UKC

I see that the Government has announced the raising of two further Special Forces Regiments to supplement the SBS and SAS in the war against terrorism. They will be the Special Reconnaissance Regiment and a Special Rangers Regiment.

As surveillance and reconnaissance are already undertaken by existing Special Forces I wonder why there is the need for new Regiments rather than expand the existing ones?

I am not certain what additional tasks will be taken over by the Rangers over and above what the Infantry, Paras and Royal Marines are doing already?

In reply to Trangia:

"By TIM RIPLEY JDW Correspondent
London
Additional reporting
Robin Hughes JDW Deputy News Editor
London

British Army chiefs have managed to save an infantry battalion being cut from the service by reroling it as a 'Ranger'-type or special forces support role battalion.

Following a week of acrimonious meetings in the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), the new plan emerged on 16 December as part of a package of measures to implement the Future Army Structure (FAS), which reduces the overall manpower ceiling of the service to some 102,000 and aims to redistribute some 10,000 personnel from infantry, armour and artillery units into low-density/high-demand specialist roles.

Under the plans, the 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment (1Para), is to move from being under the direction of the infantry to be under the control of the Director of Special Forces. This could involve it relocating from its current base at Colchester, Essex, where it serves with the army's 16 Air Assault Brigade, to be near the Hereford base of 22 Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment, according to UK Chief of the General Staff General Sir Michael Jackson. The other two Parachute Regiment battalions would remain with 16 Brigade and continue to provide the lead airborne battlegroup in rotation.

No extra funding has been made available by the Treasury for the plan and Gen Jackson admitted that it would "require careful work" to pull off the plan while keeping the army within its reduced manpower ceiling and new budget.

Although the new unit was initially branded by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon as being a "triservice organisation", Gen Jackson said the core would come from 1 Para and anyone who joined would have to re-badge to become a member of the Parachute Regiment. In another sign that the new formation was part of a last minute deal, Gen Jackson admitted details were "still to be worked out". He said the triservice element would not be a simple one-third split.

One MoD source suggested that elements of the Royal Air Force Regiment that were reroling from air defence into combat search-and-rescue support forces could be assigned to the new unit."

In reply to Trangia: an irresistable urge to reorganise and meddle, in order to look as if they are in control and know what they're doing?

In reply to Trangia:
i'm special, will they give me a job?

In reply to Billy:

"i'm special, will they give me a job?"

Special needs????

In reply to Billy:
Do you really want a job killing innocent civillians?

In reply to veg@n: no, i was just trying to be funny never mind

In reply to Billy:

Oh, ok

It's just that some people get off on the idea that being a soldier is macho or makes you into some kind of liberating hero....

In reply to veg@n:

What percentage of Special Forces' victims are "innocent civillians"? Can you give us some examples?

To join the Special Forces you have to be quite bright as well as fit, so the probability of shoot innocent people is very very very very low. Though no doubt it has happened in the past. Though if court you would be spending some more time at her M pleasure before being kicked out on your arse.

So I hope they keep the high standard so chullian and my self need to be very special in deed

hehe

Oh no, not another Special Forces thread....

Wasn't there a notorious SF thread which virtually ruined Planetfear?

In reply to JonC:

A special powers thread would be better IMHO.

James

In reply to JonC:

<rubs hands in glee> Yep. So I have high hopes for the comedy value of this one.

How? why? more details please

In reply to Rothermere:
what about the ability to kill a yak from 200 yards with mind bullets!!!

In reply to Rothermere:

"reroling": what an ugly word.

In reply to Billy:

That's telekenesis.

Jmaes

In reply to JonC: You're not thinking of the one armer thread? Now that *was* special.

In reply to brothersoulshine:

Its an ugly world, dude.

I think Hoon should hire Idema and his Superpatriots. Just as soon as they get out of jail in Kabul, of course.

James

In reply to Rothermere: yes!



high above the mucky muck....(which is where the special forces hid so no one can see them, oooh)

In reply to Rothermere:

What about the power of flight??

That's Levitation homes.

In reply to Trangia:

I think it's something similar to what happened to further education.

