United Kingdom

Reserve Special Forces Units

 

Britain's Reserve Forces consist of the:

Royal Naval Reserve

Royal Marines Reserve

Territorial Army

Royal Aux Air Force

 

However it is the TA and Royal Marines Reserve which has true SF units.

The TA has two Regiments of the Special Air Service 21 (Artists) in London and the south, 23 in the North and Midlands. They are supported by 63 SAS signal Squadron and the Medical Support Section.  Selection for 21 & 23 SAS consists of a pre selection weekend during which potential recruits come from other TA units and a few straight from civilian life.  Training is done at weekly "drill" nights and at weekends, about twice a month, for little over a year.

Those who have completed this stage are then put through the "Q" course at the end of which they will be awarded their Sand berets. Everyone will then go on to complete parachute training along with servicemen from other units before doing continuation training - jungle warfare, artic survival and specialist skills Signals, Patrol Medic, Engineer etc.

63 SAS Sig Sqdn and the Medical Support Section differ in that not every soldier completes the "Q" course and Parachute Training, however the initial selection and training is very strenuous and only a small proportion make it. Whilst no previous experience is required for the Sig Sqdn, the medics of the RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps) must have completed their Combat Medical Technician class 1 (CMT1) course and another medical specialisation, this usually takes several years.

 

Apart from the SAS group there is a little known Regiment called the HAC (Honourable Artillery Company) it has a Long Range Surveillance and Target Acquisition role, the only reserve unit in NATO with such a task. Its instructors and permanent staff are members of the regular 22 SAS Regiment and in overall training it is very similar to the TA SAS Regiments. To support training of the three Sabre Squadrons there is a Gun Battery with the 105mm light gun and a Signal Squadron (which is similar to 63 SAS Sig Sqdn) like the SAS Training lasts about a year and ends in a "Q" or qualification course. However there is no parachute role as such, (although a great many of the men are trained Paras, having come from 10th (V) Bn the Parachute Regiment, others are Commando trained since 289 Commando Battery and the Naval Gunfire Support Troop of the Royal Artillery both units were disbanded last year.)

 

The Royal Marines Reserve is different to the TA because it provides individual replacements to regular units rather than whole formed units to the RM order of battle. Training is done at the various detachments during the "drill nights" in addition to which there is also a weekly Sports session. Weekends, twice a month, are held at the Commando Training Centre Lympstone or in the field. At the end of a year those who have survived will complete a two week phase one course and after a second year, of more intensive and specialist training, the Commando course on completion of which they will be awarded the Green beret. There is also a TA Commando Engineer Squadron and Commando Medics of the Royal Naval Reserve. At some stage everyone is expected to compete artic warfare training and serve with a regular unit. Some members will go off and join the Royal Marines Special Boat Squadron.