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Royal Marines Questions

Step 4: Meet the recruiter

Royal Marines Questions

Here are a selection of FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) from people who are interested in joining the Royal Marines.

What are the Royal Marines?
How are the Royal Marines different from the Army?
What are the qualifications to join the Royal Marines?
Is infantry the only job in the Royal Marines?
Do the Marines take people with prior service?
What if I am not a UK citizen?
Can the Royal Marines help me obtain UK citizenship?
What about if I live overseas?
How long is Royal Marines Commando training?
Where is it held?
What is the Commando training like?
Should I do anything before I start Commando training?
How do I become an officer?
Are there promotions to officer rank?
Are there medical opportunities in the Royal Marines?
What Reserve opportunities are there in the Marines?
What are the qualifications to join the Reserve?
What training will I receive?
What if I have a problem getting time off from my employer?
Are there pilots in the Royal Marines?
What should I ask my recruiter?
Can I talk to someone in the service now?

What are the Royal Marines? The Royal Marines are the UK’s “rapid-reaction” force and their skills are critical in a world where 70 percent of the world’s countries are located within 200 miles of a coastline. When crises erupt anywhere in the world, the Marines are likely to be called to rapidly carry out the UK’s foreign policy objectives. Marines operate domestically and all over the globe. As a rapid-reaction focused force, they often work in dangerous areas. They are primarily tasked with first-on-the-scene missions, awkward or challenging missions that involve sea-land work, security, and anything with a high probability of gunfire.

How are the Royal Marines different from the Army? The Royal Marines are always on standby to mobilise in their role as the UK’s “rapid –reaction” force. They specialise in being the first on the scene whether they arrive by sea, up rivers or by air and they are also trained to fight in difficult conditions, especially extreme cold.

The Army is a much larger force and is used in larger and longer conflicts. They will often relieve the Marines after a period of time. For example, the Royal Marines were the first Western ground troops in Iraq during the 2003 invasion where they successfully secured the oilfields prior to the main ground invasion. They then pushed into Iraq with the British Army following them, catching up with them and then taking over the advance.

The Marines also consider themselves to be a self-sustaining force bringing their own air power, artillery and logistics support with them to battle. Of course, Marines often have to travel on Navy vessels in order to get to their destination. Royal Marines also are proud of their ‘Commando State of Mind’. This is their ability to see humour in adversity and not be fazed by daunting challenges.

What are the qualifications to join the Royal Marines? The following are the basic requirements for joining. You must:
• Be between the ages of 17-33. Anyone under 18 needs parental consent.
• Be a British, Irish, Commonwealth or British/dual citizenship.
• Be male, only men can serve as Royal Marine Commandos.
• While some roles don’t require any formal qualifications you need to pass the entrance test that covers basic reasoning, literary and mathematical abilities.
• Pass the gruelling Royal Marines Commando training test

Is infantry the only job in the Royal Marines? Although all Marines are primarily Commandos, the Marine units are self-sufficient so they need almost as many specialised skills as the other Services.

Some specialty fields available to you:
• Aircraft Defence
• Aircraft Maintenance
• Armour
• Broadcasting
• Combat Engineer
• Communications
• Computer Operator/Technician
• Electronics
• Intelligence
• Supply
Use our job matcher to explore careers that match your interest.

Do the Royal Marines take people with prior service? Yes. The Marines accepts people who have previously served in the Armed Forces.

What if I am not a UK citizen? You must be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen.

Can the Royal Marines help me obtain UK citizenship? No. The Armed Forces cannot assist foreign nationals in obtaining admittance into the United Kingdom.

What if I live overseas? You will be eligible if you are a British citizen, or a citizen of the Irish Republic or a Commonwealth country.

How long is the Royal Marines Commando training course? The Royal Marines training is 32 weeks long and is the longest basic infantry training programme of any NATO combat troops.

Where is it held? It’s held at the Royal Marines Training Centre at Lympstone in Devon.

What is the Commando training like? It’s tough! As well as extreme physical fitness and advanced infantry skills you need to have mental strength and depth of character. The 32 week course is split into six sections; Foundation, Individual Skills, Advanced Skills, Operations of War, Command Course, King’s Squad Pass Out Week.

Foundation – This lasts for three weeks and is the transition period from civilian to military recruit. It includes administration, gym and swimming assessments, maths and English tests, drill, physical training, close quarter combat, weapons training and an overnight exercise in the field.

Individual Skills – This lasts for seven weeks and covers weapon training, physical training, swimming, drill, Corps history, weapon training, map reading, first aid, Light Support Weapon training, NVQ skills, navigation training, survival exercise and a number of three and four day exercises using the skills from this section.

Advanced Skills – This lasts for five weeks and covers live firing, physical training, advanced Light Support Weapon skills, Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) training, communication training, grenade throwing, helicopter and underwater escape drills, radio training, uniform fittings, a three-day and a two-day exercise, drill inspection and Phase 1 Pass out Parade.

Operations of War – This lasts for 10 weeks and covers VHF radio procedure training, battle physical training, 51mm mortar training, tactics, General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) training, R&I/Adventure training, defence lectures, Light Machine Gun (LMG) training and firing, endurance course, twelve mile load carry, amphibious training, sea safety training and four separate exercises.

Command Course – This lasts for six weeks and covers a six mile speed march, cliff assault and rope techniques, water obstacle crossing, Tarzan assault course, specialisations brief, drill, field firing exercises, European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) training and tests, Commando tests, Endurance Course pass out, drill and the Final Exercise.

