Editing Special Air Service (section)

===21 and 23 SAS===
{{Main|21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve)|23 Special Air Service Regiment (Reserve)}}
For much of the Cold War, the role of [[Artists Rifles|21 SAS]] and [[23 Special Air Service Regiment (Reserve)|23 SAS]] was to provide stay-behind parties in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion of western Europe, forming together I Corps' Corps Patrol Unit. In the case of an invasion, this Special Air Service Group would have let themselves be bypassed and remained behind in order to collect intelligence behind Warsaw Pact lines, conduct target acquisition, and thus try to slow the enemy's advance.<ref>Asher, Michael (2008). ''The Regiment: The True Story of the SAS''. London: Penguin UK. {{ISBN|0141026529}}, pp. 359–360</ref><ref>Geraghty, Tony. ''Who Dares Wins: the story of the SAS 1950–1982'', p. 15 {{ISBN?}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title=Eyes on target: 'Stay-behind' forces during the Cold War|first=Tamir|last=Sinai|date=8 December 2020|journal=War in History|volume=28|issue=3|pages=681–700|doi=10.1177/0968344520914345|doi-access=free}}</ref>

In early 2003, a squadron of about 60 soldiers from 21 SAS and 23 SAS, were deployed to Afghanistan.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rayment|first1=Sean |title=Overstretched SAS calls up part-time troops for Afghanistan |work=[[The Sunday Telegraph]] |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1450394/Overstretched-SAS-calls-up-part-time-troops-for-Afghanistan.html|location=London|date=28 December 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323000712/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1450394/Overstretched-SAS-calls-up-part-time-troops-for-Afghanistan.html |archive-date=23 March 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Daily Telegraph">{{cite news |last1=Rayment |first1=Sean |title=SAS reservists withdrawn from Afghan front line |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7575034/SAS-reservists-withdrawn-from-Afghan-front-line.html |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=11 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413194545/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7575034/SAS-reservists-withdrawn-from-Afghan-front-line.html |archive-date=13 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2005, for the first time since the Malayan Emergency a whole Reserve squadron deployed from one of the regiments to Afghanistan to conduct reconnaissance of [[Helmand province campaign|Helmand province]] in preparation for the establishment of a [[Task Force Helmand|Task Force]] based around [[16 Air Assault Brigade]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Michael |title=Part-time SAS sent to tackle Taliban |work=[[The Sunday Times]] |date=20 November 2005}}</ref>