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Army Commandoes? How hard is it to become one?
Army Commandoes? How hard is it to become one?
I'm ex-infantry, i left 4 years ago when I was young and stupid. I'm now applying to re-join as an artillery gunner. I hope to do the AACC (All Arms Commano Course) to join 29 commando regt. Has anyone done this course? And what's it like? I know what the final tests are, but what does the training involve? All I know is it's 8 weeks long. Cheers, Bart
"Some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets..."
Well, i say I'm "ex-infantry." I actually came out 3 weeks before finishing my Infantry course at catterick. I had stuff going on back at home, and If I'd stayed, I would have been sent to osnabruck in germany a few weeks later. I stupidly did'nt want to go and leave my problems back here in the UK. Also, I'd decided against Infantry. It's took me so long to enlist again because I have since married, had a child and bought a house. Now I'm ready again, and this time, nobody is pulling me back out.
"Some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets..."
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Artist
- Guest
Bigbart
The AACC consists of two phases. (or it did a few years ago)
First is the Pre AACC done at The Citadel Plymouth (Home of 29) this can last up to 4 weeks. Basically your checked up on your soldier skills and general fitness. Also the Army want as many to get the Lid as they can so any bloke not up to snuff is RTU'ed. This may have changed ref location but you can take it as read that you will be doing a pre AACC somewhere!
The AACC last 6 weeks I think. All at CTCRM. Run by Royal and no body else. It is assumed by the Marines that all ranks attending the course are fully up to a trained soldiers standard as little or no teaching of skills is done. You will have all sorts on the course. RA, RE, REME, R/Sigs, any member of the Army who can be used by the Marines in fact. Navy blokes and the Odd RAF officer will also be on the course, plus a smattering of Foreign Armed Forces ranks. USMC, SEALS, Ozies, Most in fact.
The main aim of the course is to ensure that you can:
A. Do the Job.
B. Can Hack the Commando Tests.
You get hurt and your off. Or you can be RTUed because of lack if fitness/mind set. (Someone who moans all the time will be binned) Thats it in a nutshell.
I once spent a year as Training Staff on the Pre AACC course and its all about knuckling down and hacking it with minimum fuss. Hope you get what you want Bart.
29 are more Corp Pi**ed than Bootnecks! The Cookhouse is called the Galley, NAAFI break is Standeasy, and when you go out for a beer you are having a "Run Ashore" A good bunch of lads are 29. Some of the best soldiers I have ever seen in all honesty, Be it firing a 105 or just general Soldiering, blokes who you feel confident in.
Artist
The AACC consists of two phases. (or it did a few years ago)
First is the Pre AACC done at The Citadel Plymouth (Home of 29) this can last up to 4 weeks. Basically your checked up on your soldier skills and general fitness. Also the Army want as many to get the Lid as they can so any bloke not up to snuff is RTU'ed. This may have changed ref location but you can take it as read that you will be doing a pre AACC somewhere!
The AACC last 6 weeks I think. All at CTCRM. Run by Royal and no body else. It is assumed by the Marines that all ranks attending the course are fully up to a trained soldiers standard as little or no teaching of skills is done. You will have all sorts on the course. RA, RE, REME, R/Sigs, any member of the Army who can be used by the Marines in fact. Navy blokes and the Odd RAF officer will also be on the course, plus a smattering of Foreign Armed Forces ranks. USMC, SEALS, Ozies, Most in fact.
The main aim of the course is to ensure that you can:
A. Do the Job.
B. Can Hack the Commando Tests.
You get hurt and your off. Or you can be RTUed because of lack if fitness/mind set. (Someone who moans all the time will be binned) Thats it in a nutshell.
I once spent a year as Training Staff on the Pre AACC course and its all about knuckling down and hacking it with minimum fuss. Hope you get what you want Bart.
29 are more Corp Pi**ed than Bootnecks! The Cookhouse is called the Galley, NAAFI break is Standeasy, and when you go out for a beer you are having a "Run Ashore" A good bunch of lads are 29. Some of the best soldiers I have ever seen in all honesty, Be it firing a 105 or just general Soldiering, blokes who you feel confident in.
Artist
Cheers for that, Artist.
Sounds like it's pretty much what I thought. (Except the course is now 8 weeks from what I've read.)
I've really put everything I've got into my fitness recently, and during training I'm going to get stuck in and show them that I'm good enough. I've set my mind to it, and I'm going to see it through.
I'm glad that the RM see 29 in such a good light. I didn't know whether they had any problems with mere pongos wearing their lid or not.
Cheers again,
Bart
Sounds like it's pretty much what I thought. (Except the course is now 8 weeks from what I've read.)
