Ok this might be a stupid question but what does SAS stand for?

I've seen books on the fighting styles of the SAS, and hand to hand combat from the SAS but I have no clue what that stands for.

I'm sure its some elite fighting unit but could someone give me a little more info on it??

Thanks

S.pecial A.ir S.ervice                          they are the U.K.'s special forces.they are very well trained in all aspects of specops and anti-terrorist tactics.Charlie Beckwith,who founded Delta Force,attended the qualification course and patterned Delta after the SAS.in the 80's they took down terrorists who had captured an embassy in london.

Yes, Special Air Service as the previous poster said.  Intersting story behind the name.  SAS was formed in North Africa during WW II.  The purpose was recon and raiding behind enemy lines.  The term "Special Air Service" was intended as a harmless sort of cover name for what they actually did.  If you think about, they may certainly have been special, and a service, but at that time they had little if anything to do with air.  Special Air Service could just as easily been an airmail unit.  But the moniker stuck.  

Tough bunch.  Have read a number of books on them.  

If you want to read some interesting history on the SAS you should get "Stirlings Desert Raiders."  It details how the unit got started during WW11.

They were originally going to parachute in behind desert lines in North Africa but had a bad test drop.  A bunch of guys were killed and scattered all over.  They almost disbanded the unit.

They changed gears and started driving in with jeeps armed with 2 sets of twin machinegun.  Its an excellent book I have read several times.

While obviously in this case SAS is special air service. However these days there's also a few more: Single Action Shooting Society. (I know, SASS) Also Second Amendment Sisters, which is promoting firearm ownership for females & self-defense for females in general.

To add to what the others have said about the Special Air Service, it was put together by Major David Sterling as a unit to operate behind enemy lines for extended periods, obeserve enemy strength and activity, and to conduct interdiction and limited harrassment on a "hit-and-run" basis.  The name Special Air Service was indeed selected as a ruse, but it stuck. Major Stirling designed the unit cap badge, a Fairbairn dagger with the motto "Who Dares, Wins".  

Early operations were conducted on poorly-equipped vehicles that were on hand, then the SAS procured some 3/4 Ton and 1.5 Ton Chevrolet commercial trucks of pre-war design that they extensively modified, cutting away the doors and cab roof, most of the vertical grille in front of the radiator, etc.  They also fitted cargo beds to which were fastened sections of perforated metal airstrip decking which they used to help get unstuck from soft sand.  Low pressure wide unidirectional tires were fitted on special rims to reduce the specific pressure on the sand.  Some vehicles were fitted with .30 M1919 and .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns on flexible mounts.  Supplies were typically carried for missions lasting betw. three days to two weeks and even longer.  

Personnel volunteered from much of the Empire -- there were British, Australian, Canadian, and New Zeeland soldiers under Sterling's command, so many that specific SAS units (Squadrons) were formed almost entirely with personnel from a specific country.  

The Bantam/Willys/Ford Jeep came a bit later in SAS operations in the North African campaign, and again the grillwork was cut away, extra fuel tanks fitted, MGs on flexible mounts, etc.  Jeep-embarked patrols would operate singly on occasion, but with groups of two to four vehicles being more common.  In fact, the North African exploits of the SAS were the inspiration for the '60s TV series "Rat Patrol" that each week were a PITA to German character actor and all-around bad guy Eric Braeden.

Today, the SAS (tan berets with Who Dares Wins dagger badge) are one of the elite British forces, together with the Royal Marines' Special Boat Service (SBS) and Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre (M&AW)units and certain independent units of the Parachute Batallion (Paras).

BRS

Special Boat Squadron Royal Marines be some bad-ass boys.

Hey guys thanks alot, ya'll  really know your stuff. They sound like a pretty tough group. I'm gonna try looking up more info on them. I'm sure it'll make for some good reading.

Thanks again guys.