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Joining the SAS
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alex4013
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Tartan_Terrier
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Oh I feel goodTartan_Terrier wrote:com·man·do (kə-măn'dō)
n., pl. -dos or -does.
1. A small fighting force specially trained for making quick destructive raids against enemy-held areas.
A member of such a force.
2. An organized force of Boer troops in South Africa.
A raid made by such a force.
, thanks Tartan.Stinky, Tartan Terrier,
Nice use of the dictionnary to support the argument but by that logic so are Al Quaeda and a myriad of others and I don't think you would grace them with the title of Commando.
It is the accepted thinking in the British Forces that the title Commando is reserved for those forces who have done the Commando test (which have not changed since WW2). Are the SAS excellent soldiers? Yes! Are they Commando? No! (other than those who had already done the Commando course). As anyone in the SAS and they will back this up not that they are likely to give a hoot about such a debate.
Rgds,
Von
Nice use of the dictionnary to support the argument but by that logic so are Al Quaeda and a myriad of others and I don't think you would grace them with the title of Commando.
It is the accepted thinking in the British Forces that the title Commando is reserved for those forces who have done the Commando test (which have not changed since WW2). Are the SAS excellent soldiers? Yes! Are they Commando? No! (other than those who had already done the Commando course). As anyone in the SAS and they will back this up not that they are likely to give a hoot about such a debate.
Rgds,
Von
[quote]Commando Party called out for military service, body of troops; (member of) unit of British amphibious shock troops; member of similar troops elsewhere,[/quote]
Within the UK forces the title of Commando is given to those who have passed the Commando course, be it Royal Marines or those having passed the All Arms course.
The Green Beret being the main identifiying item of a Commando.
The SAS are not Commandos.
Tartan_Terrier, Stinky.
Sugest you look at the history of the Commandos and the SAS
Rover
Within the UK forces the title of Commando is given to those who have passed the Commando course, be it Royal Marines or those having passed the All Arms course.
The Green Beret being the main identifiying item of a Commando.
The SAS are not Commandos.
Tartan_Terrier, Stinky.
Sugest you look at the history of the Commandos and the SAS
Rover
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paddlequack
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Read the History of Commandos and realize the Green Beret is the minutest part of the commandos...
Read the whole history of the Marines and how they started, their struggle to survive as every war that ended so did they, but when a new war came along they were reformed again just at the click of a finger, and at the beginning of world war 2 they had the first ever 'commando tests' and started to become the elite, these were the times when they really started to earn their name (Commandos). And the Green beret was a chance thing that happened when 'apparently' they found some green cloth blah blah and so the history is written. Not the 'be all and end all' of commando-ism?
I think that if you really look into it the term/word Commando really sums up the expertise and professionalism of a soldier and the abilities they have to exercise an assault, and also the camaraderie with their fellow brothers in arms.
And if you're a person whose particular in detail a commando is summed up by the person who pledged the name to the 'commandos', that person being Sir Winston Churchill who took the name from the South African 'Commando's who took him as a POW during the 'Boer War' i believe and he liked their professionalism and brotherhood that much that he named his 'elite' troops after them.
My physical understanding of english is pretty good although my conveying it from my head into words is pretty pish!!, so excuse any grammatical errors but i mean this in the best intentions to show that the corps means more than just Green Beret even though my own personal desires would like more than anything to have that amazing prize!
Read the whole history of the Marines and how they started, their struggle to survive as every war that ended so did they, but when a new war came along they were reformed again just at the click of a finger, and at the beginning of world war 2 they had the first ever 'commando tests' and started to become the elite, these were the times when they really started to earn their name (Commandos). And the Green beret was a chance thing that happened when 'apparently' they found some green cloth blah blah and so the history is written. Not the 'be all and end all' of commando-ism?
I think that if you really look into it the term/word Commando really sums up the expertise and professionalism of a soldier and the abilities they have to exercise an assault, and also the camaraderie with their fellow brothers in arms.
And if you're a person whose particular in detail a commando is summed up by the person who pledged the name to the 'commandos', that person being Sir Winston Churchill who took the name from the South African 'Commando's who took him as a POW during the 'Boer War' i believe and he liked their professionalism and brotherhood that much that he named his 'elite' troops after them.
