Operational Training

Platoon Training is where the rubber finally meets the road. Armed with a year of individual skill training, hardened by thousands of hours of physical training, diving, jumping, shooting and blowing things up, now the SEAL gets to put his fledgling talent to work with seasoned veterans of Naval Special Warfare.

A SEAL Platoon consists of two officers, one chief and thirteen enlisted men. Responsibilities are divided into positions in a patrol (such as Point Man, Patrol Leader, Radio Man, 60 Gunner, Corpsman and Rear Security), department leadership (such as Diving Department Head, Air Department Head and Ordnance/Demo Department Head) and by rank. The senior officer is the Platoon Commander, the junior officer is his assistant, the senior enlisted is the Platoon Chief and the next senior enlisted is the Leading Petty Officer who is in charge of the day-to-day management of the enlisted platoon members. SEAL Platoons have a training cycle, which includes either a 12 or 18 month training work-up, then a 6 month deployment overseas in an operational ‘combat ready’ status at a Naval Special Warfare Unit or Detachment. These platoons are incredibly highly trained and can accomplish most any task thrown at them. The training that must be accomplished during the year-plus training cycle is based upon several factors:

Advanced individual and platoon level skills necessary for the conduct of all Special Operations Missions. The methods of delivery, insertion/extraction most likely to be utilized while on deployment. The geographic area of responsibility of the SEAL Team. Wherever there are troops on the ground in the world, you can be pretty sure that the SEALs, along with their Green Beret counterparts, are either there now or were there first!