New Zealand Special Air Service

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Special Air Service of New Zealand
Cap Badge of the Special Air Service of New Zealand
Active	7 July 1955–Present
Country	New Zealand
Branch	Army
Type	Special Forces
Role	Counter-Revolutionary Warfare Close Target Reconnaissance
Size	One regiment
Garrison/HQ	Papakura, New Zealand
Motto	Who Dares Wins
Engagements	Malayan Emergency Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation Vietnam War Operation Desert Thunder INTERFET Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Anaconda
Decorations	United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation

The New Zealand Special Air Service (NZ SAS) was formed on 7 July 1955 and is a Special Forces unit of the New Zealand Army modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). The New Zealand Government states that NZ SAS is the "premier combat unit of the New Zealand Defence Force", is based in Auckland, and has the motto “who dares wins”. The elite unit is "capable of undertaking unconventional warfare". Its key roles are to undertake overseas missions and respond to domestic terrorist attacks. The New Zealand SAS is held in high regard internationally, as demonstrated by the United States Presidential Citation which was awarded to the NZSAS on 7 December 2004.

Contents 1 History 1.1 World War Two 1.2 Malaya and Borneo 1.3 Vietnam 1.4 Kuwait 1998 1.5 Afghanistan 1.5.1 Presidential Unit Citation 1.5.2 Victoria Cross 2 Current organisation 2.1 Counter-Terrorist Tactical Assault Group 3 Selection 4 Notable members 5 Alliances 6 See also 7 Notes 8 External links

History

In June 1955 it was decided that the New Zealand Army required an elite unit capable of unconventional warfare, to contribute to the British counter-insurgency effort in Malaya, and Major Frank Rennie was appointed to form and command the unit. Modelled on the British Special Air Service, the NZ SAS was quickly seen to be both effective and professional. The very arduous selection process, as then, only has a success rate of approximately 2%. Even after being "badged", the probationary period can see further applicants returned to their original units.

World War Two

Like the British SAS, the NZ SAS can trace its roots back to the famous Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), a British/Commonwealth army unit which fought in the North African desert in World War 2. This unit comprised British, New Zealand, Australian and Rhodesian soldiers. The LRDG was nicknamed "the Mosquito Army" by General Wavell. Special Air Service soldiers would refer to it as the "Libyan Desert Taxi Service."

Malaya and Borneo

In 1955 the 133-strong^[1] NZSAS Squadron was attached to the British SAS in Malaya. It fought against Malaysian Communists with great success, spending 18 of the 24 months it was in Malaya operating in the jungle^[2]. As well as being tasked with fighting the communist guerrilla forces they were also charged with collecting up and training villagers to fight as well. In over a dozen major engagements only one NZSAS trooper was killed. Soon after the unit was disbanded, having been operationally replaced by an Infantry Battalion. Still, it did not take long for the SAS unit to be reformed.

The NZSAS was also involved in countering Indonesian Communist insurgents in Borneo. Here in the harsh jungle environments the New Zealanders' tracking skills were called upon. Alongside their British and Australian counterparts, "Hearts and Minds" operations were very effective here and are still a major element of Special Forces operations.

Vietnam

Based in Nui Dat, Vietnam, the NZ SAS 4 Troop served under Australian command in November 1968, attached to the Australian SASR. Here NZSAS was named 1st Ranger Squadron, NZSAS, the new name recalling the Forest Rangers commanded by von Tempsky during the New Zealand Wars. Most tasks involved ambush of enemy forces and conducting reconnaissance missions observing the enemy. The NZSAS troopers were involved in the South Asia conflict from 1968 to the early 1970s.

Kuwait 1998

This section requires expansion.

Operation Desert Fox saw US Special Forces and British, Australian and New Zealand SAS units prestaging in Kuwait at Ali Al Salim Air Field in preparation for a 'snatch grab' incursion into Iraq.^{[citation needed]} Ali Al Salim military airbase is situated in Kuwait, approximately 23 miles from the Iraqi border. The airfield is owned by the Government of Kuwait.

Afghanistan

Starting in late 2001, the NZ SAS began operations assisting in the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Three 6 month rotations of between 40 and 65 soldiers from the NZ SAS served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom before the unit was withdrawn in November 2005.^[3] On 17 June 2004, two NZ SAS soldiers were wounded in a pre-dawn gun-battle in central Afghanistan. In recognition of his actions during this engagement, SAS trooper Willie Apiata was awarded the Victoria Cross for New Zealand. 71 soldiers from the unit returned for a fourth deployment in September 2009.^[4]

Secrecy still surrounds much of the NZ SAS's operations in Afghanistan, although a Radio New Zealand news piece claimed the service had maintained a mission success rate of 100%.^{[citation needed]}

According to a New Zealand government fact sheet released in July 2007, the NZ SAS soldiers routinely patrolled enemy territory for three weeks or more at a time, often on foot, after being inserted by helicopter.

There were "casualties on both sides" during gun battles, but no New Zealanders were killed.

Presidential Unit Citation

In December 2004, the United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to those units that comprised the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-SOUTH/Task Force K-BAR between 17 October 2001 and 30 March 2002 for "extraordinary heroism" in action. One of these units was the Special Air Service of New Zealand.^[5]

The citation said SAS units helped "neutralise" Taliban and al Qaeda in "extremely high risk missions, including search and rescue, special reconnaissance, sensitive site exploitation, direct action missions, destruction of multiple cave and tunnel complexes, identification and destruction of several known al Qaeda training camps, explosions of thousands of pounds of enemy ordnance."

"They established benchmark standards of professionalism, tenacity, courage, tactical brilliance and operational excellence while demonstrating superb esprit de corps and maintaining the highest measures of combat readiness."

