How to Become a Green Beret

Last Updated: July 1, 2021 References Approved

The Green Berets are the most elite branch of the U.S. Army. They are the special forces of the Army with a number of primary missions. These include: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism.^{[1]
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Research source} Due to the elite status and importance of the Green Berets, competition to get into this branch of the army is high. Therefore, before embarking on this, keep in mind that the competition is fierce, and you will have to have a long, difficult road to complete to enter the special forces.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Understanding the Basic Qualifications

1
Be the right age and gender. To qualify for the Green Berets, you must be a man. You also must be between the ages of 20 and 30 years old.^{[2]
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Have good vision. Like other specialized professions within the military, you must have good eyesight to qualify. You need 20/20 vision or very close to it.^{[3]
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3
Get a high school diploma. This requirement is a basic one for the special forces. You must pass and graduate high school. You don't necessarily need a high GPA; however, you need intelligence to pass the Army's tests for special forces. In fact, the Army prefers that you have at least a year of college, but that is not strictly necessary.^{[4]
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Take and do well on the Army's aptitude test. You take this test upon entering the army, and it measures where your strengths lie and where you would do best in the Army.^{[5]
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Research source} To enter special forces, you need 110 or better in the general technical section and 100 or better on combat operation.^{[6]
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5
Join the Army. You can apply online first, if you prefer, though a recruiter will talk to you after you submit your application. You can also just go talk to a local recruiter in person. You must be over 18 to enter.^{[7]
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- You'll go to the Military Entrance Processing Station to actually join. That's where your initial physical will happen. You'll also choose a specialty before you actually join.^{[8]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Getting the Training and Clearances You Need

1
Do the pre-basic training task list. This list is a catch-all of things you need to get done before entering the Army. It includes items such as setting up direct deposit and creating an Army account. You're also responsible for completing some training, from suicide prevention to anti-terrorism. You may also be responsible for completing some physical training. The full list is provided in the link.
2
Pass the Army's basic physical test.^{[9]
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Research source} This test is given to everyone who enters the Army. Basically, you must do a certain number of sit-ups in 2 minutes and a certain number of push-ups in 2 minutes. The more you do in those 4 minutes, the better. After that, you run 2 miles (3.2 km), which is timed.
- What you need to pass is based on your age. For instance, if you're 18, you need to do 64 push-ups and 72 sit-ups and run the mile in 13 minutes and 42 seconds just to pass.^{[10]
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- At age 27, you need to do 67 push-ups and 72 sit-ups and run the mile in 14 minutes and 12 seconds to pass.^{[11]
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- Nonetheless, you need to do better than just passing to enter the special forces, as they are an elite squad.
3
Take Advanced Individual Training.^{[12]
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Research source} This training is basically your vocational training in the Army. It covers everything from engineering to artillery. Your commanding officer can help you decide which one is the right one for you to join the special forces.^{[13]
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4
Apply for and receive secret security clearance.^{[14]
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Research source} You don't simply apply for this clearance on your own; once you've begun the process for entering special forces, you will apply through the Army.^{[15]
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Trustworthy Source
US Department of State
Official website of the U.S. Department of State
Go to source}
- The U.S. Department of State will do a thorough background check on you, after you have provided information on your background up front. You can be denied this clearance for any number of reasons, from having lied on your application or problems with your personal conduct in the past to bad credit and being influenced by other nations.^{[16]
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  US Department of State
  Official website of the U.S. Department of State
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5
Apply and enter airborne training. You also need to complete airborne training to qualify for special forces.^{[17]
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Research source} Basically, in airborne training, you learn how to jump out of airplanes using parachutes.^{[18]
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Meet the requirements for enlisted applications. If you are enlisted, you must be in the E-4 to E-7 pay grade, though there are some qualifiers for E-7: you must not have more than 12 years Time in Service or more than 9 months Time in Grade. You also must have 3 years left on your Time in Service once you complete all of the special forces training. If you are on assignment, you must get permission from your branch before attending the training.
- The terms "E-4" and up refer to what rank you are. That means that you need to be at least a corporeal or specialist (E-4) to be in the special forces, but you can also be a sergeant or staff sergeant.^{[19]
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- "Time in Service" refers to how long you've been in the Army, while "Time in Grade" refers to how long you've been at your current rank or pay grade. Promotions are based on both Time in Service and Time in Grade, with automatic promotions coming after certain time periods. Therefore, these requirements force you to be in the Army a certain amount of time before you enter special forces, though part of that time can be waived with approval.^{[20]
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7
Meet the requirements for officers. If you are an officer, your pay grade must be O-1 or O-2, and you must have done well as an officer so far. You are also required to be in the targeted year group for the Captains' Board. You must have 3 years left on your Time in Service once you complete all the special forces training. Finally, you need either an 85 or better on the Defense Language Aptitude Battery or 1/1 reading and listening score on the Defense Language Proficiency Test.
- O-1 and O-2 refer to ranks, second lieutenant and first lieutenant, respectively.^{[21]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Taking Special Forces Training

1
Take the Special Operations Preparation Course (SOPC). This course is 2 weeks long. You need to have already qualified for special forces training before taking this course, by completing the previous steps. This course will basically train you for the rigorous physical requirements of the Green Berets. You also need to be adept at land navigation. This course is given at Fort Bragg.^{[22]
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Go through Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS). The SFAS course is both a training session and an assessment to see if you're able to move forward. It will test if you are physically and mentally able to deal with what special forces will require of you. In fact, this assessment is the first official part of Green Beret training.^{[23]
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3
Take the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). This course lasts almost a year. It trains you in everything from small unit tactics and survival skills to language and culture. One of the primary phases of this course is the Collective Training or Robin Sage training. During this phase, you will be divided into units as you would be in a combat zone and deployed in a the made-up country Pineland, an area in North Carolina. The phase will simulate what it's like to be on an actual mission and can separate out those are not able to cope.^{[24]
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Graduate from the program. If you make it through all the training, you will graduate from the program after SFQC. You will have about a week at the end to phase out of training.^{[25]
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Community Q&A

Question

What percentage of people complete special forces training?

Community Answer

About 15 to 20% make it. It's all about your mental toughness, not as much your physical strength.
Question

Can my vision be corrected to 20/20?

Community Answer

Yes, laser eye surgery can correct your vision.
Question

How long must you be in the army to apply for green berets?

Community Answer

There's a program now that lets you go straight into the program from boot camp, skipping the three year wait.

Warnings

You cannot have had any disciplinary action taken against you, including a court marshal, while in the Army if you plan on entering the special forces.

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