Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Meeting the Essential Requirements
• Part 2 of 3: Walking through the selection process
• Part 3 of 3: Preparing for the Exercise

The SAS (Special Air Service) is an elite unit of the British military. The main SAS is recruited only from the British Armed Forces, never from the general population. Training for 5 months and further, the selection for SAS is rigorous and intensive. For every 125 soldiers who wish to join the ranks of the SAS, only 10 are selected. Only the toughest, strongest and most submissive candidates become SAS military personnel. If you think you have the required qualities, review step 1 to begin learning how to qualify and learn.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Meeting the Essential Requirements

1. 1 Become a member of Her Majesty's military forces. SAS does not recruit civilians outside of its reserves. To be eligible to join the SAS, you must be an official member of one of the security forces of the British Armed Forces - either the Naval Service (with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines), the British Army, or the Royal Air Force.
   • Please note that each service has its own enrollment and training requirements, which can be quite high on their own. For example, the main training regimen for the British Army is 26 weeks and includes rigorous physical training and tactical drills.
   • Also note, like other services in the British Armed Forces, the SAS accepts candidates from member countries of the British Commonwealth (such as Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, etc.)
2. 2 Alternatively, serve as a SAS Reservist for 18 months. Another way to qualify for SAS membership is to join one of the SAS reserve regiments (21st and 23rd) and serve in the reserve for 18 months. Because, unlike, in fact, SAS, SAS reserves are recruiting civilian recruits, this represents a relatively direct route to SAS for a civilian applicant.
3. 3 You need to be a healthy man between the ages of 18 and 32. The SAS selection process is one of the most challenging military training programs in the world. Its purpose is to test candidates to the utmost limit of their physical and mental abilities. Although rare, there are cases when candidates die in the selection process. Due to the extreme learning environment, only healthy young people in excellent physical and mental condition are admitted to SAS.
   • Although women have been admitted to the British military since the 1990s, they are excluded from most combat units. Because of this, women are currently not allowed to serve in the SAS. However, this may change in the near future, as practice shows.
4. 4 You need to have 3 months of experience and 39 months of remaining service. SAS requires strong commitment from its applicants. If you successfully complete the selection process, expect to remain in an important role with SAS for at least a little over three years. Because of this, candidates who are selected for SAS must have at least 39 more months of service to be considered. In addition, candidates must have a minimum of 3 months' experience in leading their own regiment.

Part 2 of 3: Walking through the selection process

1. 1 When you have everything ready, fill out the AGAI. If you believe you have what it takes to join the SAS, and you are eager to do so, complete what you started by filing the General Army Administrative Instruction (AGAI). AGAI will state that you are ready and fully aware of the challenges ahead.
   • Once you have made your decision, you will have to wait for the next selection. The SAS selection process takes place twice a year - one in winter and one in summer.This does not depend on the conditions - no matter how hot or cold it is, the selection process is still carried out.
2. 2 Take the initial assessment tests. The very first part of the selection process is the gathering of recruits at SAS headquarters at Stirling Lines, Hereford, for an initial medical examination as well as a combat readiness test (BFT). A medical examination confirms that the conscript meets basic health and disease requirements, while the BFT checks the conscript's physical fitness. About 10% of applicants fail one of these tests.
   • BFT consists of a team run 2.5 km in 15 minutes and an individual run the same distance in less than 10.5 minutes. Those who do not pass this selection stage do not have the physical fitness required for SAS membership.
3. 3 Complete the Special Forces Observation Course. During the first week of training at SAS, recruits receive detailed instructions on what the selection process at SAS is and, after that, what it is like to be a member of SAS in general. In this short period, the physical and moral demands placed on recruits are not as stringent as they should ultimately be, although recruits must take part in several marches. In addition, recruits go through many aptitude tests, including:
   • Compass and map knowledge test
   • Swimming skills test
   • Test for knowledge of first aid
   • Combat training check
4. 4 Complete the fitness and navigation part. After the stage of training and instruction, the selection process itself begins. The first phase, which lasts four weeks, focuses on the candidate's stamina and ability to navigate the wilderness. Exercises during this phase include timed hikes and jogging, and orienteering between collection points on the map. The intensity of these activities grows as you progress through the learning stage, because candidates are being forced to carry ever heavier loads and meet increasingly stringent time frames. Candidates are often not told about the time limit for a given exercise before doing it. Major events at this stage include:
   • The Fun Climb is a 24 km hike to the Brecon Beacons (mountain range in Wales), which takes place at the end of the first week of the stage and serves as the main screening activity.
   • The Long Hike is the culmination test of this selection phase. Applicants must complete the 64 km hike to Brecon Beacons in less than 20 hours. During the hike, candidates must carry 25 kg of cargo, rifles, food and water. Candidates are not allowed to use the routes they have learned, they must be guided solely by the map and compass.
5. 5 Go through the initial continuing education phase. After completing the initial exercise phase for SAS training, the remaining recruits move on to the next phase, which focuses on combat skills. For four weeks, recruits are trained in handling weapons (including foreign weapons, debriefing, patrol tactics, and other basic combat skills).
   • During this phase, every recruit who has not yet flown with a parachute is trained in this skill. In addition, conscripts are trained in the British Army Regimental Alert Standard.
6. 6 Complete the Jungle Training Phase. After a major continuation of their training, recruits head to places like Borneo or Brunei, where they undergo 6 weeks of strenuous training in the hot, humid jungle environment. Candidates are split into patrols of four, each headed by a member of the Steering Staff. During this phase, soldiers learn to survive, navigate and fight in the jungle. Activities include hiking / marches, boat management, combat drills, camp building and more.
   • Nursing and first aid play a large role during this phase. Because the common cuts, insect bites and blisters that occur during training can easily become infected in the jungle, it is important for every new recruit to know how to handle wounds.
7. 7 Complete the Escape and Dodge Phase. In the final phase of the selection phase, recruits engage in a variety of missions designed to strengthen their ability to survive in realistic “off-the-shelf” combat scenarios. Recruits learn to move stealthily, live off the land, and avoid capture by hostile forces. Activities include dodging exercises, survival scenarios, and lessons on interrogation techniques.
   • The culminating test of this phase is an exercise in which recruits must achieve their goals while evading the capture of opposing soldiers by a fighter regiment. Regardless of whether recruits are captured during the exercise or not, they must take part in the tactical interrogation exercises (see below).
8. 8 Withstand the test of tactical interrogation. One of the unique aspects of the final stage of the SAS selection process is the tactical interrogation part. Recruits are housed in various physically and mentally uncomfortable positions for 24 hours. During this time, the Leadership Headquarters subjects them to numerous interrogations, during which candidates are not required to disclose any significant information. Recruits can only voluntarily give out your name, rank, serial number, or date of birth. All other questions must be answered "Sorry, I cannot answer this question." If one of the soldiers breaks, he fails the entire selection process and must return to his unit.
   • While the Commanding Staff has no right to torture or seriously injure recruits, their attitude is very harsh. Recruits may, for example, be blindfolded, deprived of food and water, and are forced to remain in painful “stressful situations”, exposed to continuous loud noise and being in small cages. Punishments can be psychological and can also include verbal abuse, humiliation, abuse, deception, and more.
9. 9 Join a refresher course. If you successfully go through the selection process at SAS, you can be proud to be one of the few. Only about 10% of candidates make it this far. At this stage, recruits receive the distinctive beige SAS beret with the winged dagger insignia, and join the SAS Advanced Training Course, which focuses on teaching new SAS operatives the unique special skills needed to achieve victory in hot spots around the world.
   • Please note that, at the end of the selection process, recruits must give up any rank they previously held and become rank-and-file soldiers. In SAS, all recruits must work their way up from scratch. However, if a new recruit leaves SAS, he can immediately return to his previous rank, taking into account the length of service. An exception to this rule is officers who retain their rank when they join the SAS.

