flying ninja wrote:yeh i think Chris Ryan was 23rd with no previous military experience, then joined the para's then tried for 22nd.
He joined 23 but every memeber of the regular SAS has to have a parents unit so he chose the paras and did P Company but basically he joined the paras in name only, at least that's what his book says.
Also don't they just transferre over without having to do selection again?
I also don't understand how part time SF work as I just find it hard to understand how they can have the level/amount of training to get upto such a high standard.
That's not meant as a dig at the TA SAS lads, it's just that the SAS, I'd imagine, are training everyday on various stuff and putting rounds down the ranges constantly and it's that level of training that makes them what they are.
However the TA, by definition, can't even do half that training. Obviously they do a hell of a lot more than most units but I've always wondered just how good you can get when you've got so many other commitments, limited training time and are juggling two jobs etc....
Either way you've got to give it to them, the level of determination and drive to pass selection, doing all your training in your own spare time really is a credit to them.
Not wishing to be a know it all, but I think Ryan never got as far as P Company. He says it was a waste of time anyway.
Years ago if you passed selection or wanted to take it from outside of the British Army you had to spend some time with an infantry regiment just to get an army number and parent unit. This included Royal Marines and I suppose RAF Regiment types as well.
Des wrote:Not wishing to be a know it all, but I think Ryan never got as far as P Company. He says it was a waste of time anyway.
Well according to his book he did so unless you have evidence to the contrary......... Besides what do you mean he never got as far as P Company? The guy, like him or loath him, passed SAS selection so are you trying to say he couldn't make it through P Coy?
Des wrote:Not wishing to be a know it all, but I think Ryan never got as far as P Company. He says it was a waste of time anyway.
Well according to his book he did so unless you have evidence to the contrary......... Besides what do you mean he never got as far as P Company? The guy, like him or loath him, passed SAS selection so are you trying to say he couldn't make it through P Coy?
No I'm not saying that at all. I have read his book years ago and will relate as of memory.
He joined 22 after passing selection from 23 So he would have done BPC with TA and for selection. He needed to get a regular army number so along with a sailor Barry(?) from Navy he went to the Para depot for a short time. He did a bit of training with the recruits there. Grassed up a bullying corporal ended up taking a few lectures for some reason. Paras send him and Barry back to Hereford not before giving Barry a roasting a 2nd time about his attitude, the first was when he refused to get his hair cut.
All non para trained recruits get to do their Basic Parachute Course with the SAS they don't get sent to the paras first. I don't think Ryan spent more than a few weeks at the Para depot at the most.
I could be wrong on that I have not read his book in ages.
Des wrote:
No I'm not saying that at all. I have read his book years ago and will relate as of memory.
He joined 22 after passing selection from 23 So he would have done BPC with TA and for selection. He needed to get a regular army number so along with a sailor Barry(?) from Navy he went to the Para depot for a short time. He did a bit of training with the recruits there. Grassed up a bullying corporal ended up taking a few lectures for some reason. Paras send him and Barry back to Hereford not before giving Barry a roasting a 2nd time about his attitude, the first was when he refused to get his hair cut.
All non para trained recruits get to do their Basic Parachute Course with the SAS they don't get sent to the paras first. I don't think Ryan spent more than a few weeks at the Para depot at the most.
I could be wrong on that I have not read his book in ages.
He did P Coy in order to become a member of the Parachute Regiment so that he would have a parent regiment so yes it was just a few weeks but it was P Coy, he didn't just go for a few weeks to train with the Joe's!
But hey who cares I posted that months ago anyway.
Des wrote:
No I'm not saying that at all. I have read his book years ago and will relate as of memory.
He joined 22 after passing selection from 23 So he would have done BPC with TA and for selection. He needed to get a regular army number so along with a sailor Barry(?) from Navy he went to the Para depot for a short time. He did a bit of training with the recruits there. Grassed up a bullying corporal ended up taking a few lectures for some reason. Paras send him and Barry back to Hereford not before giving Barry a roasting a 2nd time about his attitude, the first was when he refused to get his hair cut.
All non para trained recruits get to do their Basic Parachute Course with the SAS they don't get sent to the paras first. I don't think Ryan spent more than a few weeks at the Para depot at the most.
I could be wrong on that I have not read his book in ages.
He did P Coy in order to become a member of the Parachute Regiment so that he would have a parent regiment so yes it was just a few weeks but it was P Coy, he didn't just go for a few weeks to train with the Joe's!
But hey who cares I posted that months ago anyway.
Yeah I think it's all irrelevant anyway nowdays. All that getting a parent Regiment don't apply any more.
I did selection in the 70"s and it was f@#k hard, walking on blisters carrying bergen and SLR. TA SAS is about being committed to your unit, it means spending all your spare time keeping fit and learning new stuff.
I was in 21 when it was at the Duke of Yorks and we had training every weekend, .Some guys were working full time as TA , so don't think TA SAS is the same as other units, it ain't.
