Operational Training

Tired yet? Well the fun is just beginning. It takes about five years to train a SEAL up to a high level of competence in all skill and mission areas. BUD/S is BASIC individual training. Now the prospective SEAL must check into his SEAL Team, assume the "new guy" role and start to learn how to operate as an elite commando unit. This mandatory four-month course is the first step.

SEAL Qualification Training primarily focuses on the basics, but takes the individual's skill levels to a higher plateau. Also, students start to learn how to operate as a team. The course is a little over four months in length and starts with classroom training in mission planning and intelligence gathering and reporting. Students then begin a series of "blocks" of training covering the major skills required to conduct SEAL missions. These include Hydrographic Reconnaissance, Communications, Field Medicine, Air Skills, Combat Swimmer, Land Warfare, Maritime Operations (long range ocean navigation) and Submarine Lock-in/Lock-out.

During Air week the class can expect to conduct day and night static line jumps, a water jump accompanied by a "rubber duck" - a zodiac boat with motor and gear sent out of the back of a C-130 under canopy, followed by six frogmen to chase it to the water. Fastrope techniques, whereby a SEAL slides down a nylon rope for 80 feet using only gloved hands to brake, and rappelling are taught. Finally, the "Special Insertion/Extraction" (SPIE) rig is introduced - allowing six to eight SEALs to be removed from an area too rugged or dense to land a helicopter.

During combat swimmer training the class will conduct over 25 day and night compass dives, starting again from the basics and progressing to full mission profile combat swimmer submerged ship attacks against Naval Vessels.