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In times of crisis the Commander in Chief has the entire United States military at their
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disposal.
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When it comes to dangerous and sensitive missions there are certain elite soldiers who can get
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the job done.
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The elite soldiers we are talking about are the Navy SEALs and Green Berets.
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Each is a special forces branch of the military.
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Let's take a look at the similarities and differences between these two military powerhouses.
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The name Navy SEAL tells us two things.
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The first is that this is the special forces branch of the Navy and that they conduct missions
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on sea, air, and land.
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This is what the acronym SEAL stands for.
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These elite soldiers are used in direct raids, reconnaissance missions, and action against
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terrorist forces.
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The Navy SEALs can trace their heritage back to World War II.
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During the war, elite Naval soldiers were assigned to naval combat demolition units
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and underwater demolition teams.
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The missions they carried out were to disarm mines and recover sunken objects.
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These dangerous missions required the best soldiers the Navy had to offer.
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They were nicknamed “frogmen” after their green suits and amphibious nature.
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These “frogmen” eventually evolved into what is today known as the Navy SEALs.
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Due to Cold War tensions in 1961 President John F. Kennedy called for an increase in
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special forces.
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The following year the U.S. Navy created the first two SEAL teams.
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The soldiers were recruited straight from the underwater demolition units.
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Navy SEALs continue to carry out important and top priority missions to this day.
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Green Berets are the special forces unit of the United States Army.
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Green Berets specialize in counterinsurgency.
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Like the Navy SEALs, the Green Berets can trace their history back to World War II as
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well.
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However, the name Green Beret did not come into use until the 1950's.
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The idea behind creating Green Beret squads was to create small tactical teams that could
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sabotage enemy communications and supply lines.
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The first actual special forces unit in the United States was formed in 1952 under the
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U.S. Army Psychological Warfare Division.
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Two years later the Army Special Forces soldiers incorporated their iconic green berets into
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their uniforms to distinguish themselves from other branches of the military.
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In 1962 the Army Special Forces gained official and exclusive rights to the berets thus immortalizing
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the name Green Berets in history.
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Navy SEALs and Green Berets both have their own requirements for candidacy.
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In order to become a Navy SEAL you must have at least 20/40 vision in your best eye and
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20/70 in your worst eye with no color blindness.
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This means that some people are disqualified just on eyesight alone.
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You must have a minimum Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score of 220 and be 28 years
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old or younger.
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The final requirement is that you need to be a U.S. citizen and eligible for security
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clearance.
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You must meet all these requirements before you will even be considered for the training
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regiment.
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In order to be considered for the Green Berets an applicant must be a U.S. citizen and between
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20 to 32 years of age by the day they are sent to Infantry One Station Unit Training.
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You also must be an active duty member of the Army or National Guard and qualify for
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airborne training.
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To meet strength and endurance requirements for Green Berets an applicant must complete
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a minimum of 49 pushups, 59 sit-ups, run two miles in under 15 minutes and 12 seconds,
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and do six pullups.
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How do the training regiments stack up between the Navy SEALs and Green Berets?
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Training for a Navy SEAL is consistently rated the most difficult training out of any branch
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of the military.
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The training for a Navy SEAL is made up of three core pillars.
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The first is to create Men of Character, which means to train each soldier to uphold the
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Navy's core values.
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The next pillar of training is physical.
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Navy Seals must be physically fit and trained to work in every environment, but most especially
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water.
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The final pillar of training is technical.
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The training to become a Navy SEAL requires soldiers to be intelligent and able to quickly
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learn new tasks.
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There are two months of preparatory training before a soldier can even begin their Navy
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SEAL training.
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This preparatory period includes demanding physical and mental screening tests.
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Once the preliminary training is over SEAL candidates enter a six month Basic Underwater
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Demolition training program.
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This is the part of the training that is cited as being the most difficult training in all
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of the U.S. military.
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The candidates must undergo constant physical and mental tests.
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They are also trained in basic water competency skills, underwater combat, weapons and demolitions
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training, and navigation on dry land.
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Then there is Hell Week and it lives up to its name.
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This part of SEAL training is five days or more of candidates being pushed to their breaking
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point through intense physical and mental exertion around the clock.
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They are only allowed about four hours of sleep the entire period.
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It is at this point about 75% of candidates fail or drop out.
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If a candidate makes it through Hell Week they are then put through weeks of intermediate
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training including small-unit tactics, parachuting, and cold weather operations.
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But nothing is as difficult as Hell Week.
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If a soldier can make it through all of the rigorous training exercises then they are
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awarded the Trident.
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This is the official Navy SEAL symbol.
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Once the soldier receives their Trident they are assigned to a SEAL platoon where they
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have several more months of advanced training for specialty skills.
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It is after this point that soldiers can call themselves a Navy SEAL.
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Green Berets start out with Basic Combat Training.
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Candidates who aspire to be Green Berets must also have completed Advanced Individual Training
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and U.S. Army Airborne School.
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Soldiers then need to report to Fort Bragg to complete a six week course in physical
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fitness and land navigation called the Special Forces Preparation Course.
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Next, the candidates need to go through the Special Forces Assessment and Selection training.
