About The Fund

The Fund's mission is to assist current and former members of the Australian Defence Force, and their families, who suffer hardship because of their service with the Special Air Service Regiment.

This assistance extends to other members of the Australian Defence Force who are killed or disabled when participating in a Special Air Service Regiment controlled operation, exercise or activity.

The Fund was established in March 2012 to act as the umbrella body for the three Special Air Service Resources Trusts.

All funds raised through donations or functions are held by the Fund for distribution to the three Trusts as needed.

Trust 1 was formed following the Blackhawk helicopter tragedy on 12 June 1996 during a training exercise near Townsville, North Queensland that claimed 18 lives and rendered one soldier paraplegic.  Consequently 11 children, ranging in age from 2 to 15 years were left without fathers.

 For more information on the support provided by Trust 1 - click here.

Trust 2 was established in November 2010 and provides relief to current and former members of the Regiment and their families who do not qualify as beneficiaries under the primary trust but are experiencing financial hardship or difficulty as a result of any disability attributable to their service with the Regiment.  For more information on Trust 2 - click here.

Trust 3 was established in May 2011 to provide welfare and respite to all serving members of the SAS Regiment and their families.  For more information on Trust 3 - click here.

The Special Air Service Regiment

The Special Air Service Regiment is a unit of the Australian Army whose role is to conduct military operations, for the defence of Australia, beyond the scope and capability of conventional units.

The concept of the Special Air Service has its origins in the British Army’s Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The heritage of the Australian Special Air Service, however, is drawn from the experiences of Z Special Unit, M Special Unit, the Independent Commando Companies and the Coastwatchers who operated in the South West Pacific against the Japanese during World War II.

On 25 July 1957, the 1st Special Air Service Company, Royal Australian Infantry, was raised at Campbell Barracks in Western Australia.  In 1964, the 1st Special Air Service Company was expanded to become the Special Air Service Regiment.

Members of the Regiment, who are SAS qualified, are readily identified by their sandy coloured beret and its distinctive badge depicting the flaming sword Excalibur upon a black shield and the words “Who Dares Wins”. These soldiers are carefully selected. They are trained to act with intelligence and discipline in situations that may have national, strategic consequences. They are required to work in small teams, for extended periods, often isolated from immediate support.

SASR provides unique capabilities to support sensitive operations such as special recovery operations, training assistance, long-range reconnaissance, precision strike and direct offensive action.

SAS Network of Support

The Australian SAS network is made up of organisations who work together to support current and ex-members of the SAS Regiment and their families. These organisations include the SAS Auxiliary, the SAS Historical Foundation, the Australian SAS Association and, of course, the SAS Resources Fund.

See Further Support for more information on these SAS organisations.