Part 3 of 3: Preparing for the Exercise

1. 1 Start exercising every day. The most striking aspect of learning at SAS is that it is physically more physically demanding than any other experience you have had so far. Applicants must run and hike for several hours (during the Long Hike up to twenty) over rough terrain on a regular basis. Also, candidates are required to carry heavy loads, conquer difficult peaks and perform many other physically challenging tasks. To be more likely to go through the selection process at SAS, try to devote serious attention and a lot of energy to achieving top-notch fitness before starting.
   • Cardio training is a must. Many of the toughest challenges in the selection process, such as the Fan Climb and The Long Hike, are based on endurance. This means that a strong emphasis on training your cardiac system, especially for running and hiking, is one of the most important bets in order to have an edge during training. Plus, spending a lot of time doing these tasks will help you get used to the feeling of being outdoors all day. Check out how to add cardio to your workouts.
   • While heart preparation is very important, strength training should not be neglected. SAS candidates are expected to have the strength needed to carry heavy loads on long treks in the wilderness, among many other responsibilities, and be merciless in combat. A smart mix of strength training exercises for your lower body, heart, and upper muscle group can help you achieve the strength you need. Review how to lift weights.
2. 2 Prepare yourself mentally for the harsh learning environment. Some recruits who are natural athletes may drop out in the selection process due to psychological stress. SAS selection and training requires your overall concentration, even during strenuous physical activity. For example, conscripts must make their way through vast stretches of desert only with a map and a compass, even when they are completely exhausted. Without moral preparation for the most stressful situations in your life, your efforts will be wasted.
   • Exact instructions for how prepare mentally, may differ from person to person. Some may respond well to concentration exercises, while others may prefer meditation. Regardless, everyone will benefit from the realistic expectations of the selection process. This isn't a fanatical Hollywood-style macho exhibit - it's a demanding experience that many are not really ready for yet.
3. 3 Find the inner motivation to succeed. SAS not for those who struggle to find intrinsic motivation. A grueling selection process weeds out everyone, but selects a few candidates who have a passionate intent, an eagerness to become the greatest warriors in the world. For example, in practice, which is not typical of most military training programs, the SAS command headquarters does not shout out rewards or insults to candidates at the end of long marches. It all depends entirely on the candidate for finding the inner strength in himself to succeed. If you have any doubts about joining SAS, you should reconsider your decision.
   • Some candidates are given a second chance to re-select after a miss, but this is not guaranteed. After two failures, candidates are banned from applying for life.
   • Remember the official SAS slogan as you prepare: “The brave wins". By trying to join SAS, you are putting yourself at significant risk (or “daring”) that the time and effort you put into preparation and training will not be wasted. With the right mindset, this risk becomes a little less - if you want to take a prize, you will push yourself to the absolute limits of your ability to receive it.