Every soldier wishing to become Special Forces must first go through the Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS). During selection they will have to swim in boots and BDUs, run an obstacle course 1½ miles long, and take long treks with a loaded rucksack. During this time they are assessed on their ability to work as a team member and physical and mental readiness. Their aptitude for a particular SF specialty is also measured.

Once a soldier is selected, he then proceeds to his individual specialty's qualification course. The Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC or "Q" Course) is divided into three phases. The first phase being the Individual Skill Phase, next the MOS Qualification Phase, and finally The Collective Training Phase. The first phase lasts 40 days and includes land navigation, patrolling, and an obstacle course.

In the MOS Qualification Phase, the soldiers' training is based on the occupational specialty. For an officer selected for Detachment Commander training, this phase is 24 weeks long. Soldiers that will be trained to be Special Forces Weapons Sergeants (18B) are trained in U.S. and foreign light and heavy weapons. This phase lasts 24 weeks. Soldiers selected to be Engineer Sergeants (18C) participate in a 24 week course that includes construction skills, explosive demolitions, and field fortifications. Medical Sergeant (18D) candidates attend a 57 week course that includes training in advanced medical procedures, trauma management, and surgical procedures. Candidates selected to be Communications Sergeants (18E) undertake a 32 week long course that includes training in all types of communications including radio equipment ranging from HF to satellite. Training concludes with an around-the-world communications performance exercise.

In addition to initial and proficiency training for the Army's Special Forces soldiers, the USAJFKSWC trains soldiers, foreign and domestic, in military freefall parachuting operations. The course is 4 weeks long and is conducted at Fort Bragg, NC and Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), AZ. The YPG is also home to the U.S. Army Parachute Team's, The Golden Knights, winter training. While in this course, soldiers will learn High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) and High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) operations.

The Underwater Operations School is located in Key West, FL. Here soldiers can earn their Combat Diver, Diving Medical Technician, and Combat Diving Supervisor qualifications. In the combat diver course students learn open-circuit scuba and closed-circuit rebreather equipment and underwater search and recovery. The diving medical technician teaches students teaches assessment and treatment of diving injuries, including administration of hyperbaric treatment. The combat diving supervisor course is 12 days long and takes the combat diver to higher level of expertise. Skill learned in this course include, planning and conducting diving operations for both open and close circuit dives.