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They have mate, it's broken into 2 phases:

14-week Phase 1 Army basic (PARA; now with added PT!)
14-week Phase 2 Infantry Training Course (PARA; with P-Coy in, I think, weeks 10-11)
Then 4 week Basic Military Parachute course at Brize.

So, in fact, basic for the two are pretty much the same number of weeks.

And I haven't passed out, I'm currently going through the condensed version of the above with 4 PARA.

Good Luck with your training Sarastro and thanks for the updated info.


Cheers


Steve

Sandy The Guvnor wrote:No the time is not wrong the weight is wrong and 1 recruit platoon actually did the 20 miler in under 4 hours

Damn that's fast! That's pretty much the 10 miler pace?

Right, I had the weight. For the sake of the maths just used the max pass time for 20 miler which is about 4hr 30min I believe?

30 Miler is done with 24lbs, and rifle over 30 mile of Dartmoor. WHen I did it we did 24 miles in 6hrs, and had 2hrs to walk the last 6 miles. The hills are quite cheeky. You do have 8 hrs to do it in, but you will come in with time to spare.

The 9 miler is done as a group and everyone finished it and was definatly able to go into battle after it. plus we did it in 80 mins

Felias wrote:The 9 miler is done as a group and everyone finished it and was definatly able to go into battle after it. plus we did it in 80 mins

Very nice time, that must be still with 24lbs + weapon?

My take on this is that things are normally harder than they sound or look. When you do the sums in your head you often think 'I could do that' when the reality is somewhat different. Once you get the weight on your back and combat jacket on its a very different ball game. Dartmoor is pretty treacherous and no one should underestimate the challenge of thrity miles across it. Equally the paras are famous across the world for their tabbing and quite righlty so. anyone who thinks that it is easy should think again.

I recently had the opportunity to have a go at the CTC bottom field assault course. On looking at it you think, 'does not look so difficult' however i can assure you that it is a massive test of endurance. This is also proved by the expression on the faces of the nods as they finish it.

In arguing who is better, or fitter between the paras and the marines it is interesting to note that if you become an Officer in the Royal Artillery, Royal Logisitcs, or Engineers you only have to pass either P company or the AACC to be eligible to serve with both paras and commandos. This would not be the case if there was a massive difference in standards, obviously many choose to do both but it is not a requirement.

There was recently an article in Soldier magazine about soldiers from I think three or two para who had attempted the endurance course and bottom field. They had been allowed to do this because a Serjeant at CTC and a serjeant in one of the paras were brothers. The article reported that the paras had all passed but were keeping their times close to their chest, It also noted that they had gone away with a renewed respect fot the marines but still maintained that they were better. Thats the way it should be. Rivalry and respect.

Sandy The Guvnor wrote:No the time is not wrong the weight is wrong and 1 recruit platoon actually did the 20 miler in under 4 hours

When I did it (1998) the weight was 39lbs not including water and scoff. And we did 18 mile, then the last 2 mile as a sqauded run. Came in about 4hrs 20mins, and got told it must be completed in 4hrs 45mins. Might have changed since??

I do remember anti tanks going to do the commando tests in about 2001. All the lads went down on the sunday, got pissed the night before the 30 miler, and still not one man failed.

I sorry, but if you cant do 10min miles with 22lbs on your back for 9 mile, then your unfit.

Edited by Frank S.: those of you who chose to reply to this thread, keep it civil or do not respond.

Just from personal experience the paras I have ever come across always seem a bit eager to please and proof something, "we do it in this time", "we run that quicker", "we can do more pull ups","we can run further".

Marines seem to know there training is hard and just crack on with it rather than making bone comments and comparing themselves to the paras. Marines are Marines, Paras are Paras.

From what i've heard and read about Marines, failure is not an option, they get given a time to do something in and they get it done, i'm 100% sure if they were told they had less time to do it in they would still do it, and if you said to them, the Paras had a better time then i'm 1000% sure they would piss all over para times and distances.

Just my two bobs, still got respect for any guy in the Military, especially the Paras and Marines because both train hard as f@#k,grit their teeth and get on with the job.

I do have respect for Marines as soldiers - but not to the level they are held. I have worked with them on numerous occasions in the past, and believe they are alright at what they do. Nowt special.

Just look at operations in the last 8 years or so, Paras sent in first 90% of the time.

Ok i'm only young and i haven't done any of either unit's training yet but personally i don't think it matters what times either unit has to get or what weight is used. In my opinion, give a Para or a Royal Marine a bergen, no matter how heavy, and tell him to tab/yomp a certain distance in a certain (reasonable) time then he will do it. They are both very fit, elite units.

That said could someone please tell me the most recent times and weights for the P-company tests as reading the previous posts i can't tell what is correct?

Sandy The Guvnor wrote:The weight has always been 35lb + water and scoff

Not when I did it! I know your a PTI at depot but the bergen weight was def. 39lbs. I remember because it was raining and when it cleared up, we put our wet smocks in the bergens, and the Plt Com said jokingly ''that extra couple of pounds should take the bergen up to 45lbs". I always remember because even the 10 miler was 39lb, and it was easier to just put 40lb in

I once pissed 17 foot up a wall!!!

Odd but Down South the beret colour didn't matter when it came to helping each other out. The same applied in NI where at once stage Marines and Paras used to do joint patrols.

Artist