Articles found April 11, 2010
SAS reservists withdrawn from Afghan front line
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SAS reservists have been withdrawn from front line operations in Afghanistan following a review of their unit's operational capability, it can be revealed
By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
Published: 12:30AM BST 11 Apr 2010
Troops from 21 and 23 SAS, the regiment's Territorial Army battalions, had been responsible for "mentoring" members of the Afghan National Police, but that task has been handed over to a "regular" infantry unit.
Instead of taking part in operations alongside the regular SAS, the troops from the reserve battalions are now responsible for guarding members of the Foreign Office based in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
It is understood to be the first time in the regiment's history that its troops have been used to guard civil servants on a full-time basis.
The change in roles followed the drafting of a secret military document which examined the "utility" of the territorial SAS on operations.
It is understood that the report found that the TA SAS lacked a clearly-defined role, and also stated that the reservists lacked the military capability and skillset to serve alongside the regular special forces.
The territorial SAS allows hundreds of ordinary civilians to serve in the special forces. Volunteers need to pass a selection programme and training programme similar to those for the regular SAS.
The lack of a defined role for the TA SAS has now lead to fears that one or both battalions could be axed as part of a raft of cuts expected under the next strategic defence review.
The Tories have already stated that under a new strategic defence review, "everyone and everything" within the armed forces will have to be justified, and if Labour win the election the same approach will almost certainly be adopted.
The SAS report, which was drawn up towards the end of last year for the commander of the SAS in Afghanistan, is understood to have caused divisions within the special forces world.
While many regular SAS personnel supported its findings, TA troops were said to be furious.
The report followed the deaths of four British troops – three members of 23 SAS and Corporal Sarah Bryant, 26 – who were killed when their Snatch Land Rover was blown up by an improvised explosive device in June 2008 near to Lashkar Gah.
Cpl Bryant became the first female British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan.
At the inquest into the deaths of Cpl Sean Reeve, 28, LCpl Richard Larkin, 39, and Private Paul Stout, 31, it was disclosed that the troops had not carried out mandatory searches when their patrol entered what was a clearly-identifiable "vulnerable point".
One SAS commander also claimed that the reservists did not receive proper counter-IED training and were ill-prepared for operations in Helmand.
The Cold War role of the SAS reservists was to conduct long-range patrols and report on the movement of Warsaw Pact forces as they crossed into western Europe – a role which no longer exists.
Reservists were deployed into the Balkans in the mid-1990s as a composite unit known as "V" Squadron where they took part in peace support operations, which allowed regular members of the SAS to be used for other tasks.
One senior military source said that there had been a long-held prejudice with the SAS against using members of the TA which stemmed from the first Gulf War in 1991.
He said: "The TA SAS were used as battle casualty replacements in the first Gulf War but it wasn't that successful and since then there has been a certain resentment by more senior elements of the SAS to the TA.
"In many cases they refuse to work with them. But they are a fantastic talent and a role should be found for them."
The source added that they could be used to supplement the Brigade Reconnaissance Force in Helmand, or the Pathfinders, a parachute-trained organisation which also conducts long-range patrols.
UK-based roles, the source added, could include military support to the intelligence and security community.
The TA SAS were first deployed to Afghanistan in 2003 where they helped to establish a communications network across Afghanistan and also acted as liaison teams between the various political groups, Nato and the fledgling Afghan government.
But when the insurgency in Helmand began in 2006, that role was withdrawn.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "We do not comment on special forces."
