SAS: Circus

[combat-engineer]

I think all these latest SAS programs are on for the simple reason.....people want to know about them. Lets face it, with the way this countrys going we need something to remind us were still the best in the business at somethings!

I dont think its a publicity thing, as for a start, you have to be in the army/navy/raf for 3 years before joining (or at least trying to join )


PS. Although I'll be watching that SAS program on C4 tommorow (jungle this time) as last mondays was top stuff. Not over the top, just good fact based tv.

[always go commando]

I’ve been watching SAS survival secrets and I have to admit I think it is a load of *****. But this is a good thing, it didn't really tell you anything that isn't really common knowledge/common sense, the only thing I learnt about the SAS from this was there hand signals, which are probably somewhere on the internet and used all over anyway.
Although, I am worried that the BBC are a new terrorist organisation that are telling everyone how to find an SAS patrol.
I was only waiting the ray mayers show (can't remember what its called)

T'was nice to see the guy from the embassy seige say how bad land mines are, instead of the usual "yes I was in the SAS and I have no emotion"


PS - Survival secrets my arse, it had nothing to do with survival it was about spying on a fictitious general.

I don't think the SAS have a choice, with the freedom the press has today. I hope the MOD do something about it though before we start having blockbuster films about it being sold to us by america.

[FIRE]

But this is a good thing, it didn't really tell you anything that isn't really common knowledge/common sense

That's right.

They lost already 2 team members so it is not a "we are inviolable" story. It's a good programme and watch also next week.

[voodoo sprout]

Regarding the "survival" thing. I think it is perhaps best if I convey my feelings in a single, albeit meaningless, word.

AAARRRGHBLOODY*******G**SIM
-GOINGTOKILLBBCPEOPLEWOEHORRORDEATH
-DESTRUCTIONGRRRRRRRRRR******


Now then. As has been said, this particular program didn't give away anything which isn't already in the public domain. The exception (with regards to SAS stuff) is the part about medics, which I found very interesting and informative, and is one thing which is directly beneficial to all concerned unlike the tactics demonstrations etc. However I am very worried about other subjects, for instance the CQB aspect. That is one area where knowng procedures is positively dangerous, if a terrorist knows exactly where people are going to be, the team is much more vulnerable.
Taking the (outdated) US army methods, the members will first go straight to the left and right corner. Which meant if an enemy or terrorist etc saw a team go in, he could easily wait until people stopped moving and fire a burst through the wall at the point by the corner and stand a good chance of hitting someone. And I can't think of anyone who needs to learn these methods off the TV, anyone who does need to use these methods would have proffessional training. So why endanger forces by what can only be cheap entertainment?

I'm just hoping anything like this would be either modified, ommited or outdated in the interests of security, thoguh I doubt many people will be thinking of that when the ratings start piling up .

And the publicity thing is just about the same with most of the SAS programs (with the exception of the Channel 4 job which does deserve some credit). I very much doubt recruiting comes into it, as Idon't see what power the government would have over this. In any case all the people involved with this particular program have done multiple others and run a private firm training any old civilian with cash these methods, so I doubt they're doing anything except trying to make money themselves.

But for all it's problems this one did have the odd moment, perhaps I'm just being picky but I did laugh when Eddie Stone handed the other bloke an empty gun and tried to discretely release the slide .

[lew]

The tampon thing was a good tip I thought, for sas soldiers their cam was a little sloppy...

Found the medic part of the show extremely interesting too...


lew


p.s. the ray meres show was top notch as usual...

[Frank S.]

http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article54.html

Excerpt:

Pressure to create the volunteer army was building just as the population of 18-year-old males decreased in the early 1980s. Nevertheless, the recruiting slump of the late 1970s was reversed by 1982. The effectiveness of military advertising and the strong recruitment network it supports deserves much of the credit.

Photographic imagery that sanctions the military status quo is easy to spot in any review of popular magazines, newspapers and recruitment materials. Appeals to members of racial and ethnic groups, who have fewer educational and employment options and thus find the military more attractive, are particularly evident.

For example, the "95 Bravo Military Police" Army recruitment advertisement appears in several black magazines, like Ebony, Essence, Jet and The National Leader. Part of the "Be All You Can Be" campaign, it features three men in camouflage uniforms behind machine guns in a wooded area. A black soldier smiles at the camera from the foreground. The soldiers' Darth Vader-type helmets, based on a new issue that appeared after the Grenada invasion, add to the scene's visual impact.

Army brochures focus on black soldiers' upper-level service jobs and usually picture them smiling. Similar ads are also oriented towards Latinos in publications ranging from Spanish-language newspapers to Hispanic Engineer.

Obviously, the campaign theme, "Be All You Can Be" is intended to suggest a bright future for enlistees. All too often, however, pictures of smiling GIs and copy promising a smooth transition "from high school to flight school" create false expectations for youths unaware of the racism inherent in the military command structure.

Admittedly, this is a lefty perspective. But there's this:

http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/apa/122002.htm
Less than a year ago, they were civilians. Today, because of an ongoing recruiting program, some new soldiers are earning the right to be called Green Berets.

