The officers corps of Army Special Forces is 87% white, and also 2% Black. The enlisted ranks are only slightly more diverse. About 84% of the
Kennedy formed the first two SEAL teams in 1962 - Team One on the West Coast and Team Two on the East Coast, Goines was one of 40 chosen to join Team Two and the only African-American Navy SEAL.
There are more SEALs — 99, or 4% of the enlisted force — who are Native Americans or Alaska natives. Among Army Green Berets, 85% of its 1,494 officers are white and 4.5% are black. Its 5,947 enlisted Green Berets are 86% white and 5.4% black.
lack of role models in SOF, both of which tend to be interrelated. For example, the lack of role models and few minorities wanting to join may lead to a self-perpetuating cycle in which minorities are dissuaded from joining because of lack of others with whom to identify.
As of March 2021, a full 95% of all SEAL and combatant-craft crew (SWCC) officers were white and just 2% were Black, according to Naval Special Warfare statistics provided to the AP. The officers corps of Army Special Forces is 87% white, and also 2% Black.
Special Forces Officer Statistics By Race
The most common ethnicity among special forces officers is White, which makes up 74.0% of all special forces officers. Comparatively, there are 12.8% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and 5.5% of the Unknown ethnicity.
Army Ranger Statistics By Race
The most common ethnicity among army rangers is White, which makes up 56.1% of all army rangers. Comparatively, there are 19.6% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and 13.6% of the Black or African American ethnicity.
Of the 41 most senior commanders in the military — those with four-star rank in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard — only two are black: Gen. Michael X. Garrett, who leads the Army's Forces Command, and Gen. Charles Q.
In May 2020, there were 19 Black one-star generals in the Army, 15 two-stars, eight three-stars and one four-star, according to Defense Department data.
For the first time, a female sailor has successfully completed the grueling 37-week training course to become a Naval Special Warfare combatant-craft crewman — the boat operators who transport Navy SEALs and conduct their own classified missions at sea.
Relaxed grooming standards for special forces
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.
The numbers are so unfavorable because of the rigorous training that aspiring SEALs and SWCC candidates go through. The training comes in both mental and physical stages that begin with two months of intense physical training. After that, they must pass a physical screening at the first stage or face being eliminated.
So yes, there is an equivalent of a six-star general rank on the books in the US Military, but it has only been given to two people in history: John J. Pershing and George Washington, Generals of the Armies of the United States of America.
No person have ever been awarded or promoted to a seven-star rank, although some commentators might argue that General George Washington posthumously became a seven-star general in 1976 (see Part Seven).
US Marine Statistics By Race
The most common ethnicity among us marines is White, which makes up 75.0% of all us marines. Comparatively, there are 9.8% of the Black or African American ethnicity and 6.3% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.
In 2020, the Black or African American alone population (41.1 million) accounted for 12.4% of all people living in the United States, compared with 38.9 million and 12.6% in 2010.
African Americans comprise about 13 percent of the U.S. population, but roughly 8.1 percent of Naval officers are Black, according to a 2019 report by the Congressional Research Service.
The average age for an enlisted member is 29 and for officers, 34.
The average Navy SEAL is about 30 years old, with a bachelors and possibly a masters degree. He is most likely white and may have a wife and children.
“In the 2019 budget year, more than 3,000 soldiers showed up for the assessment phase, with 936 passing and going on to the qualification course. Of those, about 70 percent graduated and donned the Green Beret.” (Baldor, 2019).
10 U.S. Code § 1251: Mandatory retirement age is age 62 for all officers other than general or flag officers.
20-36 years old. Pass the Army fitness test and clear height and weight standards. Minimum rank of E-3, and within the rank of private first class, specialist, sergeant, or staff sergeant. No more than 12-14 years in service prior to training, and minimum of 36 months remaining in service after graduation.
"The average age of a Delta Force member is around thirty-five," says Reese.