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Key Points and Summary: The U.S. Army’s Green Berets, or Special Forces, are elite soldiers specializing in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, counterterrorism, and more.

-Their rigorous training pipeline, spanning up to two years, begins with Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS), testing physical endurance, leadership, and mental toughness.

-Following selection, candidates undergo the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC), covering unconventional warfare, survival tactics, specialized MOS training, and language skills.

-Culminating in the challenging Robin Sage exercise, candidates must train and lead a simulated guerrilla force in denied areas. Upon graduation, they join Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) teams, deploying worldwide for extended missions.

How to Join the Elite Green Berets: The Path to Becoming Special Forces

To become part of the Special Operations Command, you must be on top of your game. All of the units have strict criteria for becoming a part of it, and there is no easy course. All of the Selection and Training courses are difficult and have high failure/dropout rates. 

In this piece, we’ll discuss the Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets due to their distinctive headgear. To separate fact from fiction, there is only one Special Forces: the Army’s. The SEALs, Raiders, Rangers, and Air Force Combat Controllers are Special Operations Forces. 

Who Are the Green Berets And What Do They Do?

The core mission set of Special Forces contains five missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counterterrorism, and special reconnaissance.

The Army Special Forces Groups are separated by area orientation and languages. Depending on which group a Green Beret is assigned to, the languages spoken in that area will be ones trained on by members of the particular group. 

The 1st SFG (A), the First Special Forces Group Airborne, is area-oriented toward the Pacific, and the Green Berets will speak many languages found in the Pacific region.

The 3rd SFG (A) is area-oriented toward all of Sub-Saharan Africa except for the Eastern Horn of Africa.

The 5th SFG (A) is oriented towards the Middle East, Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa (HOA).

The 7th SFG (A) is area-oriented toward the western hemisphere, including the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico, the 13 island nations of the Caribbean, and European and U.S. territories.

A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier, assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), qualifies at a stress shoot range at Ft. Carson, Colorado, Mar. 3, 2016. The stress shoot was designed to test these soldiers for actions seen in combat operations. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Connor Mendez)

The 10th SFG (A) is area-oriented towards Europe, mainly Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Northern Africa.

The 19th SFG (A) (Army National Guard) is area-oriented toward Southwest Asia (shared with the 5th SFG(A)), Europe (shared with the 10th SFG(A)), and Southeast Asia (shared with the 1st SFG(A)).

The 20th SFG (A) (Army National Guard) is oriented towards the same area as the 7th SFG in Latin America. 

The Green Berets came from the WWII civilian agency, the OSS. OSS was the pre-CIA during the war years. Although a civilian intelligence agency, many Army, Navy, and Marines served there with distinction. And Special Forces learned their UW (unconventional warfare) lessons as members of OSS Operational Groups or the Jedburg Teams.

Since their establishment in 1952, Special Forces soldiers have operated in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Colombia, Panama, Haiti, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, 1st Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines, Syria, Yemen, Niger and, in an FID role, East Africa. But there have been countless other countries who have asked for US military assistance. SF units constantly deploy to hot spots globally to protect our allies and US interests.

Green Berets

Green Berets. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Training Pipeline To Become a Green Beret

Like the Navy SEAL Program, the Special Forces training to become a Green Beret is long and takes one to two years, depending on the MOS a candidate is assigned to. 

Candidates must be US citizens between 20 and 36 years old and eligible for a Secret clearance, which is Top Secret for officers. Eventually, everyone will get a TS clearance. All candidates must already be Airborne qualified. 

The training then begins at Camp Mackall, NC, just outside of Ft. Liberty (nee Bragg). 

Special Forces Assessment and Selection SFAS (3 Weeks) is a gut check. The candidates will operate with little sleep or food. They must also think clearly and plan when physically broken down. It tests physical endurance, leadership attributes, and mental fortitude. Rucking and cognitive ability are factors that are looked for by the cadre.

Just because a candidate makes it to the end is then selected, peer evaluations, character, and physical performance are all factored in. I worked at Selection as a cadre member when the course was first incorporated. And it is a bear. Attrition rates vary widely depending on where the majority of the candidates came from. Airborne, Light Infantry, and Ranger Regiment troops do the best.

Special Forces Qualification Course (56 Weeks): This is also known as the SFQC. Here’s where the crux of the training takes place. 

-Intro to Unconventional Warfare (6 weeks)

-Small Unit Tactics and Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (13 weeks)

-MOS Training (16 weeks – 1 Year Plus) SF medics course (18Ds) is longest.

-Robin Sage (4 weeks)

-Language and Culture (25 weeks)

-Graduation and Military Free Fall (5 weeks)

UW is SF’s bread and butter, and it takes a lot to travel to a different culture with another language and teach the host nation fighters to trust you and learn from you. All of that is put to the test during Robin Sage, where candidate teams are inserted into a denied area with enemy troops (82nd Airborne) and must train a guerrilla force. The “G-Force” is comprised of non-combat arms personnel.  

After graduation and the award of the Green Beret and Special Forces Tab, newly minted Green Berets are sent to one of the groups, and to one of the Operational Detachment Alpha (ODAs)

That’s where the real training begins. Special Forces missions frequently have much longer durations than the SEALs or Rangers. Green Berets are deployed constantly all over the globe. And as their saying goes, “You are always being assessed.”

About the Author: 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 1945, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in other military publications.