Victoria Cross

It was announced on 2 July 2007 that Corporal Willie Apiata of the NZ SAS, aged 35, had been awarded the Victoria Cross for New Zealand for carrying a severely injured comrade 70 metres "under heavy fire" from machine-guns and grenades after their vehicle was destroyed in an ambush and then joined the rest of his comrades in a counter-attack.

The announcement was unusual, because the NZ SAS is a very secretive organisation that almost never reveals the names of its members. NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark said Apiata's name was revealed because it was only the 14th time since World War 2 that the Victoria Cross had been awarded among the 53 nations of the Commonwealth, and the first to a serving SAS soldier anywhere, and it would be almost impossible to keep secret. In addition to Cpl. Apiata, three other SAS soldiers were decorated for actions during the same mission. Although not confirmed, it seems that this action was the one on 17 June 2004, in which two New Zealanders were reported wounded.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2008, Cpl. Apiata donated his Victoria Cross medal to the NZSAS Trust, so that "The medal is protected for future generations". The medal remains available to Apiata and his family to wear.^[6]

Current organisation

• 1 New Zealand SAS Group^{[citation needed]}
  • Headquarters Support Wing
  • Training Wing
  • A SAS Squadron (Air, Boat, and Mountain Troops)
  • B SAS Squadron (Air, Boat, and Mountain Troops)
  • CTTAG (Counter-Terrorist Tactical Assault Group)
  • EOT (Engineer Operations Troop)

Note — Teams of about 4 to 6 soldiers, led either by a sergeant or, infrequently, by an officer (usually at the rank of captain) are the basic operational elements of the NZSAS.

Counter-Terrorist Tactical Assault Group

The Counter Terrorist Tactical Assault Group (CTTAG) was formed post 2000 in a bid to provide a dedicated counter terrorist capability within 1 NZSAS and the New Zealand Defence Force.

The group consists of an undisclosed number of fully-badged SAS soldiers with a smaller cadre of CTTAG soldiers. Though officially part of 1 NZSAS Gp, CTTAG soldiers do not pass through the full NZSAS selection course, but complete an abridged 7 day selection which is more relevant to CT operational requirements. They do not wear the SAS's 'winged dagger' cap badge or blue stable belt, though they do wear the sand beret with the CTTAG corp badge and corp belt. The CTTAG has the role of responding to domestic terrorist and special recovery incidents in New Zealand.^[7][8]

The CTTAG is composed of members of all three armed Services; NZ Army, RNZN and the RNZAF under the control of CO 1NZSAS Gp. The assessment criteria is rigrous and involves a gruelling selection course in itself. Even though the applicants are not required to attend the notoriously man breaking NZSAS selection course.^[9] Candidates must be at least 20 years of age to qualify for CTTAG training and of the highest calibre physically, professionally and mentally. Once a CTTAG member completes selection and training they are ready to respond to a domestic threat in a matter of hours. The CTTAG are based full time alongside the badged squadrons at the Papakura Military Camp in South Auckland. CTTAG also use the Ardmore Military Camp to conduct their CQB urban, dynamic entry and room clearing drills as well as their sniping skills.

The CTTAG is split into two teams, the sniping team and the assault team. It is also not uncommon to see the CTTAG driving around Auckland conducting covert training sessions amongst civilians. They use a number of Nissan Patrol 4WD vehicles, similar to the ones used by civil police's STG. They also use the Ford Transit van to conduct covert surveillance and transport additional weapons.

In November 2009 the CTTAG anounced that its name is to in 2010 to: Commando- 1 NZSAS GP The unit said that it better displays the type of warfare that the unit would undertake in the future.

Selection

To join the NZSAS, NZ Army, Navy, or Air Force personnel must successfully pass a fifteen-day (5 days pre-selection, 10 days selection) selection course held in Waiouru. Selection as it is known to service people is described to the Weekend Herald by a participant as "mental and physical torture".

Among the exercises is the notorious 'Exercise Von Tempsky' which is executed on the fifth day of selection course. Von Tempsky consists of 24 hours of marching in either a swamp or sand dunes while carrying rifles and alternately one or two 20-litre jerrycans and a 35 kg alice pack. The final exercise is a 60-kilometre endurance march, carrying a 35 kg pack, web gear and rifle to be completed in under 20 hours.

Officers undergo an additional 2 days of selection to test for the their suitability to lead NZSAS soldiers.

Even if candidates make it through the selection course, they must pass psychological, medical and academic tests (plus others) to be chosen for the nine-month SAS training course.

Candidates do not receive the coveted SAS beret and Corps belt, until they have successfully completed the 9 month basic cycle of training.

Notable members

• Willie Apiata VC - first recipient of the Victoria Cross for New Zealand.
• Mike Coburn - later joined 22 SAS and was a member of the much publicised Bravo Two Zero patrol.
• Barrie "Baz" Rice - star of Treasure Island: Extreme.^[10]

Alliances

•  United Kingdom - Special Air Service^[11]

See also

• Delta Force
• SEAL Team Six
• Special Activities Division

Notes

External links

• Army.mil.nz - Official website of the New Zealand Army
• http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00013.htm
• http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0707/VCmediakit2jul07.pdf
• http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/at-a-glance/forces-and-locations.htm
• http://juni0r.orcon.net.nz/nzsas.html
• http://www.mch.govt.nz/history/making-history/emergency-review.html
• Vince Smith Vincent Thomas Charles Smith 337062 Sergeant NZ SAS 1934 to 1988.
• NZSAS Operational History A brief article about the 1 NZSAS Group's 50th Jubilee
• SAS NZ - Roll of honour, awards and images.
• ShadowSpear Special Operations- NZSAS.