Visit, board, search, and seizure

Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics, designed to capture enemy vessels, to combat terrorism, piracy and smuggling, and to conduct customs, safety and other inspections, as employed by modern navies, marine and maritime services, military and police forces.

Training begins with SRF-B (Security Reaction Force Basic), and continues with SRF-A (Security Reaction Force Advanced), which includes the application of OC spray (Oleoresin Capsicum, pepper spray) on the trainee. After both SRF-B and SRF-A are successfully completed, a candidate qualifies for VBSS school.

The initial training continuum includes three courses, lasting a total of eight weeks (SRF-A, SRF-B, VBSS), with some team members receiving additional follow-on training. Skills taught in VBSS training revolve around Close Quarters Battle (CQB). Training consists of proficiency in tactical movements and shooting, hand-to-hand offensive and defensive combat tactics, rappelling, searching, non-compliant combatant detention, and several other combat kinetic team and personal skills. Some units, known as Helicopter Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (HVBSS) teams, have been trained to fast rope aboard vessels from helicopters.

All sailors in the U.S. Navy are eligible to serve aboard a VBSS team, but those who aspire to join a team have to be approved by their ship's command. Being approved does not guarantee inclusion on a VBSS team, as it is possible (and not uncommon) for candidates to wash out of VBSS school. The attrition rate for VBSS is 25-30%, on average.

U.S. Navy VBSS teams are generally armed with Mk 18 or M4 carbines as well as Mossberg 500 shotguns and Beretta M9 pistols. The body armor is generally of the Kevlar law enforcement type with ballistic plate inserts and a buoyant tactical vest that doubles as a life preserver. The majority of U.S. naval ships deploying with VBSS teams are smaller, such as destroyers, cruisers, etc. VBSS teams are used to combat illegal narcotics, arms trafficking and piracy.

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