Drive to recruit reservists as SAS prepares for war
BRITAIN’S special forces are advertising for super-fit members of the public to join their ranks and fill shortages.
Anyone from civvy street can apply to join the SAS or SBS Reserves as long as they pass the training.
It comes as commanders fear low manning levels will hit their ability to participate in future covert operations.
The SAS and SBS usually rely on crack troops from the Paras or Royal Marines to provide most of their recruits.
But Armed Forces shortages have left the elite units just 65 per cent full – levels not seen since they were formed during the Second World War.
The crisis in recruitment comes with the need for their services across the Middle East, Africa and in Europe growing.
To combat this, adverts for reservists appeared in various military magazines last week.
“Special Forces Reserves – Recruiting Now”, the ad says, before providing an obscure email address for enquiries.
In Afghanistan, reservists were sent to Helmand and Kabul when the SAS and SBS needed to replace injured men.
A senior Army source said:
“We are in a difficult situation. Today, a lot of blokes serve four years in the regular units then leave. We need well-trained reservists to fill the gaps. They keep their civilian jobs and simply step forward to help us when we have capacity to fill and they are happy to deploy.
“If people want an exciting second career, then knock on our door. We need educated and fit volunteers.
“Their journey to get in will be a challenge but anything worth doing is often hard to achieve”
Those selected will be sent to an infantry unit to undertake the first two phases of their training before joining special forces units.
It will ensure they reach the basic fitness level and have qualified in all aspects of basic infantry training, from map reading to weapons training and military tactics.
Applicants then undergo six months of gruelling training before joining a selection course in South Wales, where they will spend four weeks being pushed to their limits.
Former SAS staff sergeant and TV celebrity Phil Campion said: “Our special forces are a strategic asset and to underestimate their importance to the well-being of this country and the people living in it is a mistake. But it’s wrong to say only Paras and Marines fit the bill. I knew a submariner in the SAS and he did very well.
“There will be extremely confident and able people out there who don’t have a military background.
“But if you have the grit, determination and courage to step up to that mantle, and if you can retain information and follow orders, you can be a real special forces asset.”
‘Journey will be a challenge’