Royal Marines or Ex Royal Marines

My lad is getting very close to the point of choosing this as a career and I am trying to gleen as much info as possible from anyone who has any experiance.

Any info welcome or you can email me in my profile, just want the best for him as he wants to improve himself constantly while getting an apprentiship as well.

Cheers 😀

you need to be looking in this weeks radio times,as there is an article about RM training on a tv programe starting soon, and have a quick look at the picture , they failed to ban.

Hope you have a sence oof humour as does your son.

Don’t look too close though… Lol

He needs to concentrate on his fitness & endurance, running and plenty of it, basic at first then start to use a rucksack with a small amount of weight in it and increase the weight, then move to some offload running with plenty of hills.

Circuit training too, a good call could be get him to train with a local rugby club for some strength and conditioning……. Above all, he needs to want & believe, and set himself some major goals……….

Go and talk to the RN/RM Careers guys, he’ll get plenty of info from them, beauty about the RM is that they offer a wide range of different disciplines/trades as well as the opportunity to serve with some of the countries best.

Good luck.

I do a lot of work with the Marines and armed forces in general. The thing that normally sets the Marines apart is their intelligence and overall fitness ability.

He needs to focus on his fitness lots and watch all the videos on youtube on the correct way to do exercises. Being able to do a million pressups is useless unless they are the correct pressups etc.

He will be trained to do the soldier type stuff when he is in but his first few weeks are made a lot easier if he’s a fit guy and doesn’t get as knackered with the phys stuff.

I’m not military in any way but have worked alongside a fair few ex Marines, I personally think their all a little mad… but very strong characters who have a lot of self belief ingrained in them via their training, dependable – every one of them, when ever I’ve worked alongside one I’ve never had to watch my back. If its truely his thing then go for it.

No such thing as an ex Royal Marine. Once a Royal Marine always a Bootneck.

If he wants to do it then he needs to work on fitness. He also needs determination. Fitness is nothing without determination.

100% recommended. Also helps if your not 6ft 5in. Has he done the PRC yet?

During my time in the RN met plenty of BOOTNECKS a cut well above your average squaddie type,they are all slightly mad as mentioned above.
The fitness level required on entry is very high, would advise if he is serious training with this mob http://www.britmilfit.com/ as many of the instructors are ex marines.

Good luck to him

Some good advice but dont let him overdo the running with weights and rucksack thing, he risks injury before he gets in and they will build him up slowly to that level anyway, if he wants to carry packs go for long brisk paced walks in the hils, ie average 4km per hours over 5 hours. Concentrate on upper body exercises such as chin ups, rope climbing if possible ie lifting your own bodyweight stuff and long (10) mile steady runs just to buIld up endurence.

If he fancies going for the Military proper he could MTFU and join the Para Reg. 😉

If he thinks about the paras, then he will have to include lots of shouting in his training regime 😉

Marines = thinking mans soldier
Paras = death or glory boys

He’ll need to be extremely fit and strong. My younger brother tried out for the Marines; he got through the whole course then finished the final run 7 minutes late so they failed him. When I saw him a couple of days later he was absolutely shelled, bleeding from his feet, shoulders and the insides of his thighs where his trousers had rubbed, mentally shattered and a broken man. His calorie requirement had been massive during the course and he had trouble getting back to a normal diet; he is now a bloater and grossly unfit.

Concentrate on upper body exercises such as chin ups, rope climbing if possible ie lifting your own bodyweight stuff and long (10) mile steady runs just to buIld up endurence.

This is VERY good advice. I wouldn’t recommend that he start doing anything with weight (and neither do RM). Loooong plods and loads of heaves, dips, press ups etc etc.

Marines = thinking mans soldier
Paras = death or glory boys

Wrong on both counts I’m afraid toys!

Oh and you have a PM

Superb info, thanks for the positive posts so far, may email the people who have emailed me in the near future. Thanks for the mail 😀

My lads only 15, so not even signed up yet but has told me you can sign up at 15 yrs and 9 months, thats how keen he is, and is reading everything he can on the net to get a head start. (bit brainy as well)

Hes a fit lad who plays rugby league at a good level so is very strong for his age, he gets drilled hard at rugby training with lots of circuit type training.He has started a weights training plan already which includes pull ups, press ups and sit ups. i have told him he needs to go swimming a few times a week as wel, maybe ? and increase his running a bit. He has seen a recruitment officer, may take him into town and see them again with me there. 😕

(bit brainy as well)

Don’t rule out finishing A levels and going in at 18 too.
It is possible to go in on an officer’s comission at 18, after good A-levels.
Make contact with the RM now and they will support him through this, and it gives him good incentive too. And don’t neglect the fitness in the meantime 🙂

If he fancies going for the Military proper he could MTFU and join the Para Reg.

+1 🙂

but the marines are the best of the Craphats.

I thought the forces were sacking everyone?

My parents live near a marine base and I will never forget a frosty morning where they were standing to attention in the pool underneath that rope they shimmy along. Minutes earlier they were hanging by their feet over said pool then had to jump in. A bloody long way up.
Definitely not for me but they seemed to enjoy it.
Another time they were doing manoeuvres in the sand dunes and the sargeant was shouting at a new recruit and my mum went over and told him to stop being nasty. Poor sod nearly died!

“but the marines are the best of the Craphats.”

With a name like “Smudger” I’m guessing you’re forces, but you can’t be Para as you’d never even insinuate that the booties were any good! Either way, neither are a patch on my Gurks… 😉

Recruitment has always been low in the Marines. The pass rate is not high.

Agree on the running and weights, especially at 15. They will get you fit but you will need a high degree to pass the PRMC (or POC) (When did the M get added?)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_Royal_Marine_Course

I can’t emphasis enough the state of mind required. At 15 I would be looking for this. The rugby and circuit training is ideal grounding.

There was a series on Channel 5 (I think) about RM squaddie and officer training and subsequent deployment to Afghan. “Life on the Frontline” or something. Very interesting, gave a real impression (to a complete outsider) of what it was like. Might be worth seeing if it’s on YouTube or the 5 website.

If he’s got the smarts, it’s got to be worth thinking about the officer route.

Apologies, it was on ITV

DVD here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Commando-Front-Line-DVD/dp/B0010Y9XZI

With a name like “Smudger” I’m guessing you’re forces, but you can’t be Para as you’d never even insinuate that the booties were any good! Either way, neither are a patch on my Gurks…

Or never been in anything, craphats are army, Marines are Navy.

Or never been in anything, craphats are army, Marines are Navy.

Funny old term “craphat”. Apparently first used by army commandos to describe anyone else due to the fact that the commandos paraded in green lids whilst the remainder had peaked caps (parachute forces were originally formed from an army commando unit). Still VERY much used by army commandos as well as paras and just to add to toys post; also applied to the RAF and in particular the RAF regt.

On another note; your son will have an advantage if he can iron and perform basic domestic chores. Sounds stupid but you’d be amazed by the amount of kids who can’t administer themselves.

Yeah just been chatting to a para who said that craphat was a paras only term. In my post above I was quoting my brother who was a Marine. Just called him and he swears its a marines term to describe the army…

Weren’t you going to message me? Nothing in my inbox..

A “craphat” is anyone who’s not done P Coy ie. if the beret’s not maroon then it’s crap, including green. It’s all harmless banter anyway – they do different jobs so each to their own.

But anyway, back to the OP: make sure your son is clued up on the history of 3 Cdo Bde and their current structure and operational commitments. Also, make sure he knows why he wants to join the Bde instead of say, the Paras or “normal” infantry.

As for phys, he’s still very young so doing free weights or tabbing with weight is more likely to cause problems than make him fit. As other people have said, rugby training is ideal as it also increases robustness and determination. If he wants to do extra, then press ups, sit ups, pull ups and running is ideal. Make sure he’s getting the technique bang on as per the RM fitness tests as incorrectly executed exercises won’t be counted if the PTI is doing his job properly. Email me if you want any more advice.

