Officer Selection For The SAS

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Did any one see the article in the Sunday Telegraph were junior Officers were complaing that when they apply to join the SAS they have to be approved by the sergeants of this Unit. If the sergeants give the thumbs down they are out. It was explained by the MOD the Officers come and go, the sergeants are there for years and know more than the junior officers so the sergeants need to able to work with these officers so they have the last say. HAS SOME ONE SEEN THE LIGHT.

[chunky from york]

Tab.

Service in the SAS is voluntary and is in three year engagements as an other rank, up to RSM theses are back to back and continuous

Regular Officers do three year contracts as well usually 2/LT or LT on joining and then made up to Captain for three years, then volunteer and may be taken on as Squadron Major then may be asked to come back as LT.Col in charge o fa Regiment.

Reserve officers can join as an officer and be 'promoted' to Lt. then have to pass Lt. to Cpt. exam or be promoted from the ranks to Officer Cadet, then 2LT and then you are to take the LT. to Cpt. exam within a year.

The one big thing in keeping your rank or promotion is how well you do on your Lt to Cpt exam in General Legal, Q, Admin etc is the test exercise. You have to prepare as squadron exercise including night time para insertion into a friendly country. You then brief the exercise to a panel of senior Regular Nico's and accept what is intended as friendly criticism or given the slightest sign of weakness the worst bollocking you will ever receive in your life.

This has been the Case ever since the SAS Selection was developed and will continue. So why anyone thought it had changed is beyond me, I left in 1983 and believe that not a single officer passed selection in '83,'84 or '85,

Remember rank awarded in the SAS is only any good while serving in the SAS

Regular Officers have 'career' structure and serving in 22 is only part of a life in th Army.

A SNCO in 22 who is RTU'd forcibly or voluntarily reverts to his original rank which could be L/Cpl or however

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Thanks for the information Chunky

[Contractor]

Barlow -lardy

Your input deleted - grow up.

[mike_B]

Chunky, I was under the impression that they want more experienced officers when they join, usually already a captain....how long will an officer usually serve before attemptiing selection.

[chunky from york]

Mike B,

Like everyone else, a minimum of three years, for some strange reason, you will find with the SAS the answer is usually '3' or '4'.

[mike_B]

You may have misinterpreted me.

What i meant was, how long would an officer usually wait, regardless of the required time. I heard the average age for entry as an officer is between 26-28. I don't know how true this is.

[chunky from york]

Mike B


You forget the sheer amount of 'things' you have to good at, even with the the help of the SNCO's as they have their own jobs to do as well. So you have to balance 'experience' on the one hand with 'youth' on the other and fit into an Officers Career Path.

Once again, not many people have that mindset or fit into the profile, easy it ain't!!!!!!!

[judy29]

chunky, how long were you in the regt for?

[chunky from york]

Judy I joined 'B' Squadron 23SAS (V) in Leeds in 1968 and passed selection in 1969, I was Commissioned in 1970 and eventually left in 1983, to help my wife when daughter No 1 was born. Ironically within 6 months I was offered a job in Saudi that I could not refuse and spent the best part of 4 years out there!

[TinCanMan]

this is me being even more nosey chunky but wot was the or wot did it involve as i am joining the paras but do have some reservations about wot work i do after the army

[davo141]

hello fellas,
just wondering, sorry if this had been covered before but i must ask for some reason!

if you left in 1983, did you have a role, active of passive in the embassy siege?

cheers, davo

[chunky from york]

Davo,



The only balcony I have ever been on was attached to a hotel in Cyprus. Ahhh the brandy sours