Becoming a SEAL in the Navy is no easy task, and it’s an accomplishment reserved only for the strongest warriors the US Navy has to offer. Candidates who survive all phases of Navy Seal training possess superior qualities that can’t be faked thorough training. Candidates’ minds and bodies are pushed to unimaginable extremes and not everyone survives all phases of SEAL training. As training progresses and each phase becomes more unbearable than the last, candidates start dropping out one-by-one. By stage 6, only the best are left standing. The warriors who prove they have what it takes to do the hardest job in the US military are awarded the exclusive honor of being called a US Navy SEAL.
Ready to see if you have what it takes to become a Navy SEAL? Fill out this form to get started.
Requirements
The US Navy has strict requirements when applying to become a Navy SEAL. They are in search of only highly qualified candidates
- 17-28 year old male, and must be a US citizen
- Vision must be correctable to 20/25, and the candidate must have normal perception of color
- Must be able to obtain security clearance (no criminal record)
- Pass the SEAL physical screening test that is administered by Naval Special Warfare
- High ASVAB results
- Mental toughness, resilience and stability
Let the Training Begin
After you are accepted into the SEAL training program, it’s time for the real work to begin. Navy Seal training will change your life forever. The physical test and mental screenings for entry are nothing compared to the challenges you will face during Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S). Every moment of weakness or self-doubt you have ever felt in your life gets left out of your mind, because only the strong survive BUD/S. BUD/S occurs in 6 stages; each one is more challenging than the one before it.
- Stage 1- Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School
Stage 1 is approximately 2 weeks long and designed to prepare candidates for BUD/S. The prep school is a more advanced physical screening test for candidates. Candidates are expected to complete more rigorous tests is swimming, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and running. Candidates who do not successfully accomplish the advanced physical training at the end of 2 months are assigned to different positions in the Navy.
- Stage 2- Orientation to BUD/S
BUD/S orientation is 3 weeks long. During orientation candidates get prepared for the first phase of BUD/S training; they are introduced to a new version of training and learn the obstacle course. After orientation, the real work begins.
- Stage 3- First Phase of BUD/S
The first phase of BUD/S is basic conditioning. Basic conditioning is designed to push candidates further and further as each week in the 7 week phase passes. Candidates, who don’t drop out before Hell Week in week 4, usually do during this time. Candidates are up for 5 days running a total of 200 miles, completing 20 hours of physical fitness training.
- Stage 4- Second Phase
The second phase of training is combat diving. Candidates must be ready to spend a lot of time in the water because they spend 7 weeks in it. They learn critical survival skills, advanced diving techniques, and overcome imaginable obstacles that could be the difference between life and death during their SEAL career.
- Stage 5- Third Phase
Candidates who are lucky enough to make it to the third phase will engage in land warfare training. During the 7 week phase, they learn how to navigate through the land, rappel, patrol, and practice tactic techniques. After completely the third phase, candidates are within reach of the dream of becoming a Navy SEAL, but there is still much more to do in Stage 6.
- Stage 6- Qualification
Stage 6 is Seal Qualification Training. This is where it counts, and what decides is a candidate is capable of earning their trident after all the hard work they put in. Candidates will master the exclusive skills required to become a Navy SEAL. In order to graduate, a candidate must pass survival, evasion, resistance and escape tactics. If candidates make it all the way to the end, they will finally be pinned. They will graduate from the SEAL Qualification training and receive the coveted trident.
When a candidate can finally call himself a Navy SEAL, he knows the title was worth the back-breaking sacrifice.