I've really put everything I've got into my fitness recently, and during training I'm going to get stuck in and show them that I'm good enough. I've set my mind to it, and I'm going to see it through.
I'm glad that the RM see 29 in such a good light. I didn't know whether they had any problems with mere pongos wearing their lid or not.
Cheers again,
Bart
"Some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets..."
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Artist
- Guest
Bart
Nay wukking Furries Mate. The Green lid is worn by guys who have earned it. (apart from the Female who was helped through the entire course because the Corp were ordered to let her pass! All to do with PC!
) Earn it and have a beer with me Bart.
29 as I have said are a cracking good bunch of lads. Professional in every way. And have that "Little Extra" Pride in what they do. And to me as a Bootneck it said it all really. Down South they were doing the job of what was worked out later 3 Normal RA Regt's. That to me is COMMANDO SPRIT at it's best. Belting blokes one and all. ELITE and nough said really.
Artist
Nay wukking Furries Mate. The Green lid is worn by guys who have earned it. (apart from the Female who was helped through the entire course because the Corp were ordered to let her pass! All to do with PC!
) Earn it and have a beer with me Bart.29 as I have said are a cracking good bunch of lads. Professional in every way. And have that "Little Extra" Pride in what they do. And to me as a Bootneck it said it all really. Down South they were doing the job of what was worked out later 3 Normal RA Regt's. That to me is COMMANDO SPRIT at it's best. Belting blokes one and all. ELITE and nough said really.
Artist
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wannabe_bootneck
- Member
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- Joined: Sun 01 Feb, 2004 5:23 pm
- Location: Nottingham, england
I've been thinking about having a bash at the AACC through the TA before I go regular. As I'm in arty and apparently 29 are desperate for reserve gunners as was highlighted by Telic, so the word is my battery is gonna get few places on the course given were a light gun BTY. Shall have to see, but as I might of jinxed myself, I commited the mortal sin of touching a green lid before you've earned it!
When I was down at CTC in June there seemed to be loads of all-arms Commando RA there - Shockingly though, some actually had better berets than a lot of the RM trained ranks we seen - I just cannot grasp the concept of wearing the cap badge over your left ear for some reasonArtist wrote:29 are more Corp Pi**ed than Bootnecks! The Cookhouse is called the Galley, NAAFI break is Standeasy, and when you go out for a beer you are having a "Run Ashore"
Someone said it was a privilege granted to 45 commando by Moutbatten.... being allowed to wear the cap badge between left eye and ear - Not sure how true that is but I digress......
There was an AACC course taking place just before we left and most were RA with one or two matelots and RE too - Only one foreign force bloke who was a USMC captain - The guy did literally walk like he had sh*t his pants, a proper John Wayne bowlegged walk - Hope it did count against him on the 12 miler
Courage and perserverance overcomes adversity.... It will come
Yeah, done that too mate, got an injury on PRMC, knee came really infected, any worse and i would have been crippled, when i was younger (about 7 or 8years old) a C.Sergeant gave me one (i didnt know what it was back then) then when i became interested in commandos i realised how important a green lid was, by that time though i had already worn it etc... iv had it for about 10 years, its in my wardrobe still, i had to tidy it the other day so i picked it up with a plastic bag and put it into a cap comfoter and im scared to go near it! i hope me failing my prmc has cancelled the curse and now i can start new without a jinx!wannabe_bootneck wrote: I commited the mortal sin of touching a green lid before you've earned it!
not that im supersticous or anything 
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stripey588
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- Posts: 91
- Joined: Sat 16 Oct, 2004 10:13 pm
- Location: lancashire
i worked a bit with the a all arms course when i was backtrooped. this was back in 1990 tho.
they do seem to get a bit more stick than rm recruits, they used the slr not the sa80.
as a rm recruit, u got to earn the training teams respect, but you have 30 weeks to do it. as all arms, you have only 8.
a lot of the kit they used was what you would get if you lost your personnal issue stuff, and they were given what they would be issued with from stores.
the level of fitness and skills for a marine and a soldier are quite different, so they expect the soldier to be up to speed in both..
all the best for when you try for the long range snipers, and i hope you achieve the green lid.
let us know how you get on please.
they do seem to get a bit more stick than rm recruits, they used the slr not the sa80.
as a rm recruit, u got to earn the training teams respect, but you have 30 weeks to do it. as all arms, you have only 8.
a lot of the kit they used was what you would get if you lost your personnal issue stuff, and they were given what they would be issued with from stores.
the level of fitness and skills for a marine and a soldier are quite different, so they expect the soldier to be up to speed in both..
all the best for when you try for the long range snipers, and i hope you achieve the green lid.
let us know how you get on please.
yours aye
jason
www.savedutchy.co.uk
jason
www.savedutchy.co.uk
