If you are willing to pursue an extraordinary military career, you should definitely regard the Royal Marines roles. Being a highly respected unit and the world’s most elite amphibious force, it’s not that easy to get a chance to wear the coveted green beret. One should prove they are ready to operate in hostile and even extreme environments, including frontline combats and treacherous terrain. And it’s not only about physical abilities – a state of mind is even more important.
If none of those make your palms sweat and you are determined to join this exceptional team, keep reading our article to get a more comprehensive view of the Royal Marine Commando role. We explain what it takes to join the ranks of the Royal Marines, what career opportunities open up in front of a Royal Marine Commando, and what lifestyle this profession implies.
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It’s hard to overestimate the prestige of being a part of the Royal Marines in the UK: it’s recognised as a significant achievement within the whole armed forces community, both inside the UK and worldwide. The reason for that is the variety of skills the Royal Marines members have to cultivate and enhance on a daily basis. You can call the Royal Marines anything but average due to such outstanding features:
Being a part of the Royal Marines is not just a job. It’s a commitment to a set of values that have been cultivated over centuries, starting from its formation in 1664.
Given the prestige of the unit, individuals who want to pursue the role of a Royal Marines Commando should first check that they meet the entry requirements. Those include age, residency, and physical standards. Let’s have a closer look at each of them.
Only individuals aged between 16 and 32 (sometimes 39, depending on the role) can apply to join the Royal Marines. Those between 13 and 18 years old can consider joining the Royal Marines Cadets. Individuals under 18 are required to provide the consent of their parent or guardian.
To be eligible for the role, An individual must be a UK national or a Commonwealth citizen. Dual Nationality is also acceptable, however, with several restrictions.
An individual has to be at least 145 cm tall and have 65 kg of weight to be allowed in. Their maximum BMI can reach 28 (there are exceptions for those whose waist measures less than 94 cm), and the minimum BMI cannot be under 18. And, of course, an individual has to be able to pass the swimming assessment during their preparation course.
Unfortunately, there is a list of medical conditions that may well bar the entry:
Criminal convictions, except for certain offences, don’t necessarily bar an individual from joining the Royal Marines. Every candidate must complete a full security check, declare all previous convictions, and undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service for the medical branch.
Individuals with tattoos and piercings have to fill in a form in which they describe their tattoos. In the majority of cases, having tattoos doesn’t affect one’s chances of joining. However, there are some restrictions:
If you meet the eligibility criteria, get straight to the application process. It comprises two steps:
As we’ve mentioned, the range of roles in the Royal Marines is vast and includes different areas, from being a chef or a musician to engineering. It’s a good idea to reflect upon it, determine your career path, and register your interest on the Royal Navy official website.
Applicants whose applications are approved proceed to the DAA stage. Within the DAA, they get tested on such skills as Verbal, Numerical, and Spatial Reasoning, Work Rate, and Electrical and Mechanical Comprehension. One can practice the test on the official Royal Navy website before taking it.
Applicants whose application is approved proceed to the DAA stage. Within the DAA, they get tested on such skills as Verbal, Numerical, and Spatial Reasoning, Work Rate, and Electrical and Mechanical Comprehension. One can practice the test on the Royal Navy official website before officially taking it.
The candidate has to attend an online interview where a career advisor will assess their potential to join the Royal Marines.
First, the candidate has to undergo a comprehensive medical examination by Ministry of Defence-approved doctors. After that, they are supposed to pass the Pre-Joining Fitness Test Plus (PJFT+). The test is more challenging for those who aim to become a Commando than those who want to join other branches. One has 3 attempts to pass the test to progress to the next stage.
It’s a three-day training course that implies an introduction to life in the Royal Marines and also a comprehensive physical assessment:
It’s a four-week phase that implies working on practical skills such as personal administration, weapon handling, and basic fieldcraft and gaining theoretical knowledge on nutrition, health and hygiene, and the Royal Marines Corps history. The culmination is a three-day field exercise (Ex-First Step) and Royal Marines Fitness Assessment (RMFA).
The home stretch of the joining process is attending the Royal Marines Initial Training.
When the candidate reaches the Training Programme stage, their recruiting process is considered to be over. They go to the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Lympstone and spend 32 weeks there developing all the necessary skills to help them become elite amphibious soldiers.
The course consists of four sections: Individual Skills, Team and Section Skills, Troop and Urban Skills with Skills Consolidation and Test Exercises, and finally, the Commando Phase.
Within the Individual Skills phase, trainees undergo various physical training sessions, map reading and navigation sessions, live firing, marksmanship training, and others.
The Team and Section Skills phase covers such areas as reconnaissance and surveillance (RS), tactical navigation and signals training, medic training, section tactics, and others.
Troop and Urban Skills with Skills Consolidation and Test Exercise implies training on General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), pistol handling and live firing, tactical night navigation, Royal Marines close combat training, and some others.
The final Commando Phase includes day and night manoeuvre training, amphibious foundation training, final exercise and Commando tests, and King Squad pass-out.
With consistent training and upskilling within the Royal Marines, one can move up through the ranks and become an officer. In case you would like to switch careers, the skills you get while being a part of the Royal Marines are highly transferable and can be applied to some professions outside the armed forces.
The career path within the Royal Marines looks like this:
The variety of specialisations and career paths for a Royal Marines Commando is truly impressive. Having served one to two years as a GD Rifleman, they can choose a role to specialise in. Among those are Mountain Leader (ML), Assault Engineer (AE), Sniper (S), Medical Assistant (MA), Reconnaissance Operator (RO), Signaller (SI), Combat Intelligence (CI), Armourer (A), Heavy Weapons (HW), and many more.
As we’ve already said, the life of the Royal Marines personnel is anything but average: no two operations can ever be the same. Tough and challenging conditions combine with unforgettable experiences, lifetime friendships, and never-ending adventures. If you want to experience exceptional teamwork and camaraderie, the Royal Marines is exactly the place you’re looking for.
