Two women advance farthest in Navy SEAL training in history

Two women who attempted to become Navy SEALs advanced further through the training pipeline than any women before them, according to CBS News. They reached the third week of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, a milestone not previously achieved by any female candidate.

An enlisted sailor and a naval officer entered BUD/S training several weeks ago. Both made it to the third week, with Hell Week, the infamous five-and-a-half-day endurance test, starting in the fourth week. The officer was rolled back to the next class and eventually requested to be dropped from the course before Hell Week, while the enlisted sailor was medically pulled from Hell Week.

Despite not completing the SEAL course, the two women made it further than any other woman who has attempted the program since special operations opened to women in 2016. CBS News has withheld their names for security and privacy reasons.

Gaining access to Hell Week is itself a significant achievement, as nearly half of all candidates — about 45% — are either removed or rolled back to the next class during the first few weeks of training before Hell Week, according to Navy data from 1998 to 2023.

A spokesperson for Naval Special Warfare Command stated that the agency does not discuss individual selection or non-selection status or the progress of candidates in the training pipeline, citing the need to protect the integrity of the program and the privacy of participants.

Women have served in special operations roles since World War II, initially in non-combat capacities such as intelligence gathering and supply coordination. The Pentagon formally opened all combat positions to women in 2016, allowing them to attempt to join elite units like the Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and Green Berets.