Serving in the Navy on board a ocean going vessel often requires Servicemembers to engage vessels that are suspicious. Different Vessels that are unknown and suspicious are stopped by different US Navy vessels, and they have to be inspected. These vessels could be hiding smugglers, terrorists and insurgents, or trafficking drugs. Because of this it is vital for Servicemembers to know how to deal with different situations, and how to conduct a proper search and search and seizure procedures.
The US Navy has different situations that require knowing how to deal with different types of search and seizure. There is a new training program designed by the Navy to do just that. The Support Naval Norfolk Annex in Chesapeake, Virginia has started a pilot program that will train Navy personnel in Search and Seizure procedures. The Navy was worked diligently to focus and design the VSS course to address the changes and make the overall Navy fleet responsive to the changes in the world today. The VSS program are not designed to deal with ships that are obviously hostile and refusing to be boarded, but sometimes ships that look and act friendly turn on the boarding party after they come aboard. The new program is called the Non-Compliant Boarding Visit, Search and Seizure program. It is invaluable and gives the boarding personnel necessary skills to safeguard lives, as well as making sure than no property or equipment is put into jeopardy needlessly. The Teams of VSS search officers are being tasked to board vessels that are suspicious in nature and are suspected of harboring illegal aliens, hiding or harboring terrorists, or suspected of other illegal activity. In that situation it is important to know how to board a vessel without having lives in danger. With the new NCB VSS course the Navy seamen and sailors are able to train with in depth and comprehensive training materials, which will support their ongoing maritime boarding missions. The course of study at the new revised VSS School is eight weeks in length, and trains personnel how to get control of a ship. The VSS course teaches teams of vessel inspection agents how to properly board and search vessels.
In the past, if the vessel appeared to be hostile or non-compliant then Navy special operations forces or SEAL team members were called in to do the job. The new course is eight weeks long and gives Navy personnel training on how to deal with situations that turn hostile toward the boarding party after they come on board the vessel.
