VarSity

There is a report in a British Newspaper today that the head of the SAS, has been sacked for going on operations with his men and putting himself in harms way.

What is everyone's opinion of this?

The way I understand it, all SAS troops, including offices, have to start from the rank of trooper and work up again. However I very much doubt that this is the case for the overall CO (I could be wrong).

Maybe it was a good idea to get his hands dirty and see what his men go through...

(EDIT: Just though this migh have been better in the 'field mess'. It can be moved if an admin thinks thats best.)

Stan187

This reminds me of Stargate SG-1 episode where O'Neill gets the job offer to be head of the SGC, but then he's not sure because he still likes going on missions, and then his comrades tell him that he could still go on missions if he wanted too, because he'd be the one giving the orders to everyone and no one could tell him otherwise.

Apologies for the threadjack... I'm just nostalgic for SG-1 and Jack O'Neill

__________________
In Iran people belive pepsi stands for pay each penny save israel. -urmomma158
The Russian Navy is still a threat, but only to those unlucky enough to be Russian sailors.-highsea

dave angel

its possible i suppose, 22SAS officers have a rather dicotomous role within the regiment, they are expected to do everything their men do, yet the regiment is famous for its 'WO's and SNCO's run the regiment and its ops and woe betied any officer who sticks his nose in' ethos.

Captains, should they pass selection, become troop commanders. they are there to learn and provide an extra body for the Troop Sergeant to use as he sees fit. they join the regiment for 3 years and are then RTU'd where they are expected to excell. if the regiment likes them they may be invited back after a few years to take an OC's job, again for three years, only if they do really well as a Sqn Cdr and in whatever job they do after they leave the regiment for the second time would they be considered as CO 22SAS.

its therefore almost certain that the CO will have at minimum 2 tours within the regiment under his belt before he takes up the CO's job, the first of which will have been very hands on and in the second he will of had to have engendered real trust from those around him. the WO's, SNCO's and Other Ranks join the regiment in their mid-twenties as Corporals and Lance-Corporals and - barring major mishap - stay there.

given the structure, that the WO's, NCO's and OR's are permament while the officers are 'transitory' you can see how the WO's and Sergeants Mess has enormous clout within the regiment - particularly as the regiment is very often short of Officers anyway.

__________________
before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.................... then when you do criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

pdf27

Depends which story you read - the one I read this morning said his time was up with the SAS. he didn't think anything else in the army would give him anything like as much of a sense of achievement so he was leaving for private industry. Where, the article went on to elaborate, he could expect to earn a very great deal of money indeed.

__________________
Rule 1: Never trust a Frenchman
Rule 2: Treat all members of the press as French

Officer of Engineers

Translation: He p!ssed off too many people to make full Colonel.

__________________
Chimo

Stan187

That's really interesting how they put people back in their unit, but it makes sense, they only keep the best. I wonder how much SAS knowledge/technique actually gets cross-trained to the guys who are in units to which ex-operators have been RTU'd

glyn

__________________
Semper in excretum. Solum profunda variat.

dave angel

certainly whenever i've come into contact with officers who done tours with THEM i've noticed - on the whole - those officers to be more relaxed with their men, more likely to encourage and applaud personal initiative from the most junior ranks, and be a very odd mix of officer and troop Sergeant - that is one who is able to let his NCO's get on with the job because he has absolute confidence in them, yet has the somewhat ferocious weapons and field skills not normally associated with the Officers Mess.

soldiers tend to flock around them for the above reasons, but the 'skills transfer' shouldn't be taken too far, 22SAS are quite vociferous about not being an 'uber-infantry unit', indeed they publicly maintain that for a number of the operations they conducted in A'stan a decent county infantry regiment would of been better suited and would probably have achieved better results than they did.

personally i wouldn't absolutely disregard a political angle on this story, assuming it has some element of truth it, remember the events surrounding Tpr Ben Griffen...

Officer of Engineers

It certainly is a ticket puncher to have commanded the 22SAS. Generally speaking, how many go onto becoming brigade Colonel?

lemontree

Sir,
Most Para officers have a fine knack of pissing off the Generals who matter. They are straight forward people and don't believe in semantics.

__________________

Cheers!...on the rocks!!

VarSity

It does seem a shame the SAS seem to becoming a post boy. I was in the Amry recruiting office last month, and they have a bit in one of their mag's (which gives a brief overview on a number of roles) and they has a big on the SAS.

It was actually saying that after a couple of years you can apply for the SAS. They are using the Regiment as a recruiting tool! As if anyone who reads that article is going to apply and get in. They made it sound easy!! GRrrrrrrrr

Also every time we deploy troops, they are saying "Its ok, the SAS are going". Sorry? Why? What?

dave angel

they don't have a full colonel position within the set-up, its CO 22SAS then Director Special Forces, a Brigadier.

i can't imagine anyone being appointed DSF without having been CO 22SAS - or the equivilent from the SRR or SBS, but if you think of the time between leaving the CO's job and being touched for DSF (six years maybe) theres probably a lot of potential candidates who leave the cake, Lt. Col is a natural leaving position and the cash being offered in the private world for such serious people would make your bank managers eyes bleed - added to which of course is the job satisfaction element.

TehJesusLizard

My opinion?
A officer should always lead from the front.
It dosent matter what rank you are you should lead from the front.

Officer of Engineers

And get into the Sgt's way.

TehJesusLizard

Well obviously!
Their setting an entire course up for that at RMC i believe....