SBS (R)

According to their website they only recruit people with previous military experience. Does this mean ex-regs only or can reservists apply as well?

 

in the rmr you can specialise for SBS, id imagine any military experience is acceptable but dont quote me on that

 

SBS R Troop draw exclusively from the reserve forces (reason for the R). Under the new UKSF they are now recruiting from any of the reserve units RMR, RNR, TA and AuxRAF.

You are expected to have at least 3 years of training behind you after completing your units recruit training but as long as your TO says you're good enough an egg you can go for it.

All SBS R Troop training takes place at Poole so some travelling may be required and there beat up selection prior to there main hill phase is 3 days of CFT's followed by some swim tests.

 

Thanks guys.

Are there any reliable websites about the SBS that anyone could point to? Particularly one that has anything on the reserve.

The SAS seem to have a load of them but I can't fid one on the SBS.

 

http://www.army.mod.uk/uksf/special_forces_soldier_reserve_/sbs.htm

Bit on here

 

I had a look at the SBS(R) section on UKSF(R). One thing that struck me was the "Initial Selection", which lasts 4 days...what happens after that? Do the ones who pass the 4 days go on to Joint Selection on the hills with 21/23 SAS? I had read that both the Regular Regiment and SBS now do the same JSF Selection.
And before anyone asks why I don't just 'phone them: I'm too old. Just being a bit of a Walt(hangs head in shame...)

 

it's a briefing course. If you are fully briefed, you proceed to the JSFSC.

 

So do 21 & 23 do the same Briefing Course? Because back in 2001, 23 SAS held their "own" Selection until Test Week, when both TA Regiments and recruits for the regular Regiment were tested together.
Since both SAS and SBS now have Volunteer Reserve counterparts, along with 63 Signals, I wonder if they will set up Reserve Joint Services Support Group. Hope so; I love the Waffen SS-style badge...

 

On the basis that the SC and SAS briefing courses are completely different in the regulars, I'm willing to bet that the reservists do it differently as well!

No real point in a JSFSG(R) - they work at approximately Company level and I'm sure if a reservist Company was needed 4 Para or a RMR mixyblob could be put together.

 

The SBS(R) and SAS(V) Selection and training will, by necessity, be less intensive than the Regular units. If for no other reason than it's is spread over a much longer period.
However, UKSF(R) will train to get as close to Regular standards as possible, so they can work alongside Regular SF on Operations.

The point of JSFG(R) would be to increase the amount of trained personnel available for Deployment in support of Regular forces. An ad hoc grouping of 4 Para and RMR would not work. That's why the Regular Para's, Marines and Rockapes who make up JSFG have been selected and made a part of this new unit. They will be givin extra training specific to the new role they have to perform.

 

There is no real selection process for JSFSG beyond that applied by the Appointers and Drafty. There are lots of arguements on ARRSE regarding this group, but my opinion is that money can better spent increasing the size of JSFSG (if that's required) than producing an (R) version.

 

On the MoD website it said that applicants for JSFG would have to be a higher calibre thn normal soldiers, but they would not have to pass UKSF Selection. If you beleive what you read in the Scum - never a good idea - recruits are put through a series of fitness tests. According to the Scum, the Marines actually failed the tests, while the Rockapes and Paras passed.
Sounds like a load of bovine excrement. All due respect to the RAF's finest, but I can't seem them out-performing Bootnecks.

 

Check out the SBS Reserve Website - its got the answers to most of your questions and they are mega approachable so can even give them a call. The phone number is on the Website: www.army.mod.uk/uksf then click on Special Forces Soldier (Reserve) and SBS(R).

 

Just a small note back on this, after working with SFSG bootnecks I very much doubt that these guys were beaten on the phys, being in the minority in what is a para show, they pride themselves on doing the job better than their pongo/crab cousins.

K

 

Kiwi, apologies if this goes against OpSec, but did the SFSG Bootnecks you saw use SA80 A2's - or were they issued with GOOD weapons?

 

Ditto mate
Had bloody stacks of paras on my course and it was like the fcuking mafia. Unfortunately discounting the lone bootneck in the pack proved to be a massive oversight. :grin:

 

SA80A2 is a good weapon. However yes in some circumstances they do use other weapons, Sig pistols instead of the BHP for example.

K

 

RIGHT... Just to get back to the topic of the thread (coz no offence but what weapon SFSG use doesn't really belong on this one) heres a bit of gen, and also a question or 2 for anyone who might be in the know:

First off, the lads down at poole couldn't be more helpful with dates and specific content of the training periods throughout the hills phase, and give a vague idea as to opportunities following on from test week. If you just follow the official site under army.mod.uk and give them a bell you're laughing. I think to put any more info on here just feeds the walts, anyone who's serious about trying it will have the common nod to pick up the phone instead of going on here for info. What I will say is that anyone wishing to get on summer '07 have very little time to get on the next intake, and had better be fit already (4kph means already plenty of hill/bergen training in your legs, plus 10 mile run in 1hr-ish).

Right, on to my question (although I doubt I'll find an answer here if I can't find it elsewhere!): what's the score with man training days? If 21/23 are governed by them how can SB "get around them" to quote someone at Poole? If the lad means mobilisation I'm sceptical. I don't want to rock up, beast all the courses, and find that come December I'm not allowed to go to work... Also, how much training post-test week to be deployable, any ideas? I mean, you can't just knock out the mandatory courses and expect to waltz up to the regs and go for a little jaunt to Helmand. Again to refer to 21/23, ops are few and very far between, with huge competition for limited places. Im interested to see how much SB and SAS reserves differ...

 

Couple of points, mate.

First, RR exists so that members can talk about stuff that interests them. As long as OPSEC/PERSEC is observed, there's no reason not to discuss SBS(R) - or any other unit.

Secondly - "beast all the courses"? You're a better man than I am Gunga Din. In fact, you are either very, very good or over-confident. For your sake, I hope it's the former.

My turn to ask a question: if you are on the Summer Selection Course, why would you be worried about "starting work" in December? I thought SBS(R) did the same Hill Phase as 21/23. So you'd still be in the middle of Selection by December.

Anyway: Good Luck.

 

Fair one, I just thought that the thread had got lost from its original role. No offence.
As for "beasting the courses", trust me I was talking hypothetically!!! Didn't mean it as it came across, bad wording on my part. What I meant was, I know of occasions where lads have got badged via 23, completed the mandatory courses asap, then been told they can't "go to work", ie turn in on a weekend, because all their MTD's are used up. One of the reasons lads consider going from one unit to the other is because SB markets itself (amongst many other things, obviously) as finding a way around MTD's (but I've heard that one before so I'm just a bit suspicious).
As for the December thing, SB do a completely different process to 21/23 so summer '07 hills would start soon and end in getting badged on completion of selection in aug, then doing in-house continuation in blocks rather than weekends to get up to standard (not 6 month hills ending in test week/6 month continuation ending in final ex as with 23). Supposedly there's more chance of getting deployed after SB continuation than there is with 23, at least that's the rumour anyway...
I'm aware that as soon as someone mentions "deployed" with ref to SF (R) people immediately think "back door route to the real thing", but I don't mean it like that. I'm from a background where there's no point being a reservist unless you actually put the training into practice, so it'd be nice to have a crack at this knowing I could do that, regardless of whether its with royal, SF, or whoever (which you can't do in 23)
Cheers