Navy seals age requirements – Marine seals (Navy, Air, and Land) are elite members of the U.S. Navy. Becoming a Marine requires rigorous testing and training. The criteria for qualifying a Navy to become a successful member of the Seals require an excellent level of physical and mental fortitude that only a select few possess.
In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about becoming a marine SEAL, including common job requirements, average salary, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Throughout the United States Armed Forces, the maximum Navy seals age requirements for enlistment for someone who has not previously served in the Army depends on the branch. For the Army, the maximum age is 35. For the Navy, age waivers start at 34 years old.
For the Air Force, the maximum age allowed to join is 39. The Marines have the minimum age for regular military service of 28.
Special Operations branches also have different maximum ages due to the physical challenges candidates face compared to regular military service.
These maximum Navy seals age requirements can be waived if a recruiter has the education, skills, and experience that the military needs to fill its ranks.
The same is true of special operations communities, where waivers are available, but only on a case-by-case basis, and are usually approved or rejected by the officer in charge of the selection program or the community/detail manager.
ALSO READ: Navy Drug Testing
The maximum age for prior conscription into service under federal law was 35. In 2006, the Army asked Congress to raise the age limit to 44. Congress did not approve this change, but it raised the maximum age for conscription from 35 to 42. Regardless of federal law, the military is allowed to impose stricter standards, and many of them have it.
Navy SEALS is set to high standards, such as age limits because they are tasked with challenging tasks that require physical strength, quick reflexes, and flawless execution. They may be called in to rescue hostages, capture terrorists, engage in covert warfare and conduct underwater reconnaissance operations, as described on the Navy SEALS website.
The US Navy is said to be among the best trained in the world. A rigorous training program dropout rate can be as high as 90 percent, according to Navyhandbook.org. Therefore, age is one of the many factors that the Navy takes into account when assessing a candidate’s suitability for duty.
1. Obtain a diploma
If you want to become a Marine, you will first need to obtain a diploma. Traditionally, recruitment requires that candidates hold a high school diploma. However, the military has recently started accepting a GED in place of a high school diploma. If you have a GED, you may be required to complete at least one semester of college-level courses to join the military.
2. Consider a college degree
Once you have a high school diploma, you can enroll in the military from the age of 17 with permission from a parent or guardian. But you can also choose to wait for a college degree before joining the military. Many marine seals are college graduates with advanced degrees. You can also consider the option to apply to college with a military scholarship by enrolling at ROTC College or the United States Naval Academy. A college degree can help you enter the military with the rank of officer, increasing your annual base salary.
3. Talk to the marine recruiter
To enlist in the army, you will need to meet the recruiter who will review your eligibility and help you determine if you meet the requirements of the army. When you meet a recruiter, it is important that you tell him that you want to hold a SEAL Challenge before registering because this will earn you a higher login bonus than you would if you recruited first and then decided to become a SEAL. Once a Navy recruiter determines that you have met the minimum eligibility requirements for the SEAL Challenge Contract, they will connect you with a Naval Special Warfare / Special Operations mentor who will help you practice for the Physical Examination (PST) exam.
4. Get your marine contract
When you enlist in the Navy, you will have to enroll in the Deferred Entry Program (DEP) rather than registering as a Special Agent (SO). Because SEALs have strict requirements, you will have to pass a Physical Examination Test (PST) to determine your eligibility for the SEAL Challenge Program. Under the Deferred Entry Program (DEP), you will choose another Marine job designation upon enrollment and this designation is replaced upon passing the PST.
5. Score well on ASVAB
Every person interested in enlisting in the military must take the Armed Forces Occupational Abilities Battery Test (ASVAB). The ASVAB consists of several subtests covering the topics of word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, mathematics knowledge, computational thinking, general science, automotive and store information, mechanical understanding, electronics information, and numerical operations. This test helps determine the type of jobs you are eligible for in the military. Your ASVAB score must be high enough to qualify for the SEAL Program.
6. Scores well in C-SORT
Candidates interested in becoming a Marine will need to score well on the Computerized Special Operations Flexibility Test (C-SORT). This test is designed to examine an individual’s maturity and mental resilience by assessing the candidate’s capabilities in performance strategies, psychological resilience, and personality traits to ensure the candidate meets the minimum requirements he will need to succeed in the SEAL training program.
ALSO READ: USMC combat engineering
7. Passing PST
The minimum standards that you need to meet to pass the Marine Seal Physical Examination (PST) test are strict and require a great deal of fitness and preparation. Your PST will consist of completing a 500-yard swim using either a chest swim or side stroke in 12.5 minutes or less followed by a 10-minute rest period, at least 50-75 push-up exercises in less than two minutes followed by a two-minute rest period, a minimum of 50-75 curls in less than 2 minutes followed by a 2-minute rest period, and no fewer than 10 hanging pull-ups followed by a 10-minute rest period and a mile and a half in 10.5 minutes or less. Simply put, meeting the minimum requirements to pass a PST gives you a 6% chance to successfully complete the Navy Seal’s BUDS Training Program. The better your time and results in PST, the more competitive the candidate will be in the SEAL program.
8. Receive your SEAL contract
Once the minimum requirements are met in ASVAB, C-SORT and PST, you will receive your bid for a SEAL contract. When you receive your SEAL contract, it will replace your original marine contract. The new SEAL decade will also have a new boot camp history that will replace the boot camp history from your Navy contract.
9. Maintain your training regimen
You will need to maintain a rigorous training regimen between the time you receive your SEAL contract and the scheduled time to go to boot camp as you will need to pass an additional PST 14 days before boot camp to maintain your SEAL contract. Seals are dedicated to maintaining the physical and mental fitness of the elite as part of their lifestyle, so showing your dedication to keeping fit in preparation for your second PST time is crucial.
10. Attending a SEAL prep school training
The SEAL Middle School Training Program is an 8-week intensive training camp designed to prepare candidates for their initial SEAL internship program at BUD / S. This training takes place at Great Lakes, IL and you will need to pass two other physical exams that are more challenging than the initial exam to move on to Initial SEAL Training Program.
11. Complete the BUD / S training
The Navy SEAL Training Program is designed to prepare and test your ability to handle the intense physical and mental challenges of SEAL assignments. SEAL training begins at Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL School, also known as BUD / S. This is a 24-week training program designed to drive, develop and test your physical and mental strength and flexibility. BUD / S consists of three phases: The first phase is basic conditioning that focuses on physical and mental ability, the second phase focuses on underwater skills such as diving and combat swimming and the third phase focuses on weapons, demolition, navigation skills, basic and small unit tactics.
12. Go to the paragliding school and SQT
After completing the BUD / S, you will transfer to Parachute Jump School in San Diego, California where you will conduct static hard-line and free jump training in Tactical Air Operations. This training begins with basic steady streak jumps and gradually increases in difficulty until completing accelerated free fall with combat gear from at least 9,500 feet in the air.
After the paragliding school, you will transfer to the SEAL Qualification Training (SQT). SQT is a 26-week program designed to hone your physical and mental prowess through the School of Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) and Tactical Air Operations. During this time, you will learn tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) through training that focuses on advanced combat swimming, naval operations, cold weather survival, close-up combat, and ground warfare.
13. Get your marine trident
Upon graduating from SQT, you are officially considered a marine seal and will be awarded a nautical pike for your hard work.
