Regiments that make up the SAS ?

thecommietommy

Anyone have any idea or link as to the spread of regiments that join the SAS ? I'd imagine the Parachute regiment would have a high percentage,
I vaguely remember reading/hearing that the Parachute regiment possibly make up the majority of the SAS, any truth in it ? Do any other regiments have a tradition of supplying reguliar men to it ?

Maybe_Memories

I'd imagine there'd be a few Royal Marines and probably a few RAF Gunners as well.

p1akuw47h5r3it

I thought Royal Marines could only go for the SBS?

pablomakaveli

I've been told that SAS is predominately paras. SBS mostly Royal Marines.

Maybe_Memories

DanDan6592 wrote: »

I thought Royal Marines could only go for the SBS?

Any member of the armed forces can apply for SAS, marines just have a history of being the majority component of the SBS.

OS119

DanDan6592 wrote: »

I thought Royal Marines could only go for the SBS?

no, they can go for either - or the SRR.

as far as i'm aware - so normal caveats apply - about 50% of successful candidates are from the Parachute Regiment. the other Light Role infantry Bn's then produce the next largest contingent, with the next largest number coming from the HCav, Royal Artillery and RE and then a smattering of people from every wierd and wonderful corps/service you can imagine.

it does, to my understanding (again, caveats), fluctuate - selection depends both on the selectors as well as those who put themselves forward. certainly there was a move against what was seen as a 'Para mafia' within the Training Wing, and the process was altered to be less 'Para selecting' and more 'anyone can have a go'. however with the creation of the SRR, the increase in size and use of the SBS, and the increase in size of units like 4/73 Bty and 148 Bty Royal Artillery, i personally think that 22SAS is culturally/operationally reverting to its post-WW2 role as the advance party of 16AA Bde, and is much less the 'one-stop-shop' of UKSF that it became in the 1970's through till the late 1990's. it still has the strategic role, but it shares it with others in a way that it didn't used to, meaning that, to me, it concentrates a bit more on the traditional 'green army' raiding task that previously it had to juggle with half a dozen other roles.

cruasder777

thecommietommy wrote: »

Anyone have any idea or link as to the spread of regiments that join the SAS ? I'd imagine the Parachute regiment would have a high percentage,
I vaguely remember reading/hearing that the Parachute regiment possibly make up the majority of the SAS, any truth in it ? Do any other regiments have a tradition of supplying reguliar men to it ?

There was a guy from the republic serving in the Irish guards (Staff Sgt P O connor), killed in that helo crash in the Falklands serving with with 22 SAS in 1982.

cruasder777

OS119 wrote: »

no, they can go for either - or the SRR.

as far as i'm aware - so normal caveats apply - about 50% of successful candidates are from the Parachute Regiment. the other Light Role infantry Bn's then produce the next largest contingent, with the next largest number coming from the HCav, Royal Artillery and RE and then a smattering of people from every wierd and wonderful corps/service you can imagine.

it does, to my understanding (again, caveats), fluctuate - selection depends both on the selectors as well as those who put themselves forward. certainly there was a move against what was seen as a 'Para mafia' within the Training Wing, and the process was altered to be less 'Para selecting' and more 'anyone can have a go'. however with the creation of the SRR, the increase in size and use of the SBS, and the increase in size of units like 4/73 Bty and 148 Bty Royal Artillery, i personally think that 22SAS is culturally/operationally reverting to its post-WW2 role as the advance party of 16AA Bde, and is much less the 'one-stop-shop' of UKSF that it became in the 1970's through till the late 1990's. it still has the strategic role, but it shares it with others in a way that it didn't used to, meaning that, to me, it concentrates a bit more on the traditional 'green army' raiding task that previously it had to juggle with half a dozen other roles.

The reason Paras do better on SAS selection is because they are used to tabbing heavy loads long distances, part of their training is to tab from the forming up point to objective after being dropped, thus their map reading and field craft skills are generally better, the Parachute regiment operates at a higher tempo then infantry of line. So they have an advantage.

Its the same reason RAF Regiment Paras do better on selection.

Its not cause of any favouritism.

Further in the case of the Parachute regiment alot going for 22 SAS selection would be serving in 1 Para, the Special Forces support group or Pathfinders, same with RAF regiment candidates.

The Master of Disaster

Infantry, specifically the Parachute Regiment, make up most of the SAS. Believe it or not after that the biggest contributor is the Royal Engineers followed by the Cavalry and Royal Artillery although I don't know the exact position/order of the latter two.

Most would have an airborne background which doesn't just mean Paras. RE,RA, Signals, RLC all have units attached to 16AA, many of which will have done P Company and/ore got their Wings.

thecommietommy

The Master of Disaster wrote: »

Infantry, specifically the Parachute Regiment, make up most of the SAS. Believe it or not after that the biggest contributor is the Royal Engineers followed by the Cavalry and Royal Artillery although I don't know the exact position/order of the latter two.

