In December 2004, as part of the restructuring of the British armed forces, it was announced that a new force, along the lines of the US Army Rangers would be set up to act as support to the UKSF. Although this unit will be a tri-service formation, with personnel from the British Army, Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force , the initial core will be formed from the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment. As a result of this, 1 PARA became one of the four infantry battalions to be cut from the line infantry. No official name for the new force has been announced yet; for now the term 'Rangers' is to be used. However, it is believed that eventually, it will be announced that the unit will remain as 1 PARA. December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2004(MMIV) is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 2003 Defence White Paper, entitled Delivering Security in a Changing World sets out the future of the British military , and builds on the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and the 2002 SDR New Chapter which responded to the challenges raised by the War on Terror. ... Official force name 75th Ranger Regiment Rangers Other names Airborne Rangers Army Rangers Task Force Ranger U.S. Army Rangers Branch U.S. Army Chain of Command USASOC Description Special Operations Force, rapidly deployable light infantry force. ... SRR Cap Badge SAS Cap Badge Logo of the UKSF Reserve The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a blanket term for the elite units of the British Armed Forces. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the UK Armed Forces. ... The Parachute Regiments display team, the Red Devils at an American airshow The Parachute Regiment is the main body of elite airborne troops of the British Army. ... The British Army Infantry Corps comprises 55 battalions of Infantry, from 32 Regiments. ...

Joint Special Forces Support Group

On 17 April 2005, a story in the Daily Telegraph reported the following: April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ... 2005(MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ...

• the 'Rangers' unit will be called the Joint Special Forces Support Group;
• it is intended to be operational by 2008;
• it will initially consist of 450 men from 1 PARA, plus another 200 from the Royal Marines and the RAF Regiment;
• it will be commanded by a lieutenant colonel from the Parachute Regiment;
• it will be based at St Athan barracks in South Wales, close to the Hereford home of the SAS;
• recruitment will be open to members of other Army units (and presumably from the other services too); the selection procedures will be tough, but not as tough as those for the SAS.

However, the story names no source: until an official public announcement, these details should be treated as unconfirmed. Leap year starting on Tuesday // Predicted events January-June January 15 - NASAs MESSENGER spacecraft makes the first of three flybys of Mercury. ... The Corps of Royal Marines, usually just known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the United Kingdoms amphibious forces and a core component of the countrys Rapid Deployment Force. ... The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist corps within the Royal Air Force, responsible for defending airfields and associated installations. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... St. ... Location within the British Isles Hereford Cathedral Hereford (Welsh: Henffordd (pronounced Henfuth)) is a city in the west of England, close to the border with Wales and on the River Wye. ... For other Special Air Services, see Australian Special Air Service Regiment and Special Air Service of New Zealand. ...

External links

• Daily Telegraph report