There appears to be some confusion as to why the SAS where called the SAS.
Colonel David Stirling envisioned an elite, small unit of paratroopers to go behind enemy lines and cause confusion and distraction and they where trained as such.
Their first operational mission was a complete disaster, they lost 22 out of 65 men in an operation delvivered via parachute. Stirling went back to the drawing board and formed a relationship with the LRDG in which they transported his troops to target and a legen was born.
The Special Air Service designation was kept, even though their deployment method had been changed but the name was due to their origin as an airbourne commando force.
The SAS is the Grandfather of all modern, western special forces from the Israelis commandos to the American Green Berets.
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Better to reign in hell, than to serve in heaven.
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