Delta Force, SAS, Mossad. They are all special forces regiments for their respective countries. They are a highly trained elite which governments spend millions on their training and development.
Where did the Special Forces originate?
David Stirling, a Scottish officer served with a commando unit in Africa behind enemy lines in the early years of World War Two, and saw that the potential for a small, highly trained group of people would be huge and could give the Germans a lot of problems. He founded the Special Air Service (SAS) in 1941.
Alongside the SAS, another group was made, the Special Boat Service (SBS) which is a branch of the Royal Marines which specializes in marine insertion and warfare.
When did the Special Forces really come into the public eye?
In truth, the term "special forces" has been in use since World War Two, when David Stirling founded the SAS
Most people would have become interested and curious about the special forces in 1980, when six armed Iranian terrorists from the "Democratic Liberation Front for the Liberation of Arabistan"took over the Iranian Embassy in London. They demanded that 91 Arab prisoners be freed from Iran. These demands were immediately refused by Iran.
Inside the building were 26 people including a police officer. The terrorists maintained that they would kill the hostages if their demands were not met. By the afternoon, the counter terrorist element of the SAS (B Squadron at the time) was on its way to London.
The police negotiators spoke with the leader, who is known as Oan for five days, but no agreement was made. During this time, the SAS were preparing an assault using a detailed model of the building.
On the 5 May 1980 at 7:00pm the dead body of the Iranian Press Attaché was dumped outside the door.
This was the time for the SAS to move. Just before 7:30pm, eight SAS troopers rappelled from the roof on a balcony of the first floor. The team threw in stun grenades and made entry.
The soldiers who had done the same at the rear could not use explosives because one of their men had got stuck on his rope, so they had to use a sledgehammer.
Five of the six terrorists were killed or injured during the assault, and one hid with the hostages but was caught later on.
How can you get into the Special Forces?
The selection process of the SAS is a useful example, as most special forces regiments around the world have been based on it.
Because the SAS is an airborne regiment, it mainly recruits from the Parachute Regiment. The process, from application to being given the famous beret takes nearly two years.
To even be allowed to apply for selection, the soldier must have already served a minimum of three years in a normal army regiment.
Phase one training, is three weeks of roads runs and cross country marches. Test Week, as it is known is the conclusion of phase one. It consists of a number of 30-40km forced marches and finally the ‘Fan Dance’ which is a gruelling 60km hike across the Brecon Beacons. This is when most recruits drop out and are returned to their units. Out of every 125 who started, only 10 are allowed to pass onto phase two.
Phase Two lasts four weeks and is conducted in the jungles of Brunei. It involves first aid training, survival training and navigation.
The last part of selection is the escape and evasion exercise. The remaining recruits are split up into groups of four or five people. They are then released and have to meet an ‘informant’ who will give them the next checkpoint and also new supplies.
The catch is that they are being chased by members of the parachute regiment who want to catch them.
When (not if) they are caught they have to get through a 24 hour interrogation exercise where they may only answer with the following answers:
- · Name
- · Rank
- · Number
- · Date of Birth
If they give away any other information then they fail. When the bag that is on their head for most of this ordeal is ripped off, a beige beret is sitting on the table in front of them. The candidate is now considered to be an SAS trooper but his training considers throughout his time with the regiment.
Are the Special Forces actually like they are pictured in the media?
The simple answer is no. The Iranian Embassy incident has seemed to brand the idea that the SAS and other special forces are always leaping of buildings, being "hollywood" style heroes and always succeeding. This is not the case. Many missions that special forces soldiers carry out are incredibly dangerous. If they are caught, they face torture methods such as waterboarding and electrocution.
Many of the missions a special forces soldier will carry out will be solo, he will have no one to support him, boost his morale or help him if he gets injured.
Many of the missions that a special forces soldier is issued will be deniable. This means, if he is caught, that the country that sent him will not accept any liability and deny any involvement in the mission.
A special forces soldier cannot show his face in the media, or he will have to be returned to his unit because an enemy may recognise him if he is undercover.
Sources:
Ultimate Special Forces-Hugh McMann
SAS Rescue ends Iranian Embassy seige-BBC NEWS
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