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During this training soldiers' survival skills are tested and their physical and mental
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fitness is pushed to its limits.
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The final phase of the training is the Special Forces Qualification Course.
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This is a 53 week training course in small unit tactics, combat marksmanship, advanced
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special forces tactics, language and cultural training, and unconventional warfare.
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Once these 53 weeks are over the soldier can finally be deployed as a Green Beret.
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Navy SEALs and Green Berets are both elite special forces units.
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The Navy Seal training is more difficult to get through, but the Green Berets training
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is a longer process.
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There are currently around 2,500 Navy SEALs on active duty.
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There are about 7,000 Green Berets on active duty.
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Reports state that the number of Green Berets may be decreasing.
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The strain of repeated deployments and failure to meet recruiting targets are starting to
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take its toll on the Green Berets.
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The amount of soldiers in a squad differs between Navy SEALs and Green Berets as well.
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SEAL squads consist of approximately 16 men, but may be divided into smaller squads and
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fire teams as needed.
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Green Beret squads work in 12 soldier teams, known as an "A-Team."
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Each member of the team has a specific job within the squad.
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The two special forces branches have specific mission types.
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However, Green Berets and Navy SEALs do work together from time to time.
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There have been missions where the two branches are deployed to complete missions together,
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and other times where a squad is a mix of Navy SEALs and Green Berets.
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Normally Navy SEALs are assigned to specific missions based on the skills required.
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In the case of Navy SEALs The skill set of the squad drives the decision of where they
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will be deployed.
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Green Berets are assigned to nine different types of missions.
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These missions are: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency,
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special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counterproliferation
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of weapons of mass destruction, and security force assistance.
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The squad is deployed based on the geographic focus of the Green Beret platoon.
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If the squad has been trained in Middle Eastern cultures they will most likely be deployed
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to that region of the world.
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But in extreme circumstances Green Berets are sent wherever they are needed most.
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When it comes down to it, the training necessary to join each elite force is rigorous and difficult
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to get through.
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You can be sure that the soldiers from both branches of the military will be skilled and
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lethal.
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But what about their weapons?
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How do Navy SEAL weapons stack up against the weapons of the Green Berets?
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For hand guns the Navy SEALs use 9mm SIG Sauer P226, which can have a twenty round clip.
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The other option Navy SEALs have is the MK23 MOD 0 45-caliber offensive handgun, which
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has a standard twelve round clip.
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Both hand guns are equipped with a suppressor and laser-aiming module.
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These modifications allow for stealthiness and better accuracy.
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For rifles Navy SEALs use a plethora of different guns.
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The most common is the M4A1, which has a 550 yard range and a 30 round magazine.
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SEALs have also been known to use the AK-47 along with submachine guns, shot guns, and
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sniper rifles to supplement the fire power in their squad.
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The standard issue handgun for Green Berets is the Glock 19.
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This pistol was selected for its low-visibility, which allows it to be concealed easily.
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This is important as the Green Beret uniform might change to meet mission requirements.
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The Glock 19 magazine capacity can vary from 6 to 33 rounds and can fire over 100 rounds
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a minute.
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The two most used rifles for Green Berets are the MK 17 SCAR and the M-4 Carbine.
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The SCAR is designed for mid-range engagements and has a standard 20 round magazine.
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The M-4 is used by soldiers who prefer the customizability of the gun and its light weight.
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Green Berets will choose the right gun for the specific mission they are assigned.
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Another difference between the Navy SEALs and Green Berets are the crafts they use from
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mission to mission.
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Navy SEALs have a wide variety of vehicles at their disposal for deployment.
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They use aquatic crafts such as the SEAL Delivery Vehicle and The Combat Rubber Raiding Craft,
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a 15-foot heavily reinforced, inflatable rubber boat.
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The Navy SEALs also have several other ships and larger craft for deployment and extraction.
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On the other hand Green Berets tend to only use one vehicle, The Ground Mobility Vehicle.
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It is a lightweight, all-terrain truck that can be used in a variety of environments and
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missions.
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It would seem that the Ground Mobility Vehicle is versatile enough to complete almost any
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Green Beret assignment.
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The fact that Navy SEALs must work in the water and air, as well as on land, means they
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need a more diverse array of delivery vehicles.
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Deployment time varies within each special forces branch SEALs typically operate on 18-month
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cycles and are deployed for 6 months at a time.
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However, some units with special assignments or skills have their own schedules.
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They may be deployed more frequently, but for shorter amounts of time.
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Green Berets deployment length can vary, but deployment time is normally between 90 days
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to 15 months.
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All in all Navy SEALs and Green Berets are well trained elite soldiers.
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They can get deployed anywhere around the world, for a variety of missions.
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Both Navy SEALs and Green Berets have to go through hell and prove they have what it takes
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through months of training.
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These soldiers are the best of the best, and are given the equipment they need to complete
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any mission.
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Sometimes SEALs and Green Berets work together.
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I'd hate to be the mission target for that squad.
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Now go watch American Soldier (USA) vs British Soldier - Military Comparison.
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Or if you want to learn more about another branch of the U.S. military watch Typical
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Loadout of a US Marine.