A Look at the Three Phases of Navy SEAL Training

A Hawaii-based lieutenant in the United States Navy, Adam Schwarze created the blueprints that eventually became the SDV Portable Underwater Recovery System and developed a new type of Wet Combat Submersible (WCM). Commissioned into the Navy as a Naval Special Warfare Officer in 2012, Adam Schwarze has served as the acting DELTA Platoon Officer in Command.

The maritime component of the U.S. Special Forces, the Navy SEALS are widely regarded as the most elite and physically demanding branch of the United States military. To prepare to conduct operations from the sea, air, and land, Navy SEALS must undergo Basic Underwater Demolition (BUD) training. After a three-week orientation course involving intense physical training, candidates complete seven weeks of basic conditioning concentrating on fitness, water competency, and mental endurance.

The second seven-week phase enables candidates to learn combat diving skills, as well as open and closed-circuit diving skills, enabling them to develop an increased comfort level in stressful underwater situations. Then, they receive seven weeks of land warfare training that explores weapons, demolition, and land navigation. After the third phase, candidates can graduate from the BUD/S program as Special Warfare Operators.