The Green Berets are America's elite soldiers -- the U.S. Army Special Forces. To be considered for selection, you need to have a good degree of physical fitness. If you are accepted, you will need to reach exceptional levels of fitness while also receiving specialist training to enable you to face the most demanding theaters of combat.
Special Forces
As part of the Army's elite Special Forces, experts in "unconvential warfare," you are expected to have a level of fitness and training superior to other members of the military. This is mainly achieved by more advanced, specialized training, but you will also perform more intense workouts, both as part of the selection process and as part of your training. According to the Army website, the four components of fitness are cardiovascular fitness, strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition.
Fitness Requirements
Before you begin the Special Forces Qualification Course that will earn you your Green Beret, you need to complete a Preparation Course as well as the Special Forces Assessment and Selection course. Strength and conditioning specialist and former Navy SEAL Stew Smith recommends being able to run two miles in around 12 minutes before completing 100 sit-ups in two minutes and 100 push-ups in two minutes as a minimum performance in the Army Physical Fitness Test.
Advanced Fitness
In the Assessment and Qualification phases your physical fitness will be constantly tested to breaking point through runs, obstacle courses, fitness sessions and general training. While the training will improve your fitness, Smith recommends building up to the level of stamina required by swimming two to three times a week for 1,000 to 2,000 meters, occasionally swimming 100 meters in combat gear. You should do a three to five mile run as fast as you can four or five times a week, as well as marching five to 15 miles with a weighted backpack twice a week. You should also perform calisthenics every other day, aiming for 100 pull-ups, 300 push-ups and 300 sit-ups split into roughly 10 sets.
Other Training
The Green Berets are unique because of their specialist training. This includes weapons and combat training as well as strategies specifically for small units operating alone in enemy territory, such as survival, escape and evasion, reconnaissance and other military skills. You will also be trained in specialist skills according to your background and aptitude, while other skills will also be acquired. One example is language training. You will need to be proficient in at least one foreign language, such as Arabic, Spanish, Chinese or Russian.
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