To apply to the Navy SEAL training program and be selected to begin the training, you must meet certain qualification requirements. Initial Navy SEAL training lasts more than 12 months, followed by another 18 months of specialized training in specific fields or areas of specialization. The physical and mental stamina required to become a Navy SEAL is considerable, and the basic training is among the most arduous in the United States (US) Armed Services.
The Navy SEALs are named after the three environments in which they are trained to fight: the sea, the air, and the land. They are part of the Naval Special Warfare or Naval Special Operations division of the US Navy. The training required to become a Navy SEAL was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 and has since become a high watermark for measuring the limits to which the human body can be pushed.
To be considered for a Navy SEAL, you must first meet certain basic requirements. You must be a US citizen, a man no older than 28 years old, and meet physical and vision requirements, as well as score well on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) examinations. Physical screening also requires the ability to swim 500 yards (over 450 meters) in 12 minutes 30 seconds, rest 10 minutes, do 42 push-ups in two minutes, rest two minutes, do 50 sit-ups in two minutes, rest two minutes, do six pull-ups without a time limit, rest 10 minutes, and then run 1.5 miles (almost 2.5 kilometers) in 11 minutes and 30 seconds. These are the minimum requirements just to be considered for Navy SEAL training.
If you are accepted into Navy SEAL training, you must complete the BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) course. This is a 24-week program that begins with three weeks of orientation to prepare you for the next 21 weeks of intense exercise and training. The following seven weeks are dedicated to physical conditioning, with the fourth week consisting of five and a half days of continuous physical training and a total of four hours of sleep. After physical conditioning, a seven-week combat diving program is completed, followed by a seven-week land warfare training program.
A three-week parachute jump program follows, culminating in testing that requires you to make night jumps with combat equipment at a minimum altitude of 9,500 feet (almost three km). After completing the BUD/S training, you must complete a 26-week SEAL qualification course. This includes learning naval special warfare tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), as well as lessons in cold-weather survival and close-quarter combat. If you successfully complete this training, you will be awarded a Navy SEAL trident and will be eligible to pursue advanced training in areas such as medic specialization or officer training.