Cobus Claassens is a former South African Army paratrooper, mercenary, and security consultant. He is known for his work with the private military company Executive Outcomes in the 1990s and has since become a managing director for a risk management firm.
He was a sergeant in 1 Recce Commando, qualifying in 1977. After years of operations, including as a mountaineering instructor, and team leader, he left for Wits University to study further. Soon, he was back at 1 Recce Regiment and eyed (wrongly) with much...
In 1960, as a twenty-year old corporal in the SA Armoured Corps, Johnny Kieser was one of 15 selected South Africans who were sent to England to train as paratroopers and then to return to establish South Africa’s first airborne unit. Under command of Cmdt WP Louw...
Simon Campbell-Young, a Craven Week rugby player, posted to Infantry School and then 1 Parachute Battalion, an elite unit, circa1986 to 1987, as a national serviceman. He then became a platoon sergeant in the operational area. Ops Firewood took place on 31 October...
