S.A.S.

The **S.A.S**. or **Special Air Service**, is a Special Operations Organisation of the British Army. It was founded in 1941 to attack behind the German line of defence in North Africa, in World War II. They are one of the best schooled units in the world, that makes them very valuable. There are about 500 active SAS soldiers.

The SAS is a secret organisation. Its members often do not tell anyone except close family that they are in it. The British Ministry of Defence (MOD) rarely speaks of the SAS and mission details are never released until much later.

The badge of the organisation was originally designed as a flaming sword of Damocles but ended up as a winged dagger. It shows the motto: _Who Dares Wins_.

Current SAS roles include:

- Gathering intelligence behind enemy lines.
- Destroying targets far behind enemy lines.
- Protecting The Royal Family, and important government members.
- Training special forces of other nations.
- Performing counter-terrorism operations.

The SAS is thought of all over the world as one of the best, if not the best Special Operations organisations.
This is mainly because of the intense training they are put through. The hardest part of this is intense interrogation (questioning while under torture) which the trainees must go through.

The SAS is respected worldwide and used to train many other Special Forces Units. Several special operations units are modeled after the SAS. For example, the U.S. Army's Delta Force was founded due in large part to Charles Beckwith, a U.S. Army special operations officer, serving as an exchange officer with the SAS. He felt  the U.S. Army was vulnerable in not having a unit comparable to the SAS.

One fact is that the SAS are not often talked about, therefore the other countries tend to mention that they are never really talked about. At the same time they get announced as one of the best because they are so secret that the last mission heard about was performed in Iraq, which states how secretive they are.

## Related pages

- CIA
- Secret Intelligence Service
- Special forces

## Sources

2.  The founder of the S.A.S was founded in 1941 by Colonel David Sterling in Egypt, during WWII.

Col. Sterling needed a unit for small raids, reconnaissance and jobs more suited to a smaller team.

The unit initially comprised of just 67 officers “borrowed” from the **Commandos** **Regiment**. Those who Colonel Sterling thought, “possessed the correct attributes for such a job…. “

## Infobox (military unit)

- **unit name**: Special Air Service
- **image**: SNN2227SAS-280 536049a.jpg
- **caption**: Special Air Service insignia.
- **dates**: 1 July 1941– 8 October 1945
 1 January 1947– present
- **country**: United Kingdom
- **branch**: British Army
- **command structure**: United Kingdom Special Forces
- **type**: Special Forces
- **role**: Special operations
Counter-terrorism, Counter Terrorism
- **size**: Corps of three units (overall 500 active soldiers)
21 SAS, 21 S.A.S
22 S.A.S
23 S.A.S
- **garrison**: Regimental headquarters: Hereford
21 S.A.S: London
22 S.A.S: Credenhill
23 S.A.S: Birmingham
- **ceremonial chief label**: Colonel in Chief
- **colonel of the regiment**: General Charles Guthrie, Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank, Charles Guthrie
- **colonel of the regiment label**: Colonel-Commandant
- **nickname**: The Regiment
- **motto**: _Who Dares Wins_
- **colors**: Madame de Pompadour, Pompadour blue
- **march**: Quick: _Marche des Parachutistes Belges_
 Slow: _Lili Marlene_
- **battles**: Second World War
Malayan Emergency
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
Dhofar Rebellion
Aden Emergency
The Troubles, Northern Irish Troubles
Falklands War
Gulf War
NATO intervention in Bosnia
Operation Barras
War in Afghanistan (2001–present), War In Afghanistan
Iraq War
Operation Ellamy
- **notable commanders**: David Stirling, Colonel David Stirling
Paddy Mayne, Lieutenant-Colonel Paddy Mayne
Mike Calvert, Brigadier Mike Calvert
Anthony Deane-Drummond, Major-General Anthony Deane-Drummond
Peter de la Billière, General Peter de la Billière
Michael Rose (British Army officer), General Michael Rose
Cedric Delves, Lieutenant-General Cedric Delves