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“It Seemed Like a Good Plan at the Time”

By lex, on February 26th, 2012

Four to one odds against the Australian SAS. Don’t count them out.

These men, and those like them, are the last of the strength of the West.

Arma virumque cano.

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February 26th, 2012 | Tags: | Category: Military

34 comments to “It Seemed Like a Good Plan at the Time”

  • Marianne Matthews
    February 26, 2012 at 8:57 am

    Wow … Better not let Central Casting see this beautiful creature who is a genuine hero. Hollywood wouldn’t know what to do with him. He makes so many of their “heroes” look like nothing at all. I’ve been aware of the SAS for quite awhile, because they are the Brits’ equivalent of our Navy SEALs. From the interview, it seems that he shares other qualities with our SEALs — high intelligence, physical bravery, and innovative skills in language, strategic planning and other valuable and rather rare abilities.

    Thanks, Lex for this find. You’ve given me another young man and his family to pray for the safety of.

    Marianne

    • SCOTTtheBADGER
      February 26, 2012 at 10:36 pm

      The British equivilant of the SEALs is the Special Boat Squadron of the RN. Superb warriors who have been fortunate enough to remain in the shadows. With the Long Range Desert Group in North Africa, and the SAS and SBS, the British invented that sort of thing. The Long Range desert Group, a recce and raiding unit, was developed into the SAS by two brothers, the two Colonels Sterling, which made people in WWII refer to the SAS as the firm of Sterling and Sterling.

  • Marianne Matthews
    February 26, 2012 at 9:46 am

    Scott … Thanks for that link. He comes from a line of distinguished people, dosen’t he?

    Marianne

  • Fighting Wombat
    February 26, 2012 at 10:21 am

    Powerful…especially coming from a humble man…

  • pumaking
    February 26, 2012 at 10:21 am

    ” Because that is what we do…”

    No false bravado or bragging; truly the sign of those who were there vs those who were not.
    These guys are the best of the best in so many ways. I am humbled.

  • Sim
    February 26, 2012 at 11:18 am

    Marianne, as much as I believe you’re a treasure we’re Aussies not Brits…

  • TG McCoy
    February 26, 2012 at 11:46 am

    Having had my butt saved in a barfight by an Aussie friend
    ,I’m not surprised, thankful, but not surprised…

  • Hogday
    February 26, 2012 at 11:53 am

    Top man, top operator and top respect, as always, to the Australian SAS. Had a blast with one of their number when I was on a months course at the old Army Staff College at Camberley.
    I had 2 former SAS men in my Tac Team in the 90′s and we remain close mates to this day. They are as understated as they are un-detectable in or out of theatre. Which is interesting, in that their Aussie oppo featured here was OK with going in front of the cameras like this. My mates would see that as a no-no. Tremendous act of valour. A credit to his unit, his family and his country.

  • Marianne Matthews
    February 26, 2012 at 12:52 pm

    Sim …Forgive me. Sorry for the mental slippage. Of course you are Aussies, but I guess I assemble all of the best of you under one umbrella — along with the best of my own country, Britain and Canada. These are the people in my few travels that I have been most comfortable with, whose unspoken matrix of ideas sorts in best with mine.

    Marianne

  • Snake Eater
    February 26, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    I would expect that as a holder of the VC that combat action was and should his last…Best

    PS, A question for you Aussies out there…eight years plus of service and still a Corporal !…que pasa?

    • virgil xenophon
      February 26, 2012 at 1:18 pm

      Snake, if I may hazard a guess, perhaps the NZ & Aussies are a lot like the old US Army after the Civil War on the frontier where in a down-sized force rank was hard to come by and it wasn’t unusual to see an O-3 with 20 yrs but with the functional responsibilities of an O-6..

    • Scott
      February 26, 2012 at 2:49 pm

      Enlisted in ’96, so he’s north of fifteen.

    • Sim
      February 26, 2012 at 7:04 pm

      Nope Snake he’s going back for a sixth tour one the PR crap dies down.

      We have less ranks than the US Army and a Corporal actually means something more than hung around for a few years. BRS is a team leader.

      Once you go SASR you lose your rank anyway, start again at Trooper.

    • Hogday
      February 27, 2012 at 1:38 am

      Snake, as Sim said is same for the UK. My pal turned down a rank or two to stay with The Regiment.

