BRITAIN’S elite Special Forces are advertising for the super-fit to join their ranks and plug crucial gaps in the front lines.
Anyone from civvy street can apply to join the SAS or SBS Reserves – as long as they pass the training.
it comes as SF commanders fear low manning levels are impacting 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 next recruits.
But shortages across the Armed Forces have left SF ranks just 65 percent full – levels not experienced since they were formed during the Second World War.
In the meantime, the need for their services across the Middle East, Africa and both Northern and Eastern Europe is growing.
To combat this, adverts for reservists have appeared across various military magazines last week.
In typical fashion, they are to the point: “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, or carry out more tasks.
But today’s shortages mean such replacements are less possible.
“We are in a difficult situation”, said a senior army source .“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 that is worth doing is often hard to achieve”
Those selected from civvy street will be sent to the nearest infantry unit to undertake Phase 1 and 2 Training before re-joining Special Forces units, ensuring they reach the basic level of fitness 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.”
