The Green Berets represent the elite branch of the US military. They are the special forces that are employed in numerous fundamental actions; these include unconventional warfare, defense interventions abroad, special reconnaissance, direct and counter-terrorism actions. Given the high rank and importance of this group, the competition to be part of it is very high. Before committing to this goal, remember that the competition is fierce and that you have a long and difficult path ahead of you.
This article has a purely informative purpose; if you are an Italian citizen who wants to join the American special forces, know that you must first undertake a path to obtain permanent residence.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Knowing the Basic Requirements
Step 1. You must be of the right age and gender
To apply for a Green Beret you must be a male between the ages of 20 and 30.
Step 2. Take care of your eyesight
As with all other specialized military professions, you have to see very well to be able to apply; vision must be 10/10 or nearer.
Step 3. Get a high school diploma
This is a fundamental requirement for special forces; you must have a high school diploma, although a high final grade is not required. You must pass an intelligence test conducted by the army in order to proceed with the application. The military prefers that you have attended at least one year of university, even if it is not strictly necessary.
Step 4. Undergo and successfully pass the aptitude test
You have to do this as soon as you join the military, it serves to assess your strengths and in which sector of the military you can be most useful. To enter the Green Berets you must obtain a score equal to or greater than 110 in the general technical section and a minimum result of 100 in the combat operations.
Step 5. Join the army
If you prefer, you can initially apply online, although you will need to interview a recruiter after submitting your application; alternatively, you can go to the military district in person and speak directly with the representative. You must be at least 18 years old.
You must go to a Military Entrance Processing Station (office to complete the enlistment process). This is where physical preparation begins and where you can choose a specialty before you are really enlisted
Part 2 of 3: Undergo the Training and Obtain the Clearance
Step 1. Complete the pre-training list
This is an all-encompassing list of things you need to complete before joining the army. This means opening an army bank account and authorizing the salary to be credited; you are also required to complete certain training courses, such as suicide prevention and counter-terrorism; physical preparation is also provided. You can find the complete list (in English of course) by following the link of the following note.
Step 2. Pass the Basic Army Physical Aptitude Test
Anyone wishing to enlist must undergo this test and pass it; Basically, you have to do a certain number of sit-ups in two minutes and another set of push-ups, again in two minutes. The greater the number of repetitions you can do in these 4 minutes the better; thereafter, you must run 2 miles (3, 8 km or so) in time trial.
- The goals you need to reach are established based on age; for example, if you are 18, you need to do 64 push-ups, 72 sit-ups and run the mile in 13 minutes and 42 seconds.
- A 27-year-old candidate must be able to perform 67 push-ups, 72 sit-ups and run the mile in 14 minutes and 12 seconds.
- However, if you want to join the special forces, you have to get better results than just "pass", since it is an elite unit.
Step 3. Take the Advanced Individual Training course
This preparation is basically an aptitude training for the military, during which you acquire skills related to all sectors, from engineering to artillery. Your commanding officer helps you find the right sector for you to be able to join the special forces.
Step 4. Request and obtain security clearance
You can't just apply for it yourself; once the Green Berets admission process has begun, the procedure is carried out through the army channels.
Once you have provided all the information in advance, the State Department thoroughly checks your background. The clearance can be refused for a number of reasons: from lying in the application to previous problems of personal misconduct, from a bad credit reputation to the possibility of having been influenced by other countries
Step 5. Apply and enter the skydiving course
You must complete this training to access the Green Berets; during the preparation you learn to jump from airplanes with the parachute.
Step 6. Meet the Requirements for Nominations for Private Soldiers
If you are a private, you must have a level between E-4 and E-7, although there are some restrictions for those of level E-7: the candidate must not have been in service for more than 12 months (Time in Service) or have that level for more than 9 months (Time in Grade). Once you have completed all Special Forces training, you must still have 3 years of service left. If you are in an assignment, you must obtain permission from the head of your unit before you can take the course.
- The terms "E-4" and following indicate the degree in which you are; this means that you must be at least a corporal or specialist (E-4) to be eligible to run as a Green Beret, but you can also be a sergeant or squad sergeant.
- The term "Time in Service" refers to the years or months that have passed since you joined, while "Time in Grade" refers to how long you have been in your current grade. Promotion criteria are based on both Time in Service and Time in Grade and some automatic advancements occur after a certain period. However, these requirements require you to stay in the military for some time before you can join the special forces, although some of the time can be revoked following an approval.
Step 7. Meet the requirements for officers
If you are an officer, you must have a level of O-1 or O-2 and you must have had a flawless career to reach it. You must have served for a period that allows you access to the Council of Captains and you must be available to the military for at least another three years after the completion of special forces training. Finally, you must have obtained a result equal to or greater than 85 in the "Defense Language Aptitude Battery" test (test to understand the aptitude to learn a foreign language) or a score of 1/1 in reading and listening in the "Defense Language Proficiency" test. (test of knowledge of a foreign language).
Levels O-1 and O-2 refer to rank: second lieutenant and lieutenant respectively
Part 3 of 3: Taking Part in Special Forces Training
Step 1. Take the Special Operations Preparation Course
This is a two-week training, which you can only access if you have already qualified for Special Forces training having completed the previous stages. This course allows you to obtain the rigorous physical requirements necessary to be a Green Beret; you must also be proficient in orientation. This training takes place in Fort Bragg.
Step 2. Pass the special forces selection called "Special Forces Assessment and Selection"
This is a training and evaluation process to understand if you can continue with the application process; tests the physical and mental abilities that are indispensable for a member of the special forces. This assessment is the first official part of training a Green Beret.
Step 3. Take the Special Forces Qualification Course
It lasts nearly a year and teaches you pretty much everything from small-unit combat tactics to survival tactics to foreign languages and cultures. One of the main phases of this path is the collective exercise, also known as "Robin Sage". The aspiring Green Berets are divided into units as if they were in battle and deployed in a fictional country called Pineland, North Carolina. This phase simulates what happens in a real mission and "filters" the candidates who are not able to face it.
Step 4. Get the qualification
If you have passed the entire training course, you qualify at the end of the selection; in the end, you are given a week to decide whether to withdraw from training.
