UK Joint Special Forces Selection is the selection and training process for members of the United Kingdom's three regular

Special Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

formations: 22 Special Air Service, Special Air Service Reserve,

Special Boat Service The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Roya ...

, and

Special Reconnaissance Regiment The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) is a special reconnaissance unit of the British Army. It was established on 6 April 2005 and is part of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF). The regiment conducts a wide range of classified activitie ...

and the SBS (Reserve). Members of the SAS and SBS undergo common selection up to the award of a sand-coloured beret to SAS Troopers, whereupon SBS candidates undergo further selection to qualify as Swimmer Canoeists, and SAS personnel undergo further specialist training. Until the late 1990s candidates for the SAS and SBS underwent selection separately. Selection takes place in the

Brecon Beacons The Brecon Beacons ( cy, Bannau Brycheiniog, ) are a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of Old Red Sandstone peaks which lie to the south of Brecon. Sometimes referred to as "the central Beacons" t ...

and

Elan Valley The Elan Valley ( cy, Cwm Elan) is a river valley situated to the west of Rhayader, in Powys, Wales, sometimes known as the "Welsh Lake District". It covers of lake and countryside. The valley contains the Elan Valley Reservoirs and Elan Villag ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, and in the

jungle A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...

, taking around six months to complete. Selection is held twice a year regardless of conditions.

History

In 1955, following the re-formation of a regular SAS Regiment an efficient and comprehensive system for selecting men for it was needed. This was jointly developed by Majors Stuart Perry and Clarence “Dare” Newell with advice from Lt Col David Lloyd Owen. In contrast to the regular Army’s emphasis on team work, the formal selection approach combined

David Stirling Sir Archibald David Stirling (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990) was a Scottish officer in the British army, a mountaineer, and the founder and creator of the Special Air Service (SAS). He saw active service during the Second World War. ...

’s requirements of fitness and endurance with the

Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...

’s need for initiative when alone in the field. The selection criteria that were finally agreed upon included initiative, self-discipline, independent thinking and the ability to work without supervision, stamina, patience, and a sense of humour. The

was chosen as the location for the selection procedure because it offered suitably rugged terrain, had good local shooting ranges, and was not far from the base in

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

References

British Army training Military selection in the United Kingdom Special forces selection {{DEFAULTSORT:Joint_Special_Forces_Selection

History

See also

References