August 15, 2006: The British Special Air Service (SAS) is giving their commandos, especially their most experienced ones, a raise. Top pay for senior SAS NCOs has been increased to nearly $100,000 a year. The pay boost is in response to the growing number of attractive civilian job offers SAS operators are getting. With only about a thousand commandos to begin with, the SAS can ill-afford to lose any of them. It costs millions of dollars, and 5-10 years, to get a trained and experienced operator. But the demand, from civilian firms, for security experts, is growing. Those who have served with the SAS are considered top candidates for these jobs, and are being offered far more than $100,000 a year. But patriotism, and loyalty to the SAS and ones mates, can overcome some, but not all, of the pay differential. Thus the recent raises, which were as high as 50 percent for the most experienced, and expensive to replace, SAS men.