FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Special Forces soldiers are part of an elite group. Now, young recruits can be a part of the force from the very start.

Until recently, recruiters looked within Army ranks for potential candidates. Now, the Army is restoring an old program that allows men to apply directly to Special Forces upon enlistment.

With the downsizing of the Army, leaders say they need a bigger pool of candidates.

"We know how to train Special Forces soldiers so we are confident that a young man who reaches these prerequisites, we can turn him into a Special Forces soldier," said a colonel with the 1st Special Warfare Training Group.

Currently, only about one in four soldiers makes it through the rigorous Special Forces program.

The new recruits will go through a lot of additional training to help prepare them for success. The entire training program lasts about two years.