It is my ambition to apply for SAS (R) selection however I’m genuinely on the fence regarding joining 4 PARA first. Seeking some sensible advice about it. I’ll be joining as a direct civilian and understand that I’ll require an Infantry AR unit to complete basic training & CIC first.
However I have time on my side as I’m 24 years old and this is why I am considering Paras first. Or would those in the know suggest I just use my closet infantry cap badge (non para local infantry battalion) to tick the boxes.
1)Would it be a huge advantage for my overall goal to come in from a Para background?
2) Do many 4 PARA go on to pass selection
3) Is it worth gaining a few years experience in 4 PARA first?
4) would joining 4 PARA and then attempting selection be too much of the “long way round”
5) on average how long do successful SAS (r) serve in the AR prior to passing?
1) Not huge, no. It's in no way necessary, although previous experience is a plus and infantry experience is a big plus. The advantages of PARA are experience of an arduous course (for you) and constant training opportunities and field skills (for you). You can't guarantee those from a local infantry Bn, because not all infantry regiments support their reserve Bns as well as PARA. But no SF(R) DS will much care where you came from, they will judge you on how you perform on their course, and based on what they think you can offer to the unit.
2) No idea about total numbers, individuals with a PARA background tend to do well for the reasons above.
3) Yes
4) No
5) Totally dependent on individual. Some are direct entry, some are ex-regular. It's about how quickly you pick things up and how much actual experience you have, not time served. A guy with 10 years in a previous Reserve unit who only ever did MATTs has less advantage than the 1-year guy who got stuck in to everything available.
Unlike P-Coy, on Selection you might actually benefit from being older, both physically and by experience. P-Coy is about speed and staying with the group. Selection is more allowing for individual variation and rewards endurance and grizz, both mental and physical. Younger blokes tend to favour the first, older blokes the second.
Honestly your best option is to talk to 4 PARA and SF(R) recruiting teams and ask them openly about your 3 options: joining 4 PARA; direct entry SF(R) by doing CIC with 4 PARA; direct entry SF(R) by doing CIC with local regiment. See what their responses are. Make plans accordingly. Nobody in the units cares or remembers who sent in an email query to the recruiting team, they are there to answer questions like these and will be best able to give you the current gen.
Finally, consider that despite all of what I say above about experience being valuable, SF(R) selection is a life endurance event. As the saying goes, very few fail Selection, most simply VW (voluntary withdrawal). With SF(R), most just don't return one weekend. Doing 4 PARA recruits is good for your experience levels, but you are also significantly extending the time that you are spending on another arduous recruit course, and all the life, work and family stresses that brings. Consider whether your life as a whole is going to stand up to the 6 months of commitment required to pass PARA CIC, then go back to being a recruit for the 12-24* months required to pass Selection.
* Remember 12 months is the best case, not uncommon for blokes to get one or more reshows of Aptitude and/or Continuation, pick up injuries, etc.