Oh, and good luck.

No toys, sorry I mailed kingkong. I can absolutely assure you that craphat is NOT a bootneck term. The bootneck term for the army is “pongo”, army commandos and paras often refer to booties as craphats though.
As I said earlier “craphat” was originated by the commandos and used by No2 commando when they became the first airborne troops. It was adopted by the paras who mistakenly apply it to all and sundry. I don’t think the paras would refer to 1st Parachute Battalion as craphats.

Ha ha, the minefield of military slang! Army = pongo; Navy= matelot; Marine = boot neck; RAF = crab; anyone not done P Coy = craphat; P coy but no jumps course = penguin (flightless bird!) etc etc

“but the marines are the best of the Craphats.”

With a name like “Smudger” I’m guessing you’re forces, but you can’t be Para as you’d never even insinuate that the booties were any good! Either way, neither are a patch on my Gurks…

Or never been in anything, craphats are army, Marines are Navy.

Para’s a long time ago. And with the perspective that the years allow, I can appreciate the attributes of all the elite forces. And yes, the Gurkha’s are pretty good for craphats too. So Toys can wind his neck in a bit.

On another note; your son will have an advantage if he can iron and perform basic domestic chores. Sounds stupid but you’d be amazed by the amount of kids who can’t administer themselves.

This! although he will be taught to do it properly when he gets in. Para/Marine/Gurkha attitude/mindset is crucial rather than any particular skills upfront.

Good luck to the lad.

I’ve not read all the above, but what I would add is how much does he want to be a RM? And what are his motives and expectations?

I only ask because a mate joined about 3-4 years ago, passed the necessary selection/training etc, and then realised he no longer wanted in. They made it nigh on impossible for him to leave and that included bullying etc. Thankfully two of our mates (one an older ex-RM and another with shall we say “covert” experience) were able to support him emotionally until he finally stood his ground and left. He felt that without them he would still be there.

Wasn’t a nice experience he said. Just my tuppence.

Man up Smudger, you have to be able to recieve as well as give. 😉

😉

This! although he will be taught to do it properly when he gets in

He will, but (particularly during training) there is a huge advantage in having good admin. It can often be the difference between getting a good nights sleep or not which will influence his performance the next day when there may be tests. Courses like P-Coy, divers, Cdo course etc are pain enough without making it difficult for yourself.
Maybe get him used to wearing boots, too (not necessarily running in them). His feet will need toughening up, a lack of huge weeping blisters is also an advantage 😀

He doesn’t want to train too much as he’ll risk injury and end up sweating like a para on a spelling test 😉

In serious mode tho I didn’t think you could join RM at 15y 9m I know you can the army but not RM at least you couldn’t it is/was 17 with parents permission or 18 worth checking to be sure but I wouldn’t have thought they would have dropped it due to the nature of the course

lINKY TO A NEW TV PROGRAME STARTING THE 30 JAN 2012

http://www.radiotimes.com/programme/pb4fc/royal-marines-mission-afghanistan

rugby training is ideal as it also increases robustness and determination

This. I never played rugby as a lad and really wished I had. Just gets you used to taking knocks and picking yourself up again. Infantry training is basically one long process of finding out exactly what your mind and body are capable of.

I was Army infantry and loved it but to be honest if I had my time again I would go RM. Really is a huge difference in the calibre of the average soldier in my experience. Our guys were great but were basically a huge gang of lads from the rough side of the tracks. Most Marines I know have a bit of a hinterland of their own, are into climbing or mtb or canoeing and are generally a lot brighter.

mcboo, you say most Marines are into mtb’ing, check this out.. 😛

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QKyUDFVGn8&feature=g-hist&context=G2107b05AHTyHqZAACAA

I think the programme in Project’s link is made by the same guy as made the ITV one I saw. I’ll be watching it.

The harbour at Poole!
How things change; we had no safety jackets, no safety line, no safety diver, had to backflip into the oggin and wear webbing!
Doing this in January is not good for morale.