If you’re looking for pieces on Jack Idema and his team, please click on this link.

Here you see SAS legend Paddy Baker with Idema on the range. This was a PRE- Iranian Embassy Raid and Idema is running a course on the HK MP-5SD3 Submachinegun for the SAS. His course was one of the key reasons the regiment changed from the L2A3 Sterling SMG to the HK MP-5 which would later be used so devastatingly by the SAS’ at 16 Princes Gate in a daring hostage rescue operation. Notice Idema holding a V-70 Pistol in his left hand behind Colonel Baker. He is about to hand him the pistol next (HK only had secret prototypes then). Idema was awed by Baker’s skill. He later said during the graduation that Baker should be teaching the course, not him. Idema called Baker “the British version of Charlie Beckwith– a true hero of extraordinary proportions.”

The Rotty Pup has taken up the Idema cause and there is a swell of comments from British Paras with regard to Idema and his relationship with the SAS.

“FUCKIN A” MATE— the picture of Idema with Colonel Paddy Baker, MM, says it ALL! Thats all me and my mates needed. So how do we help these chaps and who do we have to have a punch up with to do it?

That explains Task Force SABRE, as in Sabre at 22. Paras ought to be “JUMPIN” all on this story. The Regiment should issue a right proper official statement of support. Happy Christmas to Jack and his mates. Wish I could send them a Pinky fullup armed.

Jack in full CRW (Counter-Revolutionary Warfare) Gear in 1986, pointing a pistol through a fourth story window.. Idema and Fred Lewis (who helped start Delta Force) designed the assault vest that would later be adopted by every Special Operations unit in the United States military.

Pegasus 27

I understand that this Jack Idema bloke was with the SAS at one point and taught them in CRW techniques (Counter-Revolutionary Warfare). Have you got any info on this?

Let the Paras and chaps at 22 have a go at getting him out if the Yanks are too damn scared to get their arses shot off.

Chris-Former Paras

There is an entire page set up with regard to Jack’s history with the British SAS at Superpatriots, you can see that page here. More on Jack’s background with SF here and here.

This guy received his Green Beret at 18 and graduated the SF course at 19- this is unheard of. Is their ANY other person in the world that has ever achieved this? Idema went to the Green Berets’ equivalent to Navy SEAL school at 20 (average age is 28). He went on to become a Master Diver, a Senior Open Water Instructor, a Master Instructor, and an Instructor Trainer. He was jumpmaster at 24, a Counter-terrorist HRT team leader at 27, having graduated the most classified counter-terrorist school in the world in 1981. Idema later evaluated the course in 1983, and rewrote their curriculum at age 27. He trained and advised the British SAS at 25 years old.

Idema worked with the German GSG-9 Commandos and French GIGN throughout Europe in the late 70’s and early 80’s, then throughout the world in the following years. Idema returned to TEACH the Special Forces Course in 1984 as a SENIOR instructor. But, he continued a special relationship with the SAS; including working at Hereford with 22 (back when the unit was there), and at Chelsea Barracks on Kings Road (21 Regiment) and with the 23 Regiment in Portsmouth (also Territorials like 23).

Here is a taste of just SOME of Jack’s plaques. These are hanging on his wall in Fort Bragg, NC. The red circle shows ONE of his SAS plaques presented to him by the British Special Air Service commandos.

We aren’t going to post names of operators he worked with on here because anyone that knows anything about the blokes in the SAS know they hate that sort of stuff. We will tell you that then General Peter de la Billiere, MC, walked into the middle of a large group of SAS and SF troops, walked up to one man, and personally thanked Idema for a job he did with the SAS. General Billiere had previously been Commander 22 SAS from 1972-76, he was then a Lieutenant Colonel, then became Colonel as commander of 21, 22,23, and then overall Special Operations commander for the UK as a General officer.

Idema was in Thailand and Haiti in 1985 and 1986 (as we recall no Special Forces were “supposed” to be in either place), receiving the highly coveted Royal Thai Army Master Wings at 30 (he was ONLY the 11th Green Beret to obtain this award since the fall of Vietnam- more than ten years before). By 35 he had trained more than 20 foreign Special Forces units, and was advising five federal agencies on counter-terrorism and hostage rescue. Pictures of Idema along with copies of several of the more than 25 Special Operations/SF diplomas and awards he received while in the army have been provided to this website. They confirm everything he has said.

Master Sergeant Thomas Bumback, seen in the picture above wearing the distinctive blue embroidered SAS Jumpmaster Wings, confirmed Idema’s military background yet NOT ONE SINGLE JOURNALIST ever printed this information.

Bumback was the operations and intelligence sergeant on Idema’s team during Idema’s second time he trained the SAS during OPERATION HONEYGIFT. This included a composite squadron of 21, 22, and 23 Troopers, Troop Sergeants, and officers.

If you’re in the UK, and want more information, buy the book TASK FORCE DAGGER in London or any British book store. There are many parts about Jack and the SAS. When Jack agreed to do the book and give his pictures to McMillan, Jack made sure the McMillan publisher’s contract stated that the SAS Regimental fund would get a percentage of the book’s income forever to use for the families of fallen SAS soldiers.

Jack was so concerned about the SAS’ widows and their families that he fought a lengthy battle with the British publisher insisting that the royalty checks to the 22 Regimental Fund go directly to the Regiment from the publisher in case something ever happened to him. Something did, and maybe if Special Forces can’t do it, the SAS ought to be getting him out, or at least bringing him water and supplies, but most of his friends don’t even know that it happened to him or that he is even in prison. The US Embassy has not allowed any of them to send mail for more than one year.

The SuperPatriots and Jack images on this site are used by Cao’s Blog with written copyright permission and any use by any third party is subject to legal action by SuperPatriots.US

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