The SAS

[slimjim]

And other similar, elite regiments. These are hard as nails types who can supposedly kill a man with their bare hands. How do they train them to do this? Surely, they have to do the real thing in training to make them tough enough. Do they train surrepticiously in obscure parts of the world, taking out a few locals?

[andy hughes]

It sounds unlikely! If you think about it, there are a number of skills than you can be taught theoretically, without necessarily needing to try out in practical terms. I know that if I hold a person with one hand being their head, one on the chin, grip firmly and twist, the result will break the neck. I don't have to 'try it out', and I'm sure SAS soliders work on the same principle.

[Quizmonster]

On Monday evening on Channel 4 there was a programme called 'The Truth about Killing'. Its fascinating conclusion - based on research over many years - was that on an actual battlefield only two men out of every hundred on either side is actually shooting to kill! The rest are all involved in what appear to be meaningful activities but aren't, since they feel killing their own kind to be impossible. One musket on an American Civil War site, for example, was found to have about two dozen 'loads' rammed down the barrel, none of which had been fired. This suggests that the soldier it belonged to was pretending to load and fire, but was doing no such thing. Of the two really going for it, one is probably a murderous psychotic and the other is the sort of guy who becomes a hero by attacking six machinegun-nests single-handed!

Anyway, the second programme - to be shown next Monday - is going to explain how armies try to train their men to shoot to kill, despite their altruistic tendencies. Put it in your diary. I'll certainly be watching. Apart from that, I'm sure Andy's right and that actual 'practice' is not required.

[darth vader]

All the square bashing, the abuse, the mental and physical torture, the killing a chicken and frying it up - all this and more is basically training men to follow orders without question. shooting someone else is quite simply following another order without question to them. This said all SAS (and other elite regiments) are recruited from the other regiments and battle experience is required b4 you can apply to join (many SAS tend to be ex-paras) - simply walking in off the street and asking to join will not get you in.