The Navy has announced that its elite special forces units will begin undergoing steroid tests from next month. This decision follows an investigative program that discovered 74 SEAL or Special Warfare Combat Crewmen with heightened testosterone levels over a period from February 2022 to March 2023. The Army Special Operations Command is set to implement similar testing, though a start date is yet to be specified. The initiative intends to ensure the health, safety, and readiness of all naval special forces members.
Key Points:
- The U.S. Navy’s elite special forces will commence steroid testing due to concerns about its unauthorized and unsupervised use within units.
- Preliminary screenings from February 2022 to March 2023 found elevated testosterone levels in 74 SEAL or Special Warfare Combat Crewmen.
- The program will randomly select four Navy units each month for testing, estimating about 200 individuals to be evaluated monthly.
- The yearly testing cost for the next two years is projected to be around $4.5 million.
- While the aim is to address the unsanctioned use of performance-enhancing drugs, the Navy acknowledges that some members might have valid medical reasons for certain supplementation.
