Two women attempting to become Navy SEALs advanced further in the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) course than any women before them, but neither completed the training, CBS News reported, citing multiple sources.
The candidates, an enlisted sailor and a naval officer, reached the third week of training at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California. According to the report, the officer was moved to a later class and requested to leave before Hell Week, while the enlisted sailor was medically withdrawn during that phase. Their names were not reported.
Naval Special Warfare Command declined to discuss individual candidates’ selection status or location in the training pipeline, saying that doing so would affect course integrity and candidate privacy. The command’s response did not confirm the specific details reported by CBS.
Hell Week follows three weeks of initial training
Hell Week begins in the fourth week of BUD/S and lasts about five and a half days. Candidates face demanding physical tasks, including carrying logs and launching boats into heavy surf, while receiving about four hours of sleep over five days, according to the report.
Navy figures covering 1998 to 2023 show that about 45% of candidates were removed or rolled back during the three weeks before Hell Week. About 21% left during Hell Week, while roughly 68% of candidates were removed at some point in the wider training pipeline, Navy data cited in the report indicate.
The reported milestone concerns BUD/S itself, rather than preliminary assessments or other special operations courses. Women have been permitted to try out for Navy SEALs and other previously restricted combat roles since 2016. Neither candidate earned SEAL qualification.