One year... Wow. Yeah, the advertising of the military as a career is fairly agressive and depicts mostly the 'high speed, low drag' units to entice folks. Don't underestimate the power of advertising nor the motives behind it.

[adj125]

the only thing I learnt about the SAS from this was there hand signals

The British Army use the same hand signals not just the SAS

[Sticky Blue]

I thought everyone knew these...






Then again perhaps not...

[gash-hand]

I think sticky has just summed the whole 'reality TV' show thing up.

I confess to a verment hatred of these shows - whether they are pop idle, sas - look at the size of mine!! or big bother toss*r.

I spent ages trying to figure out why someone would waste hours of their life watching someone else carrying out theirs until it dawned upon me that society has actually forgotten what it is like to live these days.

I never needed to watch sas un-reality tv shows because as a youngster i was out in all weathers climbing trees, constructing hides, scrumping and generally being a pain in the arse to whatever farmer we could find - and no i didn't live in the country, we used to walk 5 miles before we got out of the city.

What does the average joe public do these days? not much. Its pretty easy to see why celebs have taken over news slots normally reserved for 'real' news and reality tv shows are on the up and up - nobody does anything anymore - watching somone else's life has become an extension of our own boring non-existance. Humans are intelligent creatures so will use any opportunity to minimise energy where possible - its a throw back from our hunter/gather days. But we're at the point now where any form of exposure to the elements is seen as a form of madness - TV, take aways and motorised transport is seen as the acceptable norm.

The western world has an abundance of wealth, transportation, food and shelter but unfortunatly we haven't given it any respect - preferring instead to see it as a right - so we now live in an insular, enclosed, half existance ruled by disposable icons and spouting the mantra of 'freedom of choice', all the while missing the point that life is for living not watching.

This post is full of generalisations of course, but then i am talking about society in general - there will always be exceptions - thankfully.

[Mike]

I find it very interesting and it's not a "game show" like Are you Tough Enough.

FIRE...Me old mate........They are signing exSquaddies as I type....watch this space

[soldierandy]

...watch gash-hand go!!

well mate i beg to differ. I think it is good to portray the British forces as professional and effective as they are rather than all the bad publicity and the lack of patriotism that prevails nowadays. They might get the dithering public to support our troops for once rather than just protest.

Of course the programme didn't tell us anything most of us didn't know already even from CCF as one said. We know the hand signals and the OP drills. To the public though that is dead interesting. Did you expect a title like 'inside the soldier's pocketbook'?.WOW! that would get the public going! Also I don't find it particularly useful information for the 'enemy'. This info is in the public domain long before it is shown on a 'secrets' programme. It might make the enemy give up quicker more likely.

The whole interest in the SAS nowadays comes from 'Bravo Two Zero' not because of the story but because of how well the book was written. It became a best seller. Stories like that have been happening since the ancient greeks. (Incidentally the book 'Gates of Fire' about the greek-persian battle of thermopylae instigated a 'sword and sandal' resurgence in movies. books and TV. Only because it was such a bloody good read. It got people interested in more. )

Someone wrote a book about the SBS too but it wasn't good -not by strength by guile- which was boring for me never mind the public. Most civvies still don't know what SBS is. If the RM are upset about that then the Army shouldn't be upset about the SAS craze.

[gash-hand]

sorry soldier but i don't agree. The programs are deliberatly sensationalised otherwise they wouldn't attract any viewers as it would be too boring. Which as you say is fine if you're a dead head civvy, but all it really does is reinforce the view that unless you're in the sas you don't really do anything.

I think there's a marketing difference between bravo 2 zero and 'not by strength'. b20 was written by an ex sas member purly for the reason of making money, not by strenght was written by a professional author with consent of the sbs/mod - not by strenght was written to try and head off the situation which now afflicts the sas authors guild, it is noteable that within the ranks of the services and joe public there is a growing tide of critisism against all these tv programms and books. hereford is suffering a credability loss, sbs wanted to avoid this and largely has.

[gash-hand]

actually i stand corrected on 'not by strength', its not the book i was thinking of.

[Artist]

I do not even bother to click onto these programmes anymore.

From start to finish they seem to be much the same. (Dinger did that, Dusty did this, etc, etc,) Not my cup of tea at all.

Now, A recreation of the Pachevil riots Malta. Yes would watch that. All the Malt hardnuts getting a dicking...........great stuff! Never forget the sign outside "Pauls Punch Bowl" a few years later. ALL MEMBERS OF 41 CDORM ARE BANNED UNTILL FURTHER NOTICE. (the entire Brigade was there, but 41 got the flak)

One that I am enjoying is the Sunday Ray Mears ditty on the attack on the heavy water plant. Fact based and enjoyable. My Old CO from CDOLOG Ivor Hellberg's Uncle took part in it. And recreacted the event over 22 years ago.

And to be be honest seeing Norway in all it's glory brought back good memories.

Artist

[gash-hand]

Must admit to watching quite a few of Ray Mears programmes, he just tells it like it is without having to resort to inept, hair brained antics.