0:00- Intro
2:00- Youth and the beginning of service
7:00- Military Service
7:35- Northern Ireland
22:30- First contact in Ireland
29:00- Falklands War
32:00- Selection
40:00- Driving Force
41:35- Operation Nimrod
68:00- Contract soldiering
71:40- Book writing
86:30- Imposter syndrome
89:00- Mentors
97:20- Trauma
99:15- Themes – love, brotherhood
104:00- Final thoughts
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Robin Horsfall was born in Farnham, Surrey, in the United Kingdom. Following a divorce from his birth father, his mother Hazel married his step-father, who adopted him and gave him the name Horsfall. A broken family life adversely affected his education, so he left school in 1972 at the age of fifteen and joined the army as a boy soldier.
Despite a long period of isolation and bullying by his peers, he became a full member of the Parachute Regiment in 1974 and served three tours of Northern Ireland. In 1978 he volunteered for SAS selection and passed on his second attempt in March 1979. He went on to qualify as a Paramedic and Sniper.
He was a member of the SAS counter terrorist team that assaulted the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980, helping to rescue the nineteen hostages who had been held for six days. In April 1982 he partook of Operation Mikado in the Falklands War. In 1986 he was the bodyguard to Dodi Al-Fayed in London, a Contract Soldier Sri Lanka and in 1987 bodyguard to Sheikh Mohammed and John Ackah Blay-Miezah amongst many men he has protected over the decades.
He wrote the highly successful autobiography Fighting Scared. He has written a trilogy of his own philosophical proverbs, short stories, maxims and poetry known as The Words of the Wise Old Paratrooper. More recently in 2021, he produced a collection of more sombre works from throughout the years which paired with striking illustration became Warrior Poet: A Soldier’s Songs.
Robin has had an extraordinary life and has been speaking about it at events both small and large for over 10 years.
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Here's a breakdown of full UKSF (22 SAS and SBS selection)…
PHASE ONE
1. Aptitude; Navigation & Endurance (commonly referred to as Hills Phase) 4 weeks of DAILY mountain marches navigating by map from point to point against an unspecified time limit. Typical schedule as follows (remember, these marches are EVERY DAY)…
Week 1 15-20 km 40lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
Week 2 18-24 km 45lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
Week 3 20-32 km 50lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
Week 4, Test Week; consists of 5 marches over 7 days
march 1, 2 & 3; 30 km 60lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
march 4; 35 km 60lbs weight+weapon, water etc.
THEN, 4 hours rest and start the final march; Long Drag; 65 km 70lbs weight+weapon, water etc. 20-24 hour time limit (weather dependent).
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PHASE TWO
2. Jungle warfare, tactics, navigation ALL LIVE FIRE TRAINING. 6 weeks.
Those who have passed phase one have to then pass jungle training. Training takes place in Belize or Brunei, deep in jungles. Candidates learn the basics of surviving and patrolling in the harsh conditions. UKSF jungle patrols have to live for weeks behind enemy lines, in 4 man patrols, living on rations. This includes yet more days of marches point to point. Jungle training weeds out those who can't handle the discipline required to keep themselves and their kit in good condition whilst on long range patrols in difficult conditions. Again, there is a mental component being tested, not just a physical. Special Forces teams need men who can work under relentless pressure, in horrendous environments for weeks on end, without a lifeline back to home base.
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PHASE THREE
Continuation; Foreign and new weapons skills, CQB training and testing in the world-renowned SAS Killing House where live ammo is used. Advanced infantry and marksmanship skills etc.
Escape & Evasion & Tactical Questioning/Resistance to Interrogation
The small number of candidates who have made it through endurance and jungle training now enter the final phase of selection. The likelihood of a special operation going wrong behind enemy lines is quite high, given the risks involved. UKSF want soldiers who have the wherewithal and spirit required to escape and evade capture and resist interrogation.
For the escape and evasion (E&E) portion of the course, the candidates are given brief instructions on appropriate techniques. This may include talks from former POWs or special forces soldiers who have been in E&E situations in the real world.
Next, the candidates are let loose in the countryside, wearing World War 2 vintage coats with instructions to make their way to a series of waypoints without being captured by the hunter force of other soldiers. This portion lasts for 3-5 days after which, captured or not, all candidates report for TQ.
Tactical Questioning (TQ) tests the prospective UKSF men's ability to resist interrogation. They are treated roughly by their interrogators, often made to stand in 'stress positions' for hours at a time, while disorientating white noise is blasted at them. When their turn for questioning comes, they must only answer with the so-called 'big 4' (name, rank, serial number and date of birth). All other questions must be answered with 'I'm sorry but I cannot answer that question.' Failure to do so results in failing the course. The questioners will use all sorts of tricks to try and get a reaction from the candidates. They may act friendly and try to get their subjects chatting; or they stand inches away from their subjects and scream unfavourable remarks about the sexual habits of their mothers. Female interrogators may laugh at the size of their subject's manhood. Of course, a real interrogation would be a lot more harsh and the subject would not know that they get to leave alive when it's all over. That said, days of interrogations and enduring the stress positions and white noise break down a man's sense of time and reality. UKSF are looking for men who can withstand such treatment long enough so that the effects of revealing any operational information they might have can be lessoned by HQ.
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This is 6 months in, successful candidates for the SAS are now badged and report to Hereford, the home of 22 SAS.
The SBS candidates still have a further selection/continuation phase to complete before being badged and report Royal Marines Poole, the home of the SBS.
Completion of this 6 month selection course is NOT the end. They then start SF training (which never ends) and for the 1st year in particular are on probation; they can be sent back to their original unit at any time.
I enjoyed this chat. Really interesting.