disposal.

When it comes to dangerous and sensitive missions there are certain elite soldiers who can get

the job done.

The elite soldiers we are talking about are the Navy SEALs and Green Berets.

Each is a special forces branch of the military.

Let's take a look at the similarities and differences between these two military powerhouses.

The name Navy SEAL tells us two things.

The first is that this is the special forces branch of the Navy and that they conduct missions

on sea, air, and land.

This is what the acronym SEAL stands for.

These elite soldiers are used in direct raids, reconnaissance missions, and action against

terrorist forces.

The Navy SEALs can trace their heritage back to World War II.

During the war, elite Naval soldiers were assigned to naval combat demolition units

and underwater demolition teams.

The missions they carried out were to disarm mines and recover sunken objects.

These dangerous missions required the best soldiers the Navy had to offer.

They were nicknamed “frogmen” after their green suits and amphibious nature.

These “frogmen” eventually evolved into what is today known as the Navy SEALs.

Due to Cold War tensions in 1961 President John F. Kennedy called for an increase in

special forces.

The following year the U.S. Navy created the first two SEAL teams.

The soldiers were recruited straight from the underwater demolition units.

Navy SEALs continue to carry out important and top priority missions to this day.

Green Berets are the special forces unit of the United States Army.

Green Berets specialize in counterinsurgency.

Like the Navy SEALs, the Green Berets can trace their history back to World War II as

well.

However, the name Green Beret did not come into use until the 1950's.

The idea behind creating Green Beret squads was to create small tactical teams that could

sabotage enemy communications and supply lines.

The first actual special forces unit in the United States was formed in 1952 under the

U.S. Army Psychological Warfare Division.

Two years later the Army Special Forces soldiers incorporated their iconic green berets into

their uniforms to distinguish themselves from other branches of the military.

In 1962 the Army Special Forces gained official and exclusive rights to the berets thus immortalizing

the name Green Berets in history.

Navy SEALs and Green Berets both have their own requirements for candidacy.

In order to become a Navy SEAL you must have at least 20/40 vision in your best eye and

20/70 in your worst eye with no color blindness.

This means that some people are disqualified just on eyesight alone.

You must have a minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score of 220 and be 28 years

old or younger.

The final requirement is that you need to be a U.S. citizen and eligible for security

clearance.

You must meet all these requirements before you will even be considered for the training

regiment.

In order to be considered for the Green Berets an applicant must be a U.S. citizen and between

20 to 32 years of age by the day they are sent to Infantry One Station Unit Training.

You also must be an active duty member of the Army or National Guard and qualify for

airborne training.

To meet strength and endurance requirements for Green Berets an applicant must complete

a minimum of 49 pushups, 59 sit-ups, run two miles in under 15 minutes and 12 seconds,

and do six pullups.

How do the training regiments stack up between the Navy SEALs and Green Berets?

Training for a Navy SEAL is consistently rated the most difficult training out of any branch

of the military.

The training for a Navy SEAL is made up of three core pillars.

The first is to create Men of Character, which means to train each soldier to uphold the

Navy's core values.

The next pillar of training is physical.

Navy Seals must be physically fit and trained to work in every environment, but most especially

water.

The final pillar of training is technical.

The training to become a Navy SEAL requires soldiers to be intelligent and able to quickly

learn new tasks.

There are two months of preparatory training before a soldier can even begin their Navy

SEAL training.

This preparatory period includes demanding physical and mental screening tests.

Once the preliminary training is over SEAL candidates enter a six month Basic Underwater

Demolition training program.

This is the part of the training that is cited as being the most difficult training in all

of the U.S. military.

The candidates must undergo constant physical and mental tests.

They are also trained in basic water competency skills, underwater combat, weapons and demolitions

training, and navigation on dry land.

Then there is Hell Week and it lives up to its name.

This part of SEAL training is five days or more of candidates being pushed to their breaking

point through intense physical and mental exertion around the clock.

They are only allowed about four hours of sleep the entire period.

It is at this point about 75% of candidates fail or drop out.

If a candidate makes it through Hell Week they are then put through weeks of intermediate

training including small-unit tactics, parachuting, and cold weather operations.

But nothing is as difficult as Hell Week.

If a soldier can make it through all of the rigorous training exercises then they are

awarded the Trident.

This is the official Navy SEAL symbol.

Once the soldier receives their Trident they are assigned to a SEAL platoon where they

have several more months of advanced training for specialty skills.

It is after this point that soldiers can call themselves a Navy SEAL.

Green Berets start out with Basic Combat Training.

Candidates who aspire to be Green Berets must also have completed Advanced Individual Training

and U.S. Army Airborne School.

Soldiers then need to report to Fort Bragg to complete a six week course in physical

fitness and land navigation called the Special Forces Preparation Course.

Next, the candidates need to go through the Special Forces Assessment and Selection training.

