First Delta Force Members Repack | Tested |

In early 1978, the first screening for volunteers began. The process was designed to break men mentally and physically:

Building the unit required a different breed of soldier, and the selection process designed by Beckwith and his cadre remains legendary for its brutality. The first members were not recruited; they were culled. The process was designed to break a man physically to see how his mind coped with stress. Candidates faced weeks of sleep deprivation, endless ruck marches over the mountains of North Carolina, and psychological pressure intended to strip away ego. Beckwith was not looking for mindless obedience; he wanted intelligent, independent thinkers who could problem-solve in chaotic environments. The men who passed this initial "Operator Training Course" were the misfits and the hard-chargers of the Army—men who found conventional military life too stifling. first delta force members

The first Delta Force members proved a timeless truth: In early 1978, the first screening for volunteers began

Follow for more on military history, leadership, and the untold stories of America’s quiet professionals. The process was designed to break a man

While many names remain classified, some of the first known members include:

Want to go deeper? Read “Delta Force” by Colonel Charlie Beckwith or “Inside Delta Force” by Eric Haney (one of the original operators).

The first Delta operators—officially designated 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-D (SFOD-D)—came from a tiny pool: