★★★★★ 0/5

SAS: The Search for Warriors

For the first time in 25 years a veil of secrecy on the SAS lifts, in this gruelling SBS documentary that leaves Recruits looking like a holiday camp.

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They have been concealed from our gaze for decades, known to the public largely for what we don’t know about them.

Now for the first time in 25 years, the veil of secrecy on the Special Air Service Regiment will lift, if only in part. The SAS has allowed a camera crew to film their selection procedures, in a two-part documentary to screen on SBS.

And what this fly-on-the-wall surveillance captures leaves Recruits looking like a holiday camp.

The most impressive attribute of this documentary is simply the access itself.

That the SAS, an elite division of the Australian Army, has granted a film crew the liberty to film its activities is profound. As such there are limits to how much is detailed, for fear of identifying SAS personnel and jeopardising lives.

Most of the senior staff are filmed with camouflage face masks, allowing little more than their eyes to be visible. A few are shot surreptitiously from behind, or with extreme close ups of a mouth talking to camera. None are named.

The 131 applicants hoping to be selected are filmed with full access, but only identified as “Candidate #42” and similar. It’s hard not to wonder if their identities will be compromised should they succeed in being selected. Maybe this will only feature those who do not make the cut.

The SAS work in foreign territories, including Afghanistan, Iraq and East Timor. Working in counter terrorism, surveillance, peacekeeping, tactical assault and reconnaissance it is essential they remain unidentified in order to be able to work in life-threatening situations. They are the real deal.

What the men (only men are trained here, although some women work as trainers) endure is gruelling stuff. Think of every physical endurance test you have ever seen in an army movie and double it.

The sole purpose of the 21-day selection process appears to be about breaking the spirit of the men. But there is a deeper logic to uncovering those with phyical and mental super-skills.

The men face crushing physical exercises, extreme psychological tasks, unforgiving hours and conditions, all-weather and terrain challenges, sleep deprivation and 20km marathons (carrying weights) that must be completed in harsh time limits.

Big, burly blokes are made to strip naked and answer to female officers in a test to break confidence. Mental interrogation panels test the men on their personal character. Many will buckle under the pressure.

Everything here is a numbers game: how many will start the course, how much weight can they carry, how many push ups, how many hours to complete a marathon, how many hours sleep, how many will quit by the first, second and third days.

The men vary in ages, most are in their 30s. Some in their 20s are constantly warned they are too young to measure up. Others in their 40s know it is their last chance at making the cut. From the comfort of my couch it’s hard not to think that the pressure of the training must be difficult enough without actually failing in front of the camera too.

Ironically, while the men are constantly belittled and abused throughout training, there is an odd contrast of respect for those who quit. Officers display a dignified acknowledgement for those who have given their all but were unable to meet the challenge.

Filmed at Campbell Barracks in Swanbourne, Western Australia, this is a rare insight into the early training stages of becoming an SAS trooper.  Matt Day narrates with a straight-talking style, fitting with the largely impersonal tone of the story. As an observational documentary it ventures beyond the lines of others in the genre.

The SAS demands the best of the best, without apology.

SAS: The Search for Warriors premieres 8.30pm Tuesday December 7th on SBS ONE.

33 Responses

  1. SAS: The Search for Warriors

    Man this show brings back so many memories of a great friend now Past but not Forgotten
    My Childhood Buddy & Friend for 26 years Trooper Timothy John Mcdonald RIP
    Tim passed during the Townsville CT Exercise of 1996-Blackhawk Disaster
    Tim was always going to be the best and he was in no uncertain terms My Hero
    To all the Past and Present SASR Men & Women-Families of those lost and at war
    You Country and its citizens are Proud to have them

    SASR Are the Best Of The Best

    Peace Out
    Shaggz

  2. Is there a dvd going to be made available for sale for SAS the search for warriors. if so where and when will it be available for purchase? also is the original documentary available for sale anywhere?

  3. Great documentary. Well done to all the guys still in there, can’t wait for next weeks episode. To all those guys who pulled out through injury or whatever else – good effort guys. Some of these malingerers in the Army today who think they are soldiers should take a leaf out your books and get a lesson on what its like to be a soldier. As an ex ARA soldier, this brought back a lot of proud memories for me. The SASR makes all other special forces around the world look like Catering Corp.

  4. Just wanted to show my respect to the Regement and what these blokes go through to “J” Im just telling you what I have been Informed by the SASR when I went for selection so mate my info is well correct, Far from a sparky or plumber, you wouldnt have a clue what hard work is mate. Keep dunking yr donuts in yr coffee what are you an Officer?? I have the up most respect for these blokes I think you blokes got alittle side tracked..

  5. To everyone cutting Mike down, (and No I dont agree with him), but consider this………Our Military, our Regiment the SASR and all our current and past serving personnel do this so You can have an opinion. We fight or fought for the freedom of speach that we all take for granted. Australia is truely the lucky country and there are men prepared to stand on a wall and fight for you……………..
    To those who made referrence our Commando brothers, arm chair generals who have never been fronted by angry men or truely feared for your life, spare a moment and try and imagine yourself in a life/death situation in a foreign land then judge if you must and support if you will.

  6. Thanks for the positive comments, but I’m also thankful that we live in an environment where blokes like ‘Mike’ can voice his more negative comments freely. A freedom not enjoyed in some of the places we get deployed to.
    I think Mike perhaps might be better off directing his frustration at current deployments to the government who send us there, rather than the soldiers themselves.
    From a mixture of patriotism, thirst for adventure and the challenge to do a rewarding career, our men volunteer to do our dangerous but very important job.
    Our selection process weeds out the Rambos. Wannabees and thugs. We want intelligent soldiers who can assimilate information quickly, have a great deal of perserverance and can make sound judgements and decisions under pressure.
    We are not thugs, but rather sensitive, intelligent professionals who strive to do a difficult job as well as we can in the name of the Australian people.
    There can be some confusion with the public and media on the difference between SAS, Commandos and other Special forces outfits. This often leads to SAS being mentioned incorrectly in relation to certain incidents.
    Hopefully this documentary will help educate the public on the difference between SAS and similar units. In general, the SAS work in very small specialised teams and Commandos work in much larger heavily armed combat teams. SAS guys will generally tend to be more mature and the Commandos tend to be younger. The Commandos are a very professional and effective organisation and many serving SAS guys have come from a Commando background.
    It will be interesting to see what viewers think of our documentary. We didn’t put any ‘spin’ on it and allowed Prospero Productions full access and editorial freedom to show our Selection exactly as it is. They took over 100hrs of footage and the final 2 hr documentary is the creation of Director Russell Vines and his editing team. (No SAS creative involvement.)
    Our only requirement was that most of our Instructors had to conceal their identity with face covers due to operational security.
    We know exactly what sort of soldier we need in our Regiment and the selection process has developed over several decades to find the right soldiers with the right attributes. It’s all about applying pressure and seeing who will perform without giving up, whilst displaying the attributes and characteristics we require.
    It’s important to note that our selection is just the entry hurdle and the very first step to being accepted into the SAS Regiment. After Selection, the 26 successful candidates then face 18 months of challenging courses during which they are under constant scrutiny. They must successfully pass all these courses before they are awarded their Sandy beret, get a pay rise and then get posted into an operational squadron as a junior Trooper or Captain.
    Enjoy the documentary!

  7. @Mike (November 19, 2010 at 3:25 pm):

    Mate, I’m not sure where you’ve gotten your perception of us but I’d be interested in hearing about it. I am a current-serving member of the ADF, though not affiliated directly with the SASR. I serve as a member of the AAPsych. Core, so I get to work with the men and women who give their all every single day for our country.

    I wouldn’t mind taking a look at the ” reports coming out from war torn countries” that you seem to have read, as they would contradict what I seem to believe.

    Then again what do I know? I only work with these men and women every day.

  8. in response to mike.
    You have no idea what these blokes have done for our nation as serving members of our defence force. Spending months away from family and friends in some of the worst conditions man kind can endure, all in the effort to keep ignorant people such as yourself safe from those who threaten our way of life. The examples you brought forward regarding civillians and friendly fire truly show how misinformed you are on the matters at hand and suggest that maybe you should delve a little further into your daily newspaper and see things for what they really are. This documentary shows a fraction of the lengths that these brave men will go through in attempt to become an SASR trooper so that they can protect our nation with the best and when u watch it …if u watch it i hope u can gain a strong apprecitation for these blokes because what u see aint even the tip of the iceberg to what these boys go through.

  9. @Mike says: November 28, 2010 at 11:00 pm
    “They have the best jobs in the world and its not them killing Afgan Civilians its the Commandoes and Yanks.” Are you serious??? You are showing how ill-informed you are. Let me guess, you are an electrician or plumber and like to live through “your mates”. Wake up to yourself!

  10. Just wanted to say that my mates are in the Doco, and to those who dont respect these blokes and what they sacrafice to save your butts you should think twice. They have the best jobs in the world and its not them killing Afgan Civilians its the Commandoes and Yanks. So I dont know where you get your info from. Im looking forward to watching this Doco and Im getting a copy of this DVD for sure, be great appreciation to watch..

  11. I have always thought a doco on the Australian SAS would make interesting viewing. I got to know an SAS soldier personally about 20 years ago. They are not Rambos, if anything they appear quietly inconspicuous. They are a highly regarded unit, not just in Australia but with other Special Forces units arround the world.

  12. @Mike buying into all the conspiracy theories and ” wikileak ” files of scary military figures going around massacreing inocent civillians seemingly without any care in the world , or ROE procedures or punishment ?

    please remove your blinkers and think logically for once , dont be another sheep in the conspiracy pen .

    albeit , i doubt anyone who is going to watch this program will buy into your rhetoric ……..if your not interested in the documentary , or the people involved , why post here ?

  13. These boys are at the tip of the spear with generally only their training, battle craft, character, a small chest plate and a rifle for their protection. If the ADF needs to censor the story to save lives, so be it.
    Some of you aren’t fit enough to polish these blokes boots, that they’ll still go and stand between you and the evil that wants to destroy our way of life says volumes about the character of these men.

  15. For those of you who sympathize with Mike above, just think what life would be like in Australia under a Japanese regime – could have easily happened, would it not have been for the brave Australian Soldiers. Mike probably didn’t loose any relatives in the 9/11 incident either – that might change his mind. Our SAS guys certainly don’t lay their life on the line for the glory, since there is none for them. When have you last done something for your country without personal gain, Mike?

  17. @Mike, A ‘documentary’ that will be heavily edited thanks to the SAS choosing what to allow to air and what context. Where’s your evidence? Ah, let me guess, you haven’t actually seen the program yet!

  20. SBS aims high as per usual. At least in theory as they always seem to be swimming in the detritus at the bottom of the barrel.

    A ‘documentary’ that will be heavily edited thanks to the SAS choosing what to allow to air and what context.

    Honestly, am I supposed to admire these men or something or be amazed at their physical strengeth? Or proud they can withstand humiliation. This is nothing that has not been covered before (albeit with a new Aussie spin).

    After all the reports coming out from war torn countries about how much damage they cause civilians and all the friendly fire incidents how can anyone sympathise with them. All this ‘discipline’ means nothing except making them even more insular and secretive.

    This documentary is just some sort of fluff PR piece.

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