The Special Boat Service is one of the most highly trained assault forces in the world and they form part of the Royal Navy. They play a similar role to those who form part of the Special Air Service in the Army. Whereas the special air service deploys into a battlefield or behind enemy lines from the air, the special boat service will deploy from the sea.

There is a lot of secrecy that surrounds the special boat service ad little is known about its actions let alone its recruitment process and how you can join them. In recent years the work of the special air service has become more recognised with numerous television documentaries and dramas.

However, if you asked the question who is the special boat service and what do they do the majority of people would not know the answer and this is the way they try to keep it.

Some of their duties include coastal reconnaissance, sabotage, drug interception, maritime counter-terrorism and anti-shipping roles. While the remaining duties remain top secret and undisclosed to the public.

Anyone meeting the minimum length of service criteria can apply for the SBS. They share the same tough selection process and the elite candidates succeed. What makes it so tough is the fact that it tests both the candidates physical and mental abilities over a long period of time.

The majority of other selection processes for other units in the armed forces are nowhere near as intense. There is no room for error during the entire selection process and it requires a unique type of person to succeed.

Recent changes have meant that the SBS is now open to any member of the armed forces (including the Royal Engineers, the Royal Artillery and the RAF Regiment), it had previously only been open to the Royal Marines.

The SBS soldier extremely fit, highly skilled and very guarded about the role that they play. They are not the type of people that go around telling other people what they do. Someone you know may even work for the SBS and you would not even know.

The selection process for this force starts with the individual candidate, where they must request through there Commanding Officer that they would like to be considered. The first phase of selection process is a requirement for the candidate to attend a weekend course known as the Special Forces Briefing Course.

This course is only run twice a year and its aim is to enable potential candidates who wish to join to experience first hand what life in Special Forces is all about.