How to Get Into the SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air and Land Teams ("Navy SEAL") are elite special operations forces that engage in clandestine and unconventional warfare. The path to becoming a Navy SEAL is extremely challenging; so much so that the SEALs have a historic dropout rate of 67 percent. Becoming a Navy SEAL requires mental and physical stamina, the ability to withstand severe stress, a lengthy training process and a commitment to the SEAL lifestyle.
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Instructions
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Only men, by law, are eligible to become Navy SEALs. A Navy SEAL candidate must be a U.S. citizen and be 28 years old or younger. In addition to passing the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Test, which is a standardized entrance exam given by the U.S. Military, a SEAL candidate must also meet the state eyesight requirements: 20/40 best eye and 20/70 worst eye. Correctable vision to 20/25 is permissible, but the candidate cannot suffer from any color blindness. Some positions, such as a diver, require candidates to pass a security clearance.
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In addition to meeting the above-mentioned basic requirements, a Navy SEAL candidate must pass a physical screening test designed to measure the candidate's strength, endurance, stamina and mental fortitude.
The physical test consists of a 500-yard swim (completed within 12:30 minutes), at least 42 military push-ups (competed within two minutes), at least 50 military sit-ups (completed within two minutes), at least 6 pull-ups, and a 1.5 mile run (completed within 11 minutes). While the components of the physical test are in and of themselves challenging, the brief rests (e.g., no more than ten minutes, and in some instances, two minutes) increase the test's difficulty.
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Once a Navy SEAL candidate has been officially accepted into the SEAL training program, the candidate's true grit will be tested. Before a SEAL can be deployed, he must endure multi-warfare training that can take between 21 to 30 months to complete. The physical and mental demands placed on the candidate significantly increase as he is exposed to weeks of training in basic underwater demolition, physical conditioning, combat diving, parachute jump school and land warfare. Advanced training is also available and encouraged.
Once training is completed and the candidate graduates, he is ready to be deployed as a Navy SEAL.
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Tips & Warnings
As a result of the rigorous training Navy SEALs must undergo and due to the demands of the job, Navy recruiters often offer signing bonuses up to $20,000 to candidates.
Navy SEALs conduct their operations in secret. As such, Navy SEALS are frequently deployed with little advance warning and are barred from revealing the whereabouts of their deployment to family members and friends. SEAL candidates must be comfortable with living this lifestyle.
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