How The Military Decides Who’s Built For Its Toughest Units
By Marty Skovlund Jr.
on January 17, 2017
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As part of an ongoing series, Marty Skovlund Jr. explains why special operations forces have an additional selection process.
Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of a Task & Purpose exclusive that delivers a behind-the-scenes look at how elite military units assess and select their members. This first article focuses on why special operations forces need to run selections.
The assessment and selection of special operators is arguably the most mythical training available in the United States military. Rumors fly around the barracks about how hard it is or what percentage will actually graduate. There is always that guy whose uncle was a DeltaNinjaSeal in Desert Storm who told him that, “the final test is a two-way live fire where the only standard is … survival!” And of course, there is never a shortage of people who believe that.
Ridiculous tall tales aside, anyone who attempts these harrowing courses will gain the respect of his or her peers. Those who actually make it become member to special units who are revered in both books and movies, known for seemingly super-human deeds in pursuit of our nation’s most dangerous missions. But for the majority of service members, simply being trained in their job specialty is all that is required of them to be assigned to a normal unit. So why do these elite units have an additional selection process?
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