My physical understanding of english is pretty good although my conveying it from my head into words is pretty pish!!, so excuse any grammatical errors but i mean this in the best intentions to show that the corps means more than just Green Beret even though my own personal desires would like more than anything to have that amazing prize!
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Alfa
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Yet another fantastic SF thread with no knit picking or arguing over small details in it whatsoever
As T_T stated Commando is a generic term for "a member of a small fighting force specially trained for making quick destructive raids against enemy-held areas." This is the very definition of the word and if you fit the definition then you can rightly be labled a Commando saying otherwise is simply ignoring basic fact.
World wide Commando is applied to various different units including all special forces. Rover and Von are right in that the UK military doesn't call the SAS Commandos but to say the term doesn't apply to them is like saying a Vert berret isn't the same as a Green one as we don't use vert as a colour in English.
Von's also right about missuses of the title Commando, for example, there were many mercenary units which described themselves (or were described by others) as such throughout Africa in the 60's & 70's.
But does any of this really matter??
As T_T stated Commando is a generic term for "a member of a small fighting force specially trained for making quick destructive raids against enemy-held areas." This is the very definition of the word and if you fit the definition then you can rightly be labled a Commando saying otherwise is simply ignoring basic fact.
World wide Commando is applied to various different units including all special forces. Rover and Von are right in that the UK military doesn't call the SAS Commandos but to say the term doesn't apply to them is like saying a Vert berret isn't the same as a Green one as we don't use vert as a colour in English.
Von's also right about missuses of the title Commando, for example, there were many mercenary units which described themselves (or were described by others) as such throughout Africa in the 60's & 70's.
But does any of this really matter??
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paddlequack
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An interesting 'spin' by some people.
A friend of mine in the FO was offen heard to say, " Find me someone who understands".
It seems that Van is the only one that does understand.
As regards the remarks concerning 'nit picking' and to question if 'any of this really matters'!
Well yes.
It does matter and it is not 'nit picking'.
Perhaps one day some people maybe in a position to understand this.
Rover
A friend of mine in the FO was offen heard to say, " Find me someone who understands".
It seems that Van is the only one that does understand.
As regards the remarks concerning 'nit picking' and to question if 'any of this really matters'!
Well yes.
It does matter and it is not 'nit picking'.
Perhaps one day some people maybe in a position to understand this.
Rover
Hello Stinky,
No offence taken.
I believe part of the task of this site is to help people with no service knowledge to understand those with.
At times people are dealing both with a generation gap and the service/civvy mind set. Not an easy situation from whatever your background.
Life is a learning curve and you never stop learning no matter your age. :
Just do not get me started on text speak.
Rover
No offence taken.
I believe part of the task of this site is to help people with no service knowledge to understand those with.
At times people are dealing both with a generation gap and the service/civvy mind set. Not an easy situation from whatever your background.
Life is a learning curve and you never stop learning no matter your age. :
Just do not get me started on text speak.
Rover
By definition they are...Rover wrote: The SAS are not Commandos.
1. A small fighting force specially trained for making quick destructive raids against enemy-held areas.
A member of such a force.
It was Von that brought up the whole 'Royal Marines Commandos are not commandos, it is only their title' thing.
It is hard to say I think about the Royal Marines, my username is Stinky even though I am not infact stinky (well sometimes maybe
), it's just a sort of title, like Navy Seals are not actully 'seals'. But Royal means royal, marine means something to do with the sea (or something), and is it just a coincidence that the title Commando just so happened to be in the dictionary which discribes exactly what they do? That's like my username being Stinky and me actully being stinky but my username stinky is not because I am actully stinky, it's just a title. In no online dictionary I look at (only 3 so far) none of them have related Commando to the Royal Marines, just stated it's definition. I mean no offence intended, I am keeping open minded, just I am trying to see it the most logic way I can. Sorry rover I deleted my earlier post, I feel this one explains more.
Last edited by Stinky on Sat 13 Oct, 2007 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Tartan_Terrier
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