SO19

[Blue Streak]

I think we have moved miles away from the original point.....l think comparing the two services if you can call them that is futile. I have no personal experience of working with the SAS, but l would suggest in any comparison they are Premier League and the Police are Beaser Homes League. Any further arguements should be refered to the 'bitch' chat topic.

[5.7mm]

Note to self.........I really must find more to do with my time during lunchtime at school than to dredge up long ended discussions on Military Forums.

[freestyler_onli]

Apparantly, SO19 officers are being recruited as the UK's Air Marshalls. Most of em turned the job down as they felt it was too 'boring'. On one of these SAS documentaries, John Mac said that one of the SAS blokes would sit in a chair with 2 sort of balls on each shoulder. Then the rest would bundle in, and put 2 rounds in each of the balls. He was saying that not only do you need an excellent aim, but 'balls' to fire near your team mates as well. I can't imagine SO19 doing that.

[Big Boys Rules]

Police instructor I was talking to the other day pointed out some SO19 guys at lunch and said that they had made moves to take over roles traditionally filled by the SAS as they headed towrds a role more akin to the yank HRT.
So the story goes, in conversation with a SAS officer they were asked what sort of casualty rate they would expect from a certain type of op and SO19 replied with a low number... they were quoted minimum 45% and upwards.
I hear they are not so keen to take over role now.

[harry hackedoff]

Certain former Booty member of said Bill SF Unit sent certain ex baby sitter of mine a certain phot.
Showed Bill SF and Elmer`s finest, guardingDubya`s motor on recent spit-swapping sesh in Westminster
(if that`s how one describes standind next to a vehicle in a car park (whilst toying with MP5(K) , silenced ) Certain ex baby sitter said never to reveal name of former gay lover, er, oops. er, meant to say"fellow countryman"
Switch to P.M. for names of:-
a) the American President( known as OOPS, tell you later )
b) how many names can you rhyme with Thug,
Secret`s safe with me, mate

[harry hackedoff]

Nearly forgot,
You ain`t seen me, right

[mr_man_2168]

I've gotta say whoever is truly more specialised and well trained the SAS have something that SO19 just don't... reputation... If a hostage-taker hears the SAS are coming for him he'll surely be more inclined to surrender. Hell I would be!

[bigbart]

Going from an ex SO19 bloke (I can't say for certain he's genuine, but I'm pretty sure he is), SO 19 is more proficient in conventional counter terrorism than SF, by virtue of the fact that they have vastly more experience and train for little else, while SF mix it in among various other roles. In terms of equipment they are pretty much the same (logical given the similar requirements), SO19 having access to more varied equipment than the average armed policeman. They do supposedly have more specialised stuff than the SAS, for instance modified landrovers, but that could be out of date, they might share them etc. And I don't who would be used for various jobs, I expect SO19 would be more likely if only because it would be politically safer for the government .

I may be wrong, as I dont know anyone in SF or S019, but I thought that the counter-terrorism job was a speciality trade within the SAS, so the soldiers who take up this job would train on this and little else?

[Big Boys Rules]

SO19 have their own police assult unit... think on every time you've heard of some loon with a gun in some house with a hostage... the unit deployed is SO19.
SAS are a counter-terrorist unit not counter-muppet/joe public.

[Greg S]

Hah....SO19. I spoke to one of them and he was RIGHT up his own arse, when I asked 'so do you people recruit RMP's into your ranks' he was like 'you have to serve 2 years in the metro police before appyling for SO19 - there is more to SO19 than just handling firearms'.

What a cock, he forgets the RMP do CP work like SO14/SO16/SO17.

SO19 also shot that guy in london with the small pistol lighter I remember? They also cocked up a siege in Surrey - sat outside for 4 days until the bloke inside the house set his alight lol.

You cant compare 'PC PLOD FROM METRO' to guys in the SAS, even though they like to think they are.

http://www.met.police.uk/so19/training.htm

[stever]

there are 2 good books re so19
Good Guys Wear Black
The Glory Boys
both by steve collins
both from a former member of s019

re question of sas vs s019
not really applicable imo

explains this in both books ie sas chaps attached to s019

hope this helps

[neil1955]

Sisyphus,
If at first etc etc .
Nobody gets to be an expert without lots of hard work, having achived a high standard you must then maintain it,our american cousins fire more rounds per man than anyone but that alone does not make them all experts,it's the quality of the man and the training that makes the differance and yes you do need to fire a lot of rounds to become proficiant and a lot more to maintain your standards. Nobody gets 100% all the time but it doesent hurt to try, my GPMG an I could see off a lot more than that in a day.but it's a bit of a bastard cleaning the gas parts after.yes I know there are all sorts of products to do that now. AS I have'nt fired anything buy the good old 12 gauge for the last 13 years it would take more than that to get back up to speed with any kind of handgun I was allways crap with anything less than 7.62