Intro

Hills

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Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
14
Location
England
Hi guys.

I'm 19 and from the south west of England, currently doing my A-levels since I was too pig headed to do them at 16.

I'm training for the SAS reserve (although I plan on joining the Royal marine Commandos as an officer after uni) and hope to go for selection next winter once I've started uni, with this goal in mind I've spent the last year running the 4 miles in and out of college each day (much to the frustration of my lecturers and fellow students since I live in Cornwall and am usually covered in mud/seawater by the end of this) as well as running various power lifting based programs.

I discovered this site when I started military athlete (it's kicking my ass, loveing to hate it) and really like the mentality here. I hope to soak up as much info as possible to help with selection so if I ask dumb ass questions its curiosity, not ignorance ;)

I'm not sure if this is the right place to do it but I would like to request that if anybody's got any online field craft/basic skills manuals I'd really apreciate you mailing them to me as I'm starting selection with no military experience so need to learn as much as possible, navigation is a particularly weak skill for me at the moment (although I'm spending every other weekend on Dartmoor rucking in an attempt to improve, results have been mixed thus far, bogs have been involved :-/ ).

Beyond that all I can say is that I'm gaining more and more respect for American SOF and what they do with every day on this site and most certainly do not agree with the shit our media peddle about the American Military!
 
Let's see...
I'm new.
I might ask "dumb ass questions", but I'm not ignorant. When, in fact, that is what ignorance is, not knowing. We're all ignorant about some things...
Oh, and by the way, mail me your shit.
ORLY??
:rolleyes:


ig·no·rant

   [ig-ner-uhnt] Show IPA
adjective
1.
lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned: an ignorant man.

2.
lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subjector fact: ignorant of quantum physics.

3.
uninformed; unaware.

4.
due to or showing lack of knowledge or training: an ignorant statement.


 
It was meant to be humorous lol

And I'm sure there are sanitation laws that would make mailing me your shit difficult, not to mention decomposition whilst crossing the Atlantic....

Maybe a freezer bag?
 
I would like to request that if anybody's got any online field craft/basic skills manuals I'd really apreciate you mailing them to me as I'm starting selection with no military experience so need to learn as much as possible,

Not happening.

You're in the Reserves and your unit hasn't given the basic soldier skills needed to make a run at Selection but you're doing so anyway? I guess that's one way to do it.

You should have access to your own military's manuals. If they are online like most of ours, you shouldn't have any issues finding them through the various MOD sites.

And welcome aboard.
 
I understand and it's no problem. I don't want to come across as rude like that and I won't ask again.

I would just like to point out though that I'm not even in the reserves at the moment, I don't have a unit. I'm going on selection straight from civvy street. And I have aquiered quite alot of info and manuals and am reading diligently, as well as trying to put it into practice on the moors, I was just advised by a friend who's already in to get everything I can lay my hands on.

Once again, didn't mean to come across as rude at all. I'm absorbing a lot of good information just by lurking (especially liking the leadership and development board) and plan to keep my gob shut and ears open.
 
Welcome.

Google will provide you with every manual you could ever hope to find. However you would be far better off getting some basic navigation (and other things) lessons from someone in the Army etc...

Seems a kind of strange choice to be looking at SAS reserve with a goal to becoming an RM Officer. I have to ask, why?
 
Cheers for the advice Pardus.

To answer your question I was initialy planning on joining the RMR (Royal Marines reserve) whilst at uni but was advised by both my recruiter and a couple marines that I run with occasionaly that my fitness is beyond what is requiered by the RMR already, let alone with another years training, and it would be worth me taking a shot at SF reserve. Navigation and fieldcraft issues aside, I'm also a natural yomper(rucking) which is well suited to SAS(R) selection as it's almost all done with 60lbs+ on your back.

The reason I'm going for the SAS and not SBS reserve is because you need a minimum of 2 years military experience to join SBS(R) as they integrate with the reg's rather than forming their own units.

Reading that back it sounds a tad arrogant so I'm just going to qualify by saying that I'm fully aware how hard selection is (90% attrition rate from what I've been told) and I'm in no way assuming that I'll pass but with the feedback I'm getting from others I feel as if it's worth a shot rather than taking the easy(er) road and not knowing.
 
Massive time commitment, I think you'll be half arsing one of the endeavours, be it uni or selection, with obvious results coming soon after.
Good luck with it though.
Consider seeking out an orienteering or rogaining club to brush up on your nav, much better than reading how to do it in a field manual...

You're in the Reserves and your unit hasn't given the basic soldier skills needed to make a run at Selection but you're doing so anyway? I guess that's one way to do it.

From what I can gather direct to unit recruiting is not unusual for those two units. Which also indicates that you don't need field manuals, that you'll be taught what you need to know and if you can't rapidly assimilate that training and put it into practice, then you're not what they were looking for in the first place.
 
Cheers for the advice Pardus.

