Current military policy definitively permits female candidates to pursue any combat role, including Special Warfare Operator (Navy SEAL). The opportunity is fully open, but the standards remain unchanged, which is the ultimate barrier to entry. Every candidate, regardless of gender, must pass the exact same qualification requirements and endure the identical, notoriously difficult training pipeline. This approach ensures the rigorous nature of the SEAL profession is maintained, allowing only those who meet the highest physical and mental benchmarks to join the ranks of the Navy’s Sea, Air, and Land teams.
The Official Answer: Policy and Eligibility
The Department of Defense officially opened all combat occupations, including the Navy SEALs, to women in January 2016. This policy change eliminated the last remaining gender-based restrictions in the United States military, establishing a framework where all roles are accessible based on ability, not sex. The directive mandates that the standards for entry and successful completion of training must be operationally relevant and applied in a gender-neutral manner.
The policy explicitly states there can be no separate physical standards, waivers, or reduced requirements for female candidates. This means that a woman seeking to become a SEAL must successfully pass the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) and subsequent SEAL Qualification Training (SQT) with the identical performance metrics as her male counterparts. This established framework places the focus entirely on individual merit and physical capability.
Historical Context of Combat Exclusion
The military’s policy regarding women in combat roles underwent a significant evolution before the 2016 decision. Historically, the “combat exclusion policy” prevented women from serving in units whose primary mission was direct ground combat. This policy effectively barred women from all Special Operations roles, including the Navy SEALs, for decades.
A major shift began in 2013 when the Department of Defense rescinded the rule that defined and excluded women from direct combat assignments. This move signaled a commitment to reviewing all closed positions. The 2016 final decision concluded this integration process, formally recognizing that performance-based standards, rather than gender, should dictate access to all positions across the force.
The Path to Becoming a SEAL: The Training Pipeline
The journey to earning the Trident pin begins with the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School, followed by the six-month Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, California. BUD/S is divided into three distinct phases, each designed to test and refine a candidate’s mental and physical endurance. The First Phase, or Basic Conditioning, is seven weeks long and focuses on brutal physical training, including long-distance runs, timed swims, and obstacle courses.
The most infamous segment of the First Phase is “Hell Week,” a five-and-a-half-day crucible of continuous physical and mental exertion. During this period, candidates are restricted to a total of about four hours of sleep and are subjected to ceaseless evolutions, often cold, wet, and sandy, like Log Physical Training (PT) and “surf torture.” Hell Week is designed to test a candidate’s determination and teamwork under extreme duress, with a typical attrition rate of 70 to 80 percent of the starting class.
Candidates who survive this initial challenge progress to the Second Phase, which is dedicated to Combat Diving. This seven-week period focuses on developing competent combat swimmers through rigorous training in open-circuit SCUBA and closed-circuit rebreather diving. Trainees must master underwater navigation and dive physics, as these skills are foundational to the clandestine insertion and exfiltration methods used by SEAL teams.
The Third Phase, or Land Warfare, is also seven weeks long and transitions the focus to small-unit tactics, land navigation, and weapons proficiency. Training moves to San Clemente Island, where candidates learn marksmanship, demolitions, patrolling, and rappelling. Upon successful completion of all three BUD/S phases, candidates proceed to the 26-week SEAL Qualification Training (SQT), which is the final step before being awarded the Special Warfare Operator designation and the Trident pin.
Gender-Neutral Physical Requirements
Before beginning the BUD/S pipeline, all candidates must pass the Navy SEAL Physical Screening Test (PST) with scores that meet or exceed the minimum requirements, which are identical for all applicants. The PST is a pass/fail benchmark that measures a candidate’s baseline strength and endurance across five events. While meeting the minimum standards is necessary for a contract, Naval Special Warfare Command emphasizes that competitive scores are required to be considered for a training slot.
The PST events and minimum requirements are:
- 500-yard swim: Maximum time of 12 minutes and 30 seconds (competitive time is closer to eight minutes).
- Push-ups (in two minutes): Minimum of 50 repetitions (competitive candidates aim for 80 to 100).
- Sit-ups (in two minutes): Minimum of 50 repetitions (competitive scores are 80 to 100).
- Pull-ups (maximum repetitions, no time limit): Minimum of 10 repetitions (competitive applicants achieve 15 to 20).
- 1.5-mile run: Maximum time of 10 minutes and 30 seconds (competitive times are under nine minutes).
These specific, objective metrics are non-negotiable and represent the absolute floor of physical readiness required to withstand the initial stages of SEAL training.
Current Status of Female Candidates
Since the opening of all combat roles in 2016, female candidates have entered the Navy SEAL training pipeline, though in very small numbers. The official status is that no woman has yet successfully completed the entire rigorous process to become a Navy SEAL. This includes both the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) course and the subsequent SEAL Qualification Training (SQT).
The high attrition rate among all candidates, regardless of gender, remains the primary reason for this outcome. The vast majority of candidates fail to complete the training, with typically only 20 to 30 percent of an entering class making it through the entire pipeline. The few women who have attempted the SEAL pipeline have not made it past the initial selection phases, consistent with the demanding nature of the course. Naval Special Warfare Command maintains that the standards will not be lowered for anyone.
Other Special Warfare Opportunities for Women
While the journey to becoming a Navy SEAL remains one of the most difficult in the military, women have found success in other highly demanding Special Warfare roles within the Navy. The Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) community, whose operators drive the high-speed boats that insert and extract SEAL teams, is one such field. In 2021, the first woman successfully completed the grueling 37-week training pipeline and earned her SWCC pin.
Women are also successfully integrating into other specialized naval careers that require similar levels of dedication and physical fitness. These include Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technicians, who are trained to disarm and dispose of ordnance, and Navy Divers, who perform deep-sea salvage and submarine rescue. These career fields represent technically complex and physically challenging paths that are fully open to female sailors.