Two Weeks in Hell

Discovery Channel's documentary entitled "Two Weeks in Hell", which is an overview of the Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) course at Camp McCall, North Carolina.

The US Special Forces soldier trains on a regular basis over the course of their entire career. The initial formal training program for entry into Special Forces is divided into four phases collectively known as the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) or, informally, the "Q Course". The length of the Q Course changes depending on the applicant's primary job field within Special Forces and their assigned foreign language capability but will usually last between 56 to 95 weeks. Entry into the United States Army Special Forces begins with Phase I of the Q Course known as Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS).[1] Getting "Selected" at SFAS will enable a candidate to continue on to the next four phases of the Special Forces Qualification Course. If a candidate successfully completes these next four phases he will graduate as a Special Forces soldier and will generally be assigned to a 12-man Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA), commonly known as an "A team."

Special Forces Assessment and Selection (Phase I)

The basic eligibility requirements to be considered for entry into Special Forces training are:

Be a male, age 20-30.

Be a U.S. citizen. (Excepting 48 annual slots for foreign military students)

Be a high school graduate.

Score a General Technical score of 110 or higher and a combat operation score of 98 on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.

Qualify for a secret security clearance.

Qualify and volunteer for Airborne training.

Take Defense Language Aptitude Battery or Defense Language Proficiency Tests.

Score at least 70 points on each event and overall minimum score of 229 on the Army Physical Fitness Test.

Two Ways To Become A Special Forces Operative

There are now two ways for individuals to volunteer to attend SFAS:

As an existing soldier in the US Army or Army National Guard with the Enlisted rank of E-4 (Corporal/Specialist) or higher, and for Officers the rank of O-2 (1st Lieutenant) promotable to O-3 (Captain), or existing O-3s.

The other path is that of direct entry for civilians with no military experience. Here an individual who has no prior military service or who has previously separated from military service is given the opportunity to attend SFAS. Contact Staff Sergeant Brito at (562)900-0575 to enter through the National Guard program.

Training at SFAS

Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) is the first phase of the Special Forces Qualification Course, it is 24 days of training held at Camp Mackall. It is a mentally and physically demanding course designed to see if the soldier has the twelve "Whole Man" attributes to continue in Special Forces training and to serve on an ODA: intelligence, physical fitness, motivation, trustworthiness, accountability, maturity, stability, judgment, decisiveness, teamwork, influence, and communications. Approximately sixty percent of all candidates attempting SFAS are unsuccessful.

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