Special Air Service

The Special Air Service (SAS) is a British Army special forces regiment established in 1941. It conducts reconnaissance, counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and other high-risk operations.

Special reconnaissance: Covert military observation and information gathering in areas where conventional forces cannot operate safely. SAS patrols use concealment and extended observation to report enemy positions and activity.
David Stirling: A British Army officer who founded the Special Air Service during the Second World War. Stirling proposed small airborne raiding parties operating behind Axis lines.
John Woodhouse: A British Army officer who commanded the SAS during its postwar development and helped shape its modern organization. Woodhouse oversaw the regiment’s growth into a permanent special forces unit.
Special Air Service Regiment: An Australian Army special forces regiment established in 1957 and modeled partly on the British SAS. The Australian regiment adopted the SAS name and traditions but belongs to a different national army.
Direct action: Short-duration military operations intended to seize, destroy, capture, or recover specific targets. SAS raids exemplify the regiment’s use of surprise against defined targets.
Paddy Mayne: A British Army officer and wartime SAS commander known for leading raids in North Africa and Europe. Mayne became one of the regiment’s most prominent field commanders.
Peter de la Billière: A British Army officer who commanded the SAS and later led British forces during the Gulf War. His career connected the regiment’s command culture with its later public prominence.
New Zealand Special Air Service: A New Zealand Army special forces unit formed in 1955 and linked historically to the British SAS tradition. It shows how the British regiment’s model was adapted by an allied force.
Counterterrorism: Measures taken to prevent, disrupt, and respond to terrorist violence. Counterterrorism became a central SAS role after the regiment’s early operations.
SAS Brigade: A Second World War formation that brought together British and allied special air service units. The wartime regiment expanded into a brigade as the SAS concept spread.

Linked from 7 pages