SAS documenty selection.

[judoka_uk]

One of the guys I went to school with joined the Marines as a normal bootneck.

He was ok at Rugby, not the brightest spark, nor the fittest guy on the team, but a good lad. He trained his fucking arse off on the PT and passed selection, been on at least one tour in the Stan now.

Had another guy who wanted to join the Marines as an officer from age 16 trained religious on the PT until he was 18, was very fit and very strong, was a bright guy, worked hard at school and got good A levels.

He went for officer selection passed the physical and class room based exercises, but they turned him down because he was too young. He went to uni and I don't think he re-applied not sure what he's doing nowadays.

Anyway point being, that in my experience you never know what it takes to get into something like the marines or paras or even super elite like the SAS/SBS. Its not always the best prepared guy or the guy you think would be a natural fit, sometimes its kind of random.

One thing I read somewhere said that over the past decade the SBS have actually been more active than the SAS, because of their lower public profile. I have no idea how true that is.

[Eddie Hardon]

Sometimes you get rejected 'cos your Personality doesn't fit small unit operations. Who wants a whinger or a knob? It would wear down the best teams.

The SBS were first into Afghanistan but the CO has since died from Leukaemia, if I remember correctly. They were also active in East Timor.

If you are interested, you may wish to read Duncan Falconer's book. He was SBS and it's unusual for an ex-member to write his memoirs but his are very readable. "First Into Action" I think it's called.

Something to sweeten the Recommendation?

He's a Judo Black Belt.

[judoka_uk]

Its also not impossible for selectors to make mistakes...

Yeh I used to be into all that stuff, but I'm not that interested anymore. Don't get me wrong be in a super elite special forces unit is still cool, but I'm not that interested in reading about or researching it anymore. I've kind of lost interest with that side of it.

[Eddie Hardon]

Bravery comes in many forms.

Spec Forces is but one of them. Plenty of people live difficult lives which require Uncommon Courage. This is common the World over.

[scipio]

I used to work with an ex-UK special forces Guy, whilst I suspect most are as tough as hell and pretty bright, this guy was as tough as hell and had zero common sense. I remember the time he couldn't get his barbie lit, poured petrol over it, nothing happened, just fizzed, so he leaned over it and dropped a match on it -you can guess what happened, it exploded and he ended up in A&E with third degree burns. How we laughed as good mates do.

He was also great in fights (by the way - we were in the UK police together) - we had a huge pub fight, he was the first one there, did he try to get back up? Did he hell, just waded in and started arresting everyone. They all stopped fighting each other and kicked the crap out of him. We asked him afterwards why he did it - his reponse was that they were breaking the law so he had to arrest them - techinally correct but bloody stupid.

I think that special forces across the world are often put on a pedestal (and rightly too) but sometimes we tend to forget that they can be fallible as well - they are bloody good but not super human.

[DKJr]

That training looks awesome. Although what is a good answer for why they should take you in the SAS?

[gregaquaman]

That training looks awesome. Although what is a good answer for why they should take you in the SAS?

I think it is a bit like fight club. There isn't one.

A lot of those situations were no win.

[Eddie Hardon]

That training looks awesome. Although what is a good answer for why they should take you in the SAS?

I would suggest that your answer might be "Cos they let you in".

The questioner would either be nonplussed and admire your ready turn of wit...or might think you a smart-arse and tell you to "wind your neck in!" (3rd person "you" of course.

For Scipio Africanus,
Are you sure your mate was SF? Leaning over an accelerant-augment 'fire' was less than intelligent. As an example of Intiative it Fails. Perhaps he was TA? Perhaps he Failed Selection?

Scipio Africanus? The Roman who eventually bested Hannibal. You may already know this.

[scipio]

I would suggest that your answer might be "Cos they let you in".

The questioner would either be nonplussed and admire your ready turn of wit...or might think you a smart-arse and tell you to "wind your neck in!" (3rd person "you" of course.

For Scipio Africanus,
Are you sure your mate was SF? Leaning over an accelerant-augment 'fire' was less than intelligent. As an example of Intiative it Fails. Perhaps he was TA? Perhaps he Failed Selection?

Scipio Africanus? The Roman who eventually bested Hannibal. You may already know this.

Yes he was ex-SF, I saw his file (I was his boss). Yep you are right - the victor at Zama. Apart from MA's my other great interest is Roman history/archaeology. Sad.

[Eddie Hardon]

That training looks awesome.

[DKJr]

You know what I meant you tool.

[Eddie Hardon]

hahaha