Size matters.
SEAL Team 6, officially known as United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), and Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), are the most highly trained elite forces in the U.S. military.
While SEAL Team Six and Delta Force are well-known among the public, the most secretive unit belongs to the CIA.
Secrecy. The Department of Defense tightly controls information about Delta Force and usually refuses to comment publicly on the highly secretive unit and its activities, unless the unit is part of a major operation or a unit member has been killed.
SEAL Team 6, officially known as United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU), and Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), are the most highly trained elite forces in the US military.
La Escuela Militar de Lanceros. The Colombian Lancero course is one of the toughest foreign special-operations courses US commandos get to attend. Army Green Berets usually attend, but Navy SEALs and Army Rangers will occasionally go too.
US Army Salary FAQs
The average salary for a Space Shuttle Door Gunner Delta Force is $33,927 per year in United States, which is 32% lower than the average US Army salary of $49,986 per year for this job.
SFOD-Delta has been through a few name changes over the years, and even though it likely always will be known as SFOD-Delta, it recently was renamed the Combat Applications Group (CAG) and is now known officially as Army Compartmented Elements (ACE).
SOG is considered the most secretive special operations force within the United States, with fewer than 100 operators. The group generally recruits personnel from special mission units within the U.S. Special Operations community.
Red Teams or Red Cells are United States government terms for the National Security Co-ordination Team (NSCT). These teams or units are designed to test the effectiveness of American tactics or personnel.
Task Force 88 is an American special operations unit formed since 11 September 2001, of which little is publicly known. It is described as a "hunter-killer team" with its core made up of Delta Force, 75th Ranger Regiment Rangers, members of the USAF 24th Special Tactics Squadron, and Navy DEVGRU operators.
Army Green Berets — "Special Forces"
Notably, Green Berets have some of the toughest initial training in the entire military (at the risk of drawing the ire of SEALs and Marine Recon). Their initial test lasts an incredible 24 days, and that's just to see if you can attend the Green Beret qualification course.
To recap: The hardest military branch to get into in terms of education requirements is the Air Force. The military branch with the toughest basic training is the Marine Corps. The hardest military branch for non-males because of exclusivity and male dominance is the Marine Corps.
1. The US Navy SEALs is arguably the top special operations force. Created in 1962, the Sea-Air-Land operators go through years of training and, especially after 9/11, endure an incredible operation tempo. Many foreign militaries base their special ops on the SEALs.
To join Delta Force you must also be a citizen in the United States and be enlisted in the U.S. Army. How long is the training for Delta Force? 7 to 8 months to be exact, including selection and the operator qualification courses.
The final test of selection, also known as “The Long Walk,” involves a 40 mile march with a 45 pound ruck. The time limit to complete this “walk” is kept secret.
One answer to why the special forces have beards is that they need to blend in. The military allows the special forces “relaxed grooming standards” not because of folliculaphilia but because of the jobs they do. For instance, showing up to the Middle East without a beard can put a soldier at a disadvantage.
The United States
With a budget of $738 billion and 1,388,000 men and women in the armed forces, it boasts an awe-inspiring 6,125 nuclear weapons, 11 aircraft carriers, 68 nuclear submarines, 3,761 military aircraft, 867 attack helicopters, 6,209 tanks and 113 warships.
Largely considered the toughest basic training program of the United States Armed Forces, Marine training is 12 weeks of physical, mental, and moral transformation. Special attention is given to close combat skills and master marksmanship training (every Marine is a rifleman, after all).
Return of the Raiders
Now, an elite branch of the U.S. Marine Corps will officially be known as Raiders. The Marines will rename several special operations units as Marine Raiders at a ceremony Friday, resurrecting a moniker made famous by World War II units that carried out risky amphibious and guerrilla operations.
Though Delta Force generally chooses its candidates from within the Army—most Delta operators come from the 75th Ranger Regiment or the Special Forces—the group also selects individuals from other branches of the military, including the Coast Guard, National Guard and even Navy SEALs.
Task Force Black is a true account of the anti-insurgent mission conducted by various special ops groups in Iraq, especially the US Delta Team and the UK's SAS under the polymath commander Stanley McCrystal.