Faced with a need for a better educated workforce the government decided that the cheapest option would be to rebrand Cleckheaton Reform School and Technical College as the University of Cleckhuddersfax. This was followed by an upgrading of 'O' level Grade D to a 2:1.

Faced with a need for more 'Special' forces to deal with the forces of terror that stalk the planet, a similar scheme is being rolled out.

Therefore the 14th Mess Tin Repair Regiment, the 21st (Volunteer) Foot and Mouth Regiment and the Queens Own Donkey Wallopers have been 'reroled' as the Super Elite Very Special Forces Brigade. The new badges will be procured by 2015.

In reply to Ridge: will the new " Speshul Forces " have eagle eyes and gripping hands ?

In reply to Ridge:

Presumably under the direct control of the PM, who will deploy them on the basis of reliable intelligence overheard in the Gent's urinal?

In reply to Ridge: Perhaps the term "special forces" comes with such an aura they should maybe just give it up. Basically the current "special forces" - well trained, light, deployable, flexible - have proved dead useful for current military needs in supporting British foreign policy and so the argument is we need more of them. And just in case anyone hasn't noticed we probably aren't going to be repeling a Warsaw Pact thrust through the Fulda Gap or across the N. German Plain, so perhaps need a few less of those kind of heavy forces.

We could call them the Queen's own donkey wallopers and it would deffo confuse the 'bad guys'.

In reply to Trangia:

surely they are just going to do what 14 int have been doing for ages.

As for the Rangers idea.... ha ha, esp if they use the paras rather than the marines.

In reply to Trangia:

why does it matter to you and how will anyone on here know?

f*ck off and get a life

In reply to mattl:

do you have a small willy?

In reply to veg@n: Shit I missed that advert, what was the pay?

In reply to all: my gun is bigger than all your guns put together, so there :p

In reply to Trangia: What do you know about the PM and gents' urinals? I heard something along those lines before the last election and waited for it to come out in the press, but no such gleefully shocking luck!

In reply to veg@n:

There is no such thing as an innocent civilian.

In reply to Clumper:


http://www.ovulationpredictors.com/images/baby9.jpg

In reply to Trangia, et al:

Oh come on guys, you can do better than this. You're just rank amateurs compared to the crack troops on Planetfear. Remember: 99.999% need not apply, and in fact probably don't.

In reply to Trangia: will the "rangers" be like the pathfinders on camand and conquer, and flash gree when standing still. cos that would be cool.

In reply to Wibble Wibble:

isnt this supposed to degenerate into:
"paras are gay"
"marines are gay"
"sass are gay"
"sbs are gay"
"you are gayer"
"im going to shoot you"?

In reply to Wibble Wibble: That was a brilliant thread, kept me amused for hours.

I think we should be told who are 'harder' the SAS or the 'SBS'

memo to self auto troll needs a further test.

In reply to Wibble Wibble:
Or are we supposed to hint about how we used to be in the 'Regiment' together with Baz, Chaz, Gaz, Dinger, Smudge and the rest of Bravo two sugars?

In reply to Ridge: Don't forget ginger spice, posh spice, and kill with a single blow spice.

Bloody poofters the lot of them the American Delta Force are where it's at.

Ps did you know Rambo's my dad.

In reply to sloper:


and there was me thinking he was my mum

In reply to sloper:

I would like to make it quite clear that I am not, and have never been, a member of the UK special forces...... but I know a few people who were and two that are!


I thangew!

<may I have my badge and sticker book now please?>

In reply to Trangia: They all suck dick!

In reply to mattl:

What business of yours is it to question why I chose to start this thread, ask the questions or to pre-empt whether or not others on this forum will have an opinion on the matter?

I suggest Sir, that it is you who is the one who needs to get a life. Your having to resort to being abusive is totally uncalled for and an indication of your immaturity.

In reply to Trangia: fu*k of and get a liffe, I've got one but I think it's time there was greatter diversity in the market.

Ps If you can't afford a liffe I'm also overfering the Liffey for sale, it's a prime liquid asset

In reply to sloper:

I could be interested, having bought London Bridge a few years ago, I will need something to put it across.

In reply to lummox: I am not sure but I did see a action doll Jesus in Papaerchase yesterday. They were out of Pope versions.