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How is the U.S. Navy SEAL BUD/S program structured?

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U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command training mission — special operations warfare Members of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command training for water rescue, 2007.

The Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) program is an extremely rigorous six-month training course designed to identify and prepare candidates for service as U.S. Navy SEALs. It serves as a critical component of the specialized selection and training required for special operations warfare.21

The structure of the program includes:

Preparatory Phase: Before entering BUD/S, candidates must pass two months of preparatory training, which involves a battery of demanding physical and mental screening tests.2
Core Training: The six-month BUD/S course focuses on constant physical and mental conditioning. Candidates are trained in essential skills, including basic water competency, swimming, underwater combat, weapons, demolitions, and land navigation.2
Hell Week: A notorious segment of the training, this period involves more than five days of intense, near-continuous physical exertion with only about four hours of sleep total.23

Due to the extreme nature of the course, typically only about one-quarter of any candidate class successfully completes BUD/S. Those who pass proceed to intermediate SEAL qualification training before being assigned to a platoon.2