Special Naval Warfare

This special operations group (GNE in its Spanish initials) is made up by both, Marine Corps and Navy personnel. The training schedule of the future ‘green berets’ is extremely demanding and highly selective and only 40% of candidates finally manage to join this elite Corps. To join the GNE and become a specialist in special warfare operations there are two stages which must be passed:

Stage 1: The students must pass a strict selection process based on their capability to tolerate suffering, fatigue resistance, and physical and mental strength drills in extreme conditions and circumstances.

Stage 2: In this stage of the training process the students learn how to use diving suits and scuba tanks, how to operate from naval and air platforms, and planning how to conduct special operations.

The candidates who pass the first two stages, are accordingly qualified as experts on reconnaissance and direct action, military assistance, scuba diving, handling of explosives, parachuting, land combat, infiltration techniques, personal defense and sharpshooting.

Further training includes: High Altitude-Low Opening (HALO) and High Altitude-High Opening (HAHO) parachuting, combat vehicle driver, FAC (Forward Air Controller), first-aid, communications, intelligence, languages and sharpshooter.