During this training soldiers' survival skills are tested and their physical and mental

fitness is pushed to its limits.

The final phase of the training is the Special Forces Qualification Course.

This is a 53 week training course in small unit tactics, combat marksmanship, advanced

special forces tactics, language and cultural training, and unconventional warfare.

Once these 53 weeks are over the soldier can finally be deployed as a Green Beret.

Navy SEALs and Green Berets are both elite special forces units.

The Navy Seal training is more difficult to get through, but the Green Berets training

is a longer process.

There are currently around 2,500 Navy SEALs on active duty.

There are about 7,000 Green Berets on active duty.

Reports state that the number of Green Berets may be decreasing.

The strain of repeated deployments and failure to meet recruiting targets are starting to

take its toll on the Green Berets.

The amount of soldiers in a squad differs between Navy SEALs and Green Berets as well.

SEAL squads consist of approximately 16 men, but may be divided into smaller squads and

fire teams as needed.

Green Beret squads work in 12 soldier teams, known as an "A-Team."

Each member of the team has a specific job within the squad.

The two special forces branches have specific mission types.

However, Green Berets and Navy SEALs do work together from time to time.

There have been missions where the two branches are deployed to complete missions together,

and other times where a squad is a mix of Navy SEALs and Green Berets.

Normally Navy SEALs are assigned to specific missions based on the skills required.

In the case of Navy SEALs The skill set of the squad drives the decision of where they

will be deployed.

Green Berets are assigned to nine different types of missions.

These missions are: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency,

special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counterproliferation

of weapons of mass destruction, and security force assistance.

The squad is deployed based on the geographic focus of the Green Beret platoon.

If the squad has been trained in Middle Eastern cultures they will most likely be deployed

to that region of the world.

But in extreme circumstances Green Berets are sent wherever they are needed most.

When it comes down to it, the training necessary to join each elite force is rigorous and difficult

to get through.

You can be sure that the soldiers from both branches of the military will be skilled and

lethal.

But what about their weapons?

How do Navy SEAL weapons stack up against the weapons of the Green Berets?

For hand guns the Navy SEALs use 9mm SIG Sauer P226, which can have a twenty round clip.

The other option Navy SEALs have is the MK23 MOD 0 45-caliber offensive handgun, which

has a standard twelve round clip.

Both hand guns are equipped with a suppressor and laser-aiming module.

These modifications allow for stealthiness and better accuracy.

For rifles Navy SEALs use a plethora of different guns.

The most common is the M4A1, which has a 550 yard range and a 30 round magazine.

SEALs have also been known to use the AK-47 along with submachine guns, shot guns, and

sniper rifles to supplement the fire power in their squad.

The standard issue handgun for Green Berets is the Glock 19.

This pistol was selected for its low-visibility, which allows it to be concealed easily.

This is important as the Green Beret uniform might change to meet mission requirements.

The Glock 19 magazine capacity can vary from 6 to 33 rounds and can fire over 100 rounds

a minute.

The two most used rifles for Green Berets are the MK 17 SCAR and the M-4 Carbine.

The SCAR is designed for mid-range engagements and has a standard 20 round magazine.

The M-4 is used by soldiers who prefer the customizability of the gun and its light weight.

Green Berets will choose the right gun for the specific mission they are assigned.

Another difference between the Navy SEALs and Green Berets are the crafts they use from

mission to mission.

Navy SEALs have a wide variety of vehicles at their disposal for deployment.

They use aquatic crafts such as the SEAL Delivery Vehicle and The Combat Rubber Raiding Craft,

a 15-foot heavily reinforced, inflatable rubber boat.

The Navy SEALs also have several other ships and larger craft for deployment and extraction.

On the other hand Green Berets tend to only use one vehicle, The Ground Mobility Vehicle.

It is a lightweight, all-terrain truck that can be used in a variety of environments and

missions.

It would seem that the Ground Mobility Vehicle is versatile enough to complete almost any

Green Beret assignment.

The fact that Navy SEALs must work in the water and air, as well as on land, means they

need a more diverse array of delivery vehicles.

Deployment time varies within each special forces branch SEALs typically operate on 18-month

cycles and are deployed for 6 months at a time.

However, some units with special assignments or skills have their own schedules.

They may be deployed more frequently, but for shorter amounts of time.

Green Berets deployment length can vary, but deployment time is normally between 90 days

to 15 months.

All in all Navy SEALs and Green Berets are well trained elite soldiers.

They can get deployed anywhere around the world, for a variety of missions.

Both Navy SEALs and Green Berets have to go through hell and prove they have what it takes

through months of training.

These soldiers are the best of the best, and are given the equipment they need to complete

any mission.

Sometimes SEALs and Green Berets work together.

I'd hate to be the mission target for that squad.

Now go watch American Soldier (USA) vs British Soldier - Military Comparison.

Or if you want to learn more about another branch of the U.S. military watch Typical

Loadout of a US Marine.