Its not the first time that the SAS has had cultural problems with NCO's running the show. In the book "SAS Phantoms of the Jungle" there is a very good description of the SAS post Vietnam War. The issue was that the senior NCOs had developed a cultural power base because they were the soldiers with all the combat experience. The NCOs were also entrenched in the Regiment and did not consider themselves part of the "normal"army. A telling excerpt states:
"A later commanding officer thought that Smethhurst's greatest contribution to the regiment was in setting the foundation for the transfer of power from the Sergeants' Mess to the Officer' Mess".
The italics are in the book. The difference this time was the length of the conflict so there was not the opportunity to reset to the normal power structures.
As one of the medics stated about Afghanistan the patrol leaders thought that they would never get caught and that they were above the law.
The SAS reputation is going to take a battering but it should result in a Regiment that understands that with the status comes responsibility and accountability, otherwise they are no better than historical elite units that committed war crimes.