To answer your question I was initialy planning on joining the RMR (Royal Marines reserve) whilst at uni but was advised by both my recruiter and a couple marines that I run with occasionaly that my fitness is beyond what is requiered by the RMR already, let alone with another years training, and it would be worth me taking a shot at SF reserve. Navigation and fieldcraft issues aside, I'm also a natural yomper(rucking) which is well suited to SAS(R) selection as it's almost all done with 60lbs+ on your back.

The reason I'm going for the SAS and not SBS reserve is because you need a minimum of 2 years military experience to join SBS(R) as they integrate with the reg's rather than forming their own units.

Reading that back it sounds a tad arrogant so I'm just going to qualify by saying that I'm fully aware how hard selection is (90% attrition rate from what I've been told) and I'm in no way assuming that I'll pass but with the feedback I'm getting from others I feel as if it's worth a shot rather than taking the easy(er) road and not knowing.

Fitness is but one part of any selection course, I find it hard to believe you were told that by who you were told.
A natural yomper eh? Do you do the Para Reg 10miler to standard? How far and fast and heavy do you go?

That aside, why reserve and not TA?

Like digar says, SF demand a huge commitment. To juggle that with uni is going to be a tall order.

As for your arrogance (perceived or real) , what are the tenants of the SAS?

Massive time commitment, I think you'll be half arsing one of the endeavours, be it uni or selection, with obvious results coming soon after.
Good luck with it though.
Consider seeking out an orienteering or rogaining club to brush up on your nav, much better than reading how to do it in a field manual...



From what I can gather direct to unit recruiting is not unusual for those two units. Which also indicates that you don't need field manuals, that you'll be taught what you need to know and if you can't rapidly assimilate that training and put it into practice, then you're not what they were looking for in the first place.

Good post digar. Agreed.
 
Welcome.

In terms of learning to nav better, you'd do well to get involved in orienteering out in civvy street. If you know any serving lads, they should be able to give you a dig out too. Get the idea of being a "natural yomper" out of your head too. There's a massive difference to the walking you're doing now and what you're going to experience in the military, whether it's on Selection or not. Train hard but don't get idea's into your head that you're a natural at this or that. You're not.

Best of luck.
 
Well as far as the time commitment goes I have to admit that I already tend to prioritise my phys over my studies so yeh, uni might slip a tad...
I guess I'll just have to drink less than the average student to make it up!

As far as the Yomping goes I've run 8 miles in 1hr48 with 60lbs in a bergen (can run 8miles in 55 mins without the pack), as well as going for weekend long yomps on the moor by myself carrying 60-100lbs, Hard to say exactly how far I cover as I point to point around the MOD ranges and my pace varies from day to day. Iv'e shown my maps to the marines at my gym though and they always seem impressed! I'm dead new to it so not falling over and drowning in a bog is a big achievement. By natural I just meant that I seem to be fairly good at it without having done much, I know what awaits on selection is a different ball game entirely.
And yes I'm well aware that It's sod all compared to what some guys on this forum can do!

And to clear up the reserves TA thing it's 23 regiment I'm going for as there is a squadron near the uni I'm going too.

I'll have to look up message to Garcia however it's worth remembering that it's hard to communicate information online without sounding like you're lecturing.

I do not have the foggiest what the tenants of the SAS are, time to get my google on...
 
Well as far as the time commitment goes I have to admit that I already tend to prioritise my phys over my studies so yeh, uni might slip a tad...
I guess I'll just have to drink less than the average student to make it up!

As far as the Yomping goes I've run 8 miles in 1hr48 with 60lbs in a bergen (can run 8miles in 55 mins without the pack), as well as going for weekend long yomps on the moor by myself carrying 60-100lbs, Hard to say exactly how far I cover as I point to point around the MOD ranges and my pace varies from day to day. Iv'e shown my maps to the marines at my gym though and they always seem impressed! I'm dead new to it so not falling over and drowning in a bog is a big achievement. By natural I just meant that I seem to be fairly good at it without having done much, I know what awaits on selection is a different ball game entirely.
And yes I'm well aware that It's sod all compared to what some guys on this forum can do!

And to clear up the reserves TA thing it's 23 regiment I'm going for as there is a squadron near the uni I'm going too.

I'll have to look up message to Garcia however it's worth remembering that it's hard to communicate information online without sounding like you're lecturing.

I do not have the foggiest what the tenants of the SAS are, time to get my google on...

Get a book called "SAS Personal Trainer" Author: Lofty Wiseman. Follow his advice/training plan.

I hope I'm taking your sentence about A Message To Garcia/lecturing wrong, you better not be making that comment to Red Flag 1.
 
I meant that I always sound like I'm cocky online, I wasn't saying Red lag was lecturing!

Can you tell I'm new to this whole forum thing?

Thanks for the advice on the book, beyond constant phys I have no idea what I'm doing lol
 
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