How to Join U.S. Special Forces
If you think you have what it takes to jump out of airplanes, navigate through jungles and work in small groups with locals in foreign countries, you might have what it takes to join the United States Special Forces. Also known at the Green Berets, U.S. Special Forces excel in unconventional warfare. Their training is among the hardest in the U.S. Army and only a small percentage of men who begin the training actually go on to wear the green beret.
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Instructions
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Meet the prerequisites. In order to be considered for Special Forces training, you must be a male, at least 20 years old, high school graduate, U.S. citizen, be eligible for a secret security clearance, meet high physical fitness standards and volunteer for the course.
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Visit GoArmy.com. Find and click on the "Special Forces" link on the home page. From here you have a few options. Request an info pack and learn more about the Special Forces. Chat online with a recruiter. Locate a recruiter by typing in your zip code or apply online.
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Talk with an Army Special Forces recruiter. Whether you are a civilian, active-duty service member or a member of the Guard or Reserve, talk with a Special Forces recruiter to begin the process. Ask him about the training process, requirements, time commitments, monetary bonuses and your career in the Army. Remember to get the recruiter to put his promises in writing.
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Join the Army. If you are new to the Army and qualify for the program, the Army sends you to the Special Operations Preparation Course before beginning your training. The 30-day course at Fort Bragg, NC, prepares you for training by focusing on physical fitness and land navigation.
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Take and pass the Army Physical Fitness Test. This consists of push ups, sit ups and a timed run. They may also give you a "tape test" to measure your body fat.
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Take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. This test helps the Army know if you have the mental fortitude to be a Green Beret. Score high on the test or forget moving forward with Special Forces training.
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Pass the "Q Course." The Special Forces Qualification Course is the first of many tests in your training. The 24 day field exercise tests your stamina, navigation skills, ability to work alone and in groups, intelligence and resourcefulness. It is designed to weed out those who aren't ready to be a Green Beret.
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Make it through the Individual Skill phase. Here you learn small unit tactics, live-fire skills, land navigation and leadership skills.
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Complete your "MOS." Your Military Occupational Specialty is basically your job title. In Special Forces you are an officer, weapons specialist, engineer, medic or communications specialist. The length of your MOS training depends on your specialty. Prepare to train for anywhere from six months to one and a half years.
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Take the Defense Language Aptitude Battery and learn a new language. Your results from the test combine with the Army's needs and they tell you what language you will learn. You could learn Arabic, French, Korean or any number of languages taught at the school.
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Survive SERE. The Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape course challenges every fiber of your being. Many men crack under its pressure while others realize just how much they can handle.
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Pass Robin Sage. The month-long course takes all the skills you have learned and puts them to the test in a mock-war. Work as a Special Forces team to complete the mission and you just might make it through.
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Graduate! If you make it through the rigors of Special Forces training, you finally become a Green Beret. The Army assigns you to a Special Forces team and you join the ranks of a select few fighting to free the oppressed.
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Tips & Warnings
Discuss your entrance in the Special Forces with your family before you sign your name on the dotted line. Families of Special Forces soldiers face different challenges and fear than other families. You need their support in order to be successful in your training and in your career.
Bear in mind that at the end of every section in Special Forces training, you evaluate your peers. If the training cadres see a pattern in your peers not trusting or getting along with you, they may remove you from the course.
You might have to re-enlist at the end of your training as part of your initial contract.