King’s Squad Pass Out Week – This week involves the prestigious King’s Squad Pass Out Parade and the completion of leaving administration.

Should I do anything before I start Commando training? Yes. We cannot stress enough how important it is for you to prepare yourself for running and physical fitness training. It is recommended that you enter recruit training with the ability to run three miles in less then 24 minutes. See our fitness section (add link) for more information and to find out what fitness tests you will need to pass for each Service.

How do I become a royal marines officer? As you might expect the training to be an officer in the Royal Marines is tougher than most and it involves achieving an exceptional level of fitness and the Commando ‘state of mind’ as well as learning officer skills.

The minimum education entry requirements are five GCSEs (A-C)/five S grades (1-3) including English language and mathematics and two A levels/ three H grades. Alternative qualifications are also considered.

The first stage of training is held at Lympstone in Devon and lasts for 15.5 months. This teaches you all the qualities that an officer needs, such as good communications skills, leadership and management under pressure, as well as the Marine Commando skills. The second stage of training involves being thrown in at the deep end by being in charge of a troop of about 30 men. This may involve a training exercise in a number of different countries and climatic conditions, or it could involve active service in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Are there promotions to officer rank? Yes. It’s possible to be promoted from Commando to Officer ranks.

Are there medical opportunities in the Marines? Yes there are, but the Royal Marines receive their main medical support from the Royal Navy.

What Reserve opportunities are in there in the Marines? There are many different specialisations in the RMR including: Parachutist, Swimmer/Canoeist, PT or Drill Instructor, Heavy Weapon Specialist, Small Arms Instructor, Ski Instructor, Cold Weather Warfare Specialist, Assault Engineer, Signaller, Coxswain of a landing craft or assault boat, Driver or Chef. You can also work towards promotion as most RMR Officers are promoted from the ranks so it’s possible for you to command your own unit as Lieutenant Colonel. Officers can also train to become Forward Air Controllers, Raiding Squadron Officers or Liaison Officers.

What are the qualifications to join the Reserve? To join the RMR as a commando you need to:
• Be male
• Be between 16 and 32 (Parental consent needed if under 18 and ex-service can apply up to 35)
• Pass a Royal Marine entrance test
• There are no formal qualifications needed except for technical or Officer roles
• Be either a British citizen; citizen of the British dependent territories; British subject under the British Nationality Act 1981; A British Protected Person; A citizen of Ireland or a citizen of a Commonwealth country (most Commonwealth citizens need to have been a resident for five years).

Most Royal Marines Reserve Officers are promoted from the ranks with the exception of ex-regular Officers from the Royal Marines and other services who may enter direct. In order to become an officer you need to be between 18 and 30 and have five appropriate GCSE grades including maths and English.

What training will I receive? The RMR has a vigorous selection process that you have to pass before you can enter the Basic Training. You have to demonstrate that you have the strength of mind to become one of the world’s elite fighting forces.

You first need to contact your local Reserves unit to find out when the next recruiting period is and you will then be invited to attend a Presentation Day at your local RMR unit. This will explain the level of commitment and determination you will need as well as the rewards you will receive. Your next step is to decide if you want to continue with the selection process.

You will then attend the Medical and Documentation Day where you will have to pass a medical, have your documentation checked, take the standard naval entrance tests and have a general interview.

The final stage is a Selection Weekend where you will need to complete vigorous physical tests, and, just as importantly, demonstrate strong character, good teamwork and a positive outlook. As a general guide you will need to be able run comfortably for three miles and lift your own bodyweight to be able to pass the physical tests.

There are two phases to RMR basic training, Phase 1 takes place at your local unit one evening a week along with numerous weekend training exercises in areas such as Dartmoor, Otterburn and Longmoor and two separate courses of two weeks at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Devon.

If you pass the Phase 1 training you then return to your unit to prepare for the Commando Course. You’ll also have to complete a quarry day to learn rope skills and pass a live firing test to be able to earn that famous Green Beret. You then get to look forward to learning arctic warfare skills in Scotland and Norway!

What if I have a problem getting time off from my employer to fulfil my military service obligations? You need to find out about any policies your employer may have about the Volunteer Reserve Forces (VRF), for example you may not be able to take annual leave at set times for VRF training sessions. Some employers give you extra time off for your training.

You must inform your employer as soon as possible if you are mobilised and when you return from mobilisation you have a right to be re-employed in the type of job in which you were last employed on terms and conditions no less favourable to you than previously, or if this is not reasonable and practicable, to be re-employed in the most favourable job and on the most favourable terms and conditions which are reasonable and practicable in your case.

Are there pilots in the Royal Marines? Yes. Helicopter pilots play a key role in the activity of the Marines and some pilots may go on to train as fast jet pilots. You have to train to be a Commando Officer before taking flying training as your specialisation.

What should I ask my recruiter? Recruiters must present an accurate picture of service. You should be aware of all aspects of the military. Be sure you fully understand the contract. You should ask about:

• Details and qualifications for each specialty
• Films or videos about training and duties
• Basic training
• Length and location of training
• Joining incentives
• Overseas assignments, remote and long duty
• Haircut and grooming standards
• Educational benefits
• Guaranteed training programs

Can I talk to someone in the service now? Absolutely. Visit the HMForces forum

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