TRAINING OVERVIEW

 

 What is SFAS?   

    The career management field (CMF) 18 includes positions concerned with the employment of highly specialized elements to accomplish specifically directed missions in times of peace and war. Many of these missions are conducted at times when employment of conventional military forces is not feasible or is not considered in the best interest of the United States. Training for and participation in these missions are arduous, somewhat hazardous, and are often sensitive in nature. For these reasons it is a prerequisite that every prospective “Green Beret” successfully completes the 21-day SFAS course and be selected for Special Forces Training. 

    The SFAS Course assesses and selects soldiers for attendance at the SFQC. This course uses a “Whole Man” selection process that assesses each candidate for six attributes that are important for all Special Forces Soldiers.  These attributes are intelligence, trainability, physical fitness, motivation, influence, and judgment.   

    All candidates participate in a variety of activities designed to place them under various forms of physical and mental stress.  It assesses potential and qualities through behavioral observation, analysis via performance measure, and recording data. All tasks are performed in a neutral environment with limited information and no performance feedback.

Click here to download the USAREC SF information pamphlet in Adobe Acrobat format.  This pamphlet provides information to officers and enlisted Soldiers on how to volunteer for Special Forces Assessment, training, and assignment.

 

What is the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC)?

    The SFQC teaches and develops the skills necessary for effective utilization of the SF Soldier. Duties in CMF 18 primarily involve participation in Special Operations interrelated fields of unconventional warfare. These include foreign internal defense and direct action missions as part of a small operations team or detachment. Duties at other levels involve command, control, and support functions. Frequently, duties require regional orientation, to include foreign language training and in-country experience. The SF places emphasis not only on unconventional tactics, but also knowledge of nations in waterborne, desert, jungle, mountain, or arctic operations.   

    After successful completion of SFAS, officers who have not already attended their Advanced Course will attend either the Infantry or Armor Career Captain's Course.  Enlisted Soldiers will return to their home station and await receipt of PCS orders to Fort Bragg, NC.   Including SFAS, the SFQC is comprised of six phases that are described below. To download a Power Point slide of the current SFQC pipeline CLICK HERE.

Phase I : 2 Weeks COURSE ORIENTATION AND HISTORY	Course Orientation Intro to Branch/MOS SF History SF Core Missions ACEP, ATL Methods of Instruction Negotiation and Mediation Medical Wellness Screening
Phase II: 18 - 24 Weeks LANGUAGE AND CULTURE	CAT I & II - 18 Weeks (Spanish,French,Indonesian) CAT III & IV - 24 Weeks (Arabic, Chinese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Russian, Persian, Farsi, Korean and Thai) Use of Interpreters Must pass Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) before beginning Phase III Progressive PT Program
Phase III: 12 Weeks SF INDIVIDUAL TRAINING	Small Unit Tactics - 4 weeks Tactics/Marksmanship - 2 weeks Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) - 3 weeks SF Common Skills Training - 2 weeks Land Navigation -1 week
Phase IV: 14 - 46 Weeks MOS TRAINING	MOS -14 weeks ( 18A, 18B, 18C, 18E) MOS - 46 weeks ( 18D ) Two additional weeks specialized, MOS - specific, language training
Phase V: 4 Weeks UW CULEX (ROBIN SAGE)	World's foremost Unconventional Warfare Cumulative Exercise
Phase VI: 1 Week GRADUATION	Graduate Out Process PCS to Group assignment