Most would have an airborne background which doesn't just mean Paras. RE,RA, Signals, RLC all have units attached to 16AA, many of which will have done P Company and/ore got their Wings.

Doesn't surprise me, if anything confirms why I posted the thread. I'd imagine guys in the Royal Eng would have a bit of brains and know how. I know I'm going to make enemies with this, but regarding the Parachute Reg sure they can march endless miles etc but it is made up of those who are let's say, not the sharpest tool in the box.

I would have thought Scottish Reg's would have a higher input giving that the SAS were founded in Scotland by a Scotsman.

cruasder777

thecommietommy wrote: »

Doesn't surprise me, if anything confirms why I posted the thread. I'd imagine guys in the Royal Eng would have a bit of brains and know how. I know I'm going to make enemies with this, but regarding the Parachute Reg sure they can march endless miles etc but it is made up of those who are let's say, not the sharpest tool in the box.

I would have thought Scottish Reg's would have a higher input giving that the SAS were founded in Scotland by a Scotsman.

Actually to be a Para you have to score higher in the army Barb test(which is a psychometric tests) then standard infantry.

Most of those engineers would be Para engineers as the previous poster said.

thecommietommy

cruasder777 wrote: »

Actually to be a Para you have to score higher in the army Barb test(which is a psychometric tests) then standard infantry.

Most of those engineers would be Para engineers as the previous poster said.

Yep I'm sure the Barb test can only be passed by Paras, security guards, building site labourers and other highly academic professions :rolleyes:

cruasder777

thecommietommy wrote: »

Yep I'm sure the Barb test can only be passed by Paras, security guards, building site labourers and other highly academic professions :rolleyes:

Nothing wrong with those occupations.

Because someone is not highly academic it does not them a bad person.

Tommy the communist snob. :rolleyes:

It wasn't me!

thecommietommy wrote: »

Yep I'm sure the Barb test can only be passed by Paras, security guards, building site labourers and other highly academic professions :rolleyes:

That chip on your shoulder could do with some ketchup.

KickstartHeart

Crusader777 knows more about this BA stuff than me so he can correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason the para's contribute more than any other regiment to the SAS is because selection is basically easier for them than other kinds of soldiers, bar guys from the RM's I'd imagine. I'd also imagine a lot of the guys that join the Parachute Regiment are the kinds of fella's who want to strive to push themselves further than normal infantry. So by and large more paratroopers would have the necessary mind set to pass special forces selection.

cruasder777

KickstartHeart wrote: »

Crusader777 knows more about this BA stuff than me so he can correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason the para's contribute more than any other regiment to the SAS is because selection is basically easier for them than other kinds of soldiers, bar guys from the RM's I'd imagine. I'd also imagine a lot of the guys that join the Parachute Regiment are the kinds of fella's who want to strive to push themselves further than normal infantry. So by and large more paratroopers would have the necessary mind set to pass special forces selection.

The qualities needed to be an airbourne soldier transfer into special forces, not just the SAS but also in other countries.

thecommietommy

It wasn't me! wrote: »

That chip on your shoulder could do with some ketchup.

Ah yes, it seems the same little few get a chip on their shoulder about it if anyone doesn't have the same fan worship for the British army on this forum as they have !!!! I suppose I also should be criticised for merely saying " guys in the Royal Eng would have a bit of brains and know how "

thecommietommy

KickstartHeart wrote: »

Crusader777 knows more about this BA stuff than me so he can correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason the para's contribute more than any other regiment to the SAS is because selection is basically easier for them than other kinds of soldiers, bar guys from the RM's I'd imagine. I'd also imagine a lot of the guys that join the Parachute Regiment are the kinds of fella's who want to strive to push themselves further than normal infantry. So by and large more paratroopers would have the necessary mind set to pass special forces selection.

True enough, I suppose to other guys it's just another day at the office and they would probably believe the level they are at is enough, not everyone wants to play on the front row like in rugby

tac foley

thecommietommy wrote: »

Yep I'm sure the Barb test can only be passed by Paras, security guards, building site labourers and other highly academic professions :rolleyes:

I respectfully suggest that instead of gobbing off and badmouthing people of whom you know little or nothing, that you prove to the rest of us poor paras, security guards and building site labourers how superior you are by passing P Company and then, eventually, SF selection.

I eagerly await your results.

tac

Jeepers, I forgot to mention that although I wasn't in the Royal Engineers, Paras or the building site operatives [the Royal Pioneer Corps [now part of the RLC]] I DO have an MSc and two BAs - all gained while serving in the British Army. At one time eleven of my sixteen non-commissioned staff had at least one degree and some had two. Useful ones, as well, like the modern languages they used every day, not media studies or frog-worship...