Current cap badge of the Special Boat Service

I believe all modern special operations units trace their roots to the various units Great Britain established in WWII.  Many such as the Long Range Desert Group (arguably the finest long range mobility unit ever), Popski’s Private Army, (named after venerable Vladimir Peniakoff) and the Special Operations Executive paved the way for the modern commandos and intelligence services but did not survive or were morphed into other units and organizations.  The most famous special operations unit in the world is the highly regarded Special Air Service founded by the true father of special operations forces, Colonel Sir Archibald  David Stirling.  But no less capable although much smaller, the Royal Marines Special Boat Service is in the news and for very good reason.

According to news reports here with graphics, here, and here, SBS troops, working with Italian special operations folks, rescued two Italian troops kidnapped by what is being described as the Taliban. In what sounds like a classic SOF mission, the Italians put “eyes on” via a parachute insertion, four Lynx helos carrying SBS were sent in after the recon element saw two “jeeps” (almost surely Toyota Hilux trucks) leaving, the SBS guys shot out the engines of the vehicles, killed the bad guys, and the assault troop hit the house and rescued the Italians, reportedly intelligence officers.

The SBS motto used to be “Not by strength, by guile” and it has been updated to now be “By strength and guile.”  I was able to tour their facility in Poole England years ago and was struck by their small size yet immense capability.  SBS operators like their US Navy SEAL counterparts and other frogmen around the world, not only have to be superb practitioners of military skills, they have to be able to master the difficulty of the maritime environment too. 

The SBS may have equals in the special ops world, but they have no betters….Well done lads!