Full time soldier or 21&23 sas(r) route into the 22nd sa

[flying ninja]

What does everyone think is the best way, would the full time soldier (eg para, infantry, marine etc) would make a better trooper in the 22nd sas or would someone from the 21st or 23rd sas(r) make a better trooper?

Just curious to what everyones opinion is

[Trooper4]

Full time soldier

[morky]

i dont really understand the whole concept of 'part time' special forces.

ive been looking online for somewhere to read up about it, but naturally there isnt much information knocking about.

i gather 'chris ryan' was 23 wasnt he? did he have experience as a regular before that?

[flying ninja]

yeh i think Chris Ryan was 23rd with no previous military experience, then joined the para's then tried for 22nd.

[morky]

yeh i think Chris Ryan was 23rd with no previous military experience, then joined the para's then tried for 22nd.

see, i just dont understand it myself.

unless a civilian is highly skilled in something that the special forces might specifically need at sometime and it would be more efficient to train him up than to train a serving member in the trade/skill.

apart from that, i really dont get it.

[Spooky]

If someone can pass selection into 21/23 and then apply for and pass selection into 22, who are any of us to judge wheather or not they are any less of a SF soldier when the selection staff have deemed them suitable for entry into 22?

[Alfa]

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.

[borisimo]

I don't know much about how 21 and 23 and SBS R works but from what i have have seen the commitment is nothing like TA standards and can work out in excess of 100 days a year. One person I know of had no other commitments, he had his job and 21, no family and spent the majority of his spare time training.

http://www.army.mod.uk/uksf/special_for ... e_/sbs.htm

[Alfa]

I know without doubt they work hard mate but you've just said it yourself that your only talking of 100 days training a year now while that may be good for the TA it only works out at 20 weeks a year where as regulars would be doing twice that much.

I'm not knocking them just saying I find it hard to understand how they can get to a comparable level to the regular SAS. Obviously I know they're not suppose to be at the same level but they would have to be pretty good to be able to fit in with a team on an operation with such little training.

[neil1955]

All candidates for British Special Forces go through the same SELECTION process.
21&23 SAS have a differnt role,22 SAS do all the gucchi stuff and quite right to they work a lot harder they have the time it is thier only JOB.
If a quallified Sabre SQN member from 21 or 23 is going to work with 22 they are given suitable extra training before going into the field.
If you want to know what the roll of 21&23 is there is SELECTION then about 1 year of continuation trg, after that you will be entitled to know untill then you dont NEED TO KNOW and your opinions dont matter.
This is not speculation or guesswork I did 10 years in 23 I know what they train for and how hard.

[Mike_222]

Continuation is one year long Neil?

[neil1955]

It all depends how much time you can devote to attending the various courses LLRPS sigs (morse urrgh)etc it took me just over six months some took less some took more,dont forget as a TA soldier you are constantly juggling your commitments 1st pay the mortage second make sure FAMILY is ok I had two young daughters to bring up! then fit in as many weekends as possible oh and the two week courses, parachuting etc Iwas in 3 Para before doing selection so it was not as much of a shock for me but some folks had a differant level of committment and took longer some were single and on the dole and used it as a full time job. the courses you can go on are many and varied if you have the time

[dave4]

for a bit of insight into 21 & 23 try reading 'the quiet soldier' by adam ballinger. its a pretty good read, just ignore the sections about him reminiscing of his travels!

[King_duck]

Yeh - I really liked the bits about 'Adam Ballinger' knocking out sub 6 minute miles for 10+ miles. He probably had a bergen on as well but didnt want to include that incase it came across as unrealistic.

KD