senior leadership, where decisions about promotions, special program nominations, and award endorsements are made.

The sailors who stand out aren’t just excellent at their jobs—they’re the ones who leaned in when it wasn’t required. If you’re not actively seeking these duties, you’re leaving one of the simplest career accelerators on the table.