Special Operations.Com

Australia's Special Air Service Regiment

By Thomas B. Hunter

In July 25 1957 the 1st Special Air Service was raised, the Company had a raised strength of 16 Officers and 168 Other ranks, then went on to become a fully fledged regiment within a few years. By 1964, an additional two companies had been added and it was renamed the Special Air Service Regiment. The SASR saw action in Borneo just a year later where it engaged in a widespread counterinsurgency campaign. Not long after this, some of its members were sent to Vietnam (although records indicate some may have been present as early as 1962) to aid in training the Australian Army. the AATV [Aust Army Trgteam ] were sent to help the MACV-SOG and did a lot of "in the hills living and training the Montagnards They also started training the US Military and the "Recondo Jungle Course " they had , which were based on lessons learned in the Malayan Confrontation, in the 50's and Borneo [60's]. The US Army under Westmoreland ordered the Course mandatory for SF and Recon units . Members of the AATV included members of the SAS and [other specialists] and this small Unit won 4 Victoria Crosses, [the Equiv. Medal of Honor]. The AATV also were attached to US SF Mike -Force teams. They became the most highly decorated unit in the Australian Army, mind you some had also fought in Korea and even WW11. The SAS in Vietnam had a 500 to 1 kill ratio. After the War in Nam ended, the unit dwindled to 2 Sabre Sqn's , these being 1 and 3, and 2 Sqn re-formed around 1983.

Of interest from an historical point the enemy in the "Confrontation", or The Malayan "Konfrontasi" where the Allies tried to keep Communism out of Indonesia and Malaysia. the beret badge of the Indonesian RPKAD , the main adversaries who often came off second best , is still retained by the much hated KOPASSUS Commando, blamed for much death and destruction now in East Timor.

By the time the Vietnam War was over, the Regiment had racked up an amazing record and had established itself as a player in the special operations arena. Peacetime led to a reduction from three Sabre Squadrons to two, not including a new Training Squadron and an Operations Research Unit. During this time, special attention was given to countering the increasingly visible international terrorist incidents which were occurring with regularity. This group is one of two units responsible for counterterrorism in Australia, the other being 4 Commando which is the new unit that will help provide extra CT capability, 1 Commando Regt is still the Reserve Unit. Specifically, the task has been assigned to a particular unit within the SAS known as the Tactical Assault Group (TAG).

It should be noted that TAG was formed first, then the Offshore Installations Assault Group (OAG) task was also added, putting enormous pressure on the Regiment and the CT Sqn. In other countries like the UK you have the SBS and Royal marine Commando as well as the SAS to conduct those 2 roles. In the USA, for example, Delta, SEAL Team 6 (Dev Group) and other units all share CT responsibility. In Australia, however, this meant the skill levels of the CT Squadron were extremely high having to perform the dual roles. The TAG was formed in late 1979. The original Teams, Land Assault and the Water Assault were known as Gauntlet [Land] and Nullah [Water, an Aboriginal word], after 1985 they changed simply to A and B Troops. The Clearance Divers were initially an integral and important part of the CT Team and had to pass vigorous induction even though their own is tough. Around 110 CD's passed through the gates at Swanbourne and the CD's are accepted as members of the SAS Association. There are reports that an off-shoot of the original OAG remains, designated the OAT, or the Offshore Assault Team. Initially, twenty divers from the RAN Clearance Diving Teams switched branches to the SASR to help man the new unit. OAT, as the name suggests, specializes in maritime assaults; including ships, ferries, and oil rigs. OAT is considered a separate but equal element of TAG.

All members who go onto the CT Teams , have already passed the SAS Selection Course and have served at least 2 years in the Regiment before they can attempt CT Selection. The SAS Selection course now runs in tandem with the Commando one in the Eastern States, the Commandos do a 3 week section along with those prospective SAS applicants, and if the prospective SAS candidates pass this 3 weeks they do 3 more, then they go to Swanbourne for the year long "cut-throat" series of courses that will enable them to become a "basic" Sabre Sqn trooper. The TAG/ OAG , with the exception of the Royal Australian Navy CD's therefore were already hardened Operators in the Regiments normal, " Roles and Tasks", these being the usual jungle, desert and anywhere they are req to go skills. (CD's were Royal Aust Navy and were held in high regard by the SAS men.) TAG/OAT operators are HALO/HAHO qualified, and are proficient at heliborne insertions as well. TAG's training facilities include advanced outdoor close quarters battle ranges, an urban CT complex, aircraft mock-ups, and snipers ranges. The SASR also makes use of the dry savannah woodland of the High Range Training Area. This range is located approximately 40 kilometers west of Townsville and is used extensively for counterterrorist training. There are currently 550 (approximately 200 in TAG) members of the SASR which is headquartered at Campbell Barracks in the Perth suburb of Swanbourne, Australia. The CT mock-ups in Perth and outside of Perth in West Australia and in the Eastern States are reportedly the envy of the world's CT units, many of whom come here to conduct training.

Cross-training with other countries is not uncommon; Australian officers are permanently assigned to both Fort Bragg and Little Creek, NAB. They also have a close relationship with the British SAS which has been shared since 1957. Cross training has also occurred with the New Zealand SAS, Germany's GSG-9 and others. Contrary to popular belief, the SASR is used in covert operations abroad, despite the rumors of a general governmental reluctance to conduct such operations. Another secretive Role is called SRO or Special Recovery Operations.

After Vietnam with the CT Roles and newer forms of Parachuting and Training the SAS has lost more here than in Combat. In the worst Australian peacetime military disaster, 15 SASR troopers SASR were killed and five injured in the crash of two Blackhawk helicopters near Townsville in 1996. The Blackhawks from 5 Aviation Regiment were participating in a six-ship counterterrorist exercise (code named Day Rota) when two helicopters collided while flying at between 90 and 100 knots approximately 30 meters off the ground ay night. The SASR members had opened the doors of the aircraft and were preparing to exit via fast-rope when the main rotor blade struck the tail rotor of the lead. The aircraft plummeted to the ground and burst into flames, killing all on board (all were carrying live ammunition, which contributed to the ferocity of the fire). The second aircraft crashed moments later killing five, but most of the crew managed to escape before it too exploded. The remaining Blackhawk were used to medevac the injured troopers to nearby Townsville General Hospital.

Prior to this incident, the SAS had lost a total of 32 operators since the unit's inception in 1957. Six were killed in action in Vietnam and three during operations in Borneo (see below). This does not count those brave soldiers who have died whilst attempting to pass the SAS Selection course). After Vietnam with the CT Roles and newer forms of Parachuting and Training the SAS has lost more here than in Combat.

The SASR is on active service in East Timor at the time of this writing (December 1999).

Borneo

1 Died , when gored to death by an elephant that actually "stalked the Patrol" for 2 days
2 Died, in river crossings (drowned)

Vietnam

1 died of Encephalitis
1 fell from rope on a "hot extraction" (The only body never recovered was the man that fell from the Rope on the Hot Extrc, even though a vigorous search was carried out ,all they found was his rifle, The SAS did not like to leave anyone behind dead or alive.)
3 died when accidentally killed on active service in Nam (a troopie went for a "recce", in Nam and on return to the LUP [Laying Up Point] did not come back via the compass bearing and route he was supposed to , and an alert [ in very close jungle] SAS Patrol member shot him , these are the things that happen when experienced men make one small mistake.)
1 died seven months later of infection of wounds from action in Vietnam.

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