  • Marianne Matthews
    February 26, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    Snake Eater … Of course I’m ethnocentric. And honest about it. Although Britain in its present state is not exactly ethnocentric, what with all kinds and sorts of non-Caucasian and other types who are citizens. And America is ever more a mixed up stew of people. I live in Texas, Snake, and it’s a melting pot.

    And your point is?

    Marianne

    • Snake Eater
      February 27, 2012 at 6:13 am

      MM,My point is that … as defined…

      … ethnocentrism, “is the belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic group”…your comment, in my opninion, fits that definition. Best

  • mark scease
    February 26, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    I’ll be. I had the occasion to shake his hand and say something friendly a few weeks ago. I was impressed to say the least. Glad that he made it home t his kids. We all need more like him.

  • SK1
    February 26, 2012 at 2:50 pm

    Meanwhile, under ” It seemed like a good plan at the time…”, we also find this:

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon estimates that it will still cost about $1 trillion to operate a fleet of 2,443 F-35 fighter jets over the next 50 years, but is continuing to analyze how to drive that staggering sum down, a top U.S. Marine Corps official told Reuters.
    Lieutenant General Terry Robling, deputy Marine Corps commandant for aviation, said top defense officials agreed last week to continue low-rate production of the new radar-evading warplane built by Lockheed Martin Corp, while keeping a close eye on the cost of maintaining and operating the new jets.

    I recognize the need for new jets and all but when the cost reaches this level, we may want to rethink what we are trying to accomplish – defending ourselves or emptying the treasury at a record pace…..A TRILLION Dollars ??? My great grandchildren and yours could not be reached to comment on how they feel about having their great grandchildren paying for this program.

    • Tantumblogo
      February 27, 2012 at 8:05 am

      This is old news. Take that figure with a huge grain of salt.

    • Brian R
      February 27, 2012 at 10:36 am

      Even if it is true, that works out to about $8m per year per plane. Presumably that includes acquisition cost. Doesn’t seem that high to me.

      Go look at the 50 year cost of Medicare, Medicard and Social Security. I don’t remember the exact numbers, but they were in the tens of trillions each.

  • mark scease
    February 26, 2012 at 2:58 pm

    I had the occasion to meet the gentleman a few weeks ago. Pleased to say that I was able to shake his hand and offer some words that were graciously accepted. He has a presence somewhat less than full of himself, but a presence of confidence mixed with humility. Very glad he was able to come home and raise his children. The west is in need of such.

  • SGT B
    February 26, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    I’m just going to sit here and be awed by yet another story of a true professional, and count myself fortunate to have served with others of the same mold, if not nationality.

    (And In about fourteen years I’ll pay good money to be a fly on the wall when his daughter brings her first beau home to meet Daddy.)

  • Marine6
    February 26, 2012 at 4:27 pm

    We may have “a special relationship” with England but our best friends, our most trustworthy allies, and our most reliable comrades in arms are Aussies.

    Bless you, corporal. I’d go to war with you in a heartbeat.

  • Swiss Bob
    February 27, 2012 at 12:23 am

    Marine6,

    That’s OK, my list of reliable (in a fight) goes something like this:

    Irish, Scots, Welsh

    Canadians, Aussies and NZers,

    Septics :-)

    The rest of the World.

    • NaCly Dog
      February 27, 2012 at 6:45 am

      SwissBob, you left out the Gurkhas! Woe is you. I’d place them somewhere above the Septics, at the very least.

      The Swiss Army is so fearsome that no one want’s to fight it. I just finished reading La Place de La Concorde Suisse by John McPhee. Makes me wonder how all the recent reforms are affecting the Swiss Army.

      • Swiss Bob
        February 27, 2012 at 11:07 am

        Finally found the reply button :-(

        NaCly Dog, Gurkhas are English!

        “The Swiss Army is so fearsome that no one want’s to fight it.”

        No one can find it!

        Don’t know much about the Swiss army except all the kids I know would rather pay the tax than serve, and when they do they drive up a mountain with a lorry load of beer and only come back when it’s empty.

  • Hogday
    February 27, 2012 at 11:39 am

    In the drift slightly off thread, if you read any well researched book about the battle for Monte Casino you’d be pretty impressed by our former colonial chums in the mighty Indian army who were, by all accounts, magnificent soldiers in that living hell. We’d do well to remember that as we bump along this downhill, slippery economic slope we’re on.

    • Snake Eater
      February 27, 2012 at 1:40 pm

      …yes indeed…and let us not also forget that your “former colonial chums” were led by British Officers and NCOs. Best
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