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The navy will not lightly let go of it's Marines, what would all those excess Admirals do, there aint enough ships to justify their existence. I would rather see the Corps disbanded than handed over to the Army, it would no longer be a Corps of Royal Marines, but a Commando force,which would be welcome to the history of the Commando forces, but not to the illustrious history of Her Majesty's Royal Marines.

Aye Owdun.

In answer to Joe, Oakers and Twenty One.
Yes we are a separate Force from the Army, just like the Paras like to think they are. But both are reliant on Naval or Army budgets. Army Units have been disbanded or amalgamated, Ships have been mothballed or sold, UK and abroad bases closed. It's all down to MONEY
SBS (and I expect SAS) have huge contingency funds to buy and develop the latest technology in comms, weapons and survival equipment, because they are 'Special Forces'.
The probable answer is, to devolve the Marines and Paras from the Navy and Army to form a highly mobile second 'Special Force' with it's own funding to back up the SBS/SAS
But would the Goverment be prepared to divert funds from Health, Education etc and would the Navy/Army be prepared to lose their elite forces and the funding they get to provide them at present?
I Think Not

Paddy,

I remember you! But have no idea from where??
Probably/possibly 3Cdo Bde in Singers 66-68 and 68-70?

Anyway, nice to hear (sorry, see) your monicker. Another link to the past for me.

But why dipole? I always remember you as a sort of 'yagi' type??

I'm just a newbiewithlittle grasp of the situation (please dont flame me if I'm talkin out of my a$$) but have'nt the RM undergone the biggest change in structure since WWII. meaning they operate totally differtly to army units. Complimenting there role as a totally seperate and unique force as go anywhere, anytime, anyhow fighting unit.
They may need the support of affiliated army units, but does'nt this at the end of the day make them worse, because common sense dictates the corps cant supply the degree of specialist training for these roles because of the size/ monetary concerns. At the end of the day all of the services should be working to intergrate/ work together under the quest for "jointery" (I dont think htats a proper word, but I'll suffice). I'm sad to say but the forces are becoming like a business every day with best working practices, options for change and the like driving for effciency and cost savings at the expence of fighting prowess. (after all the seeemingly usless reforms in education and healthcare come at a price you know, and this means less for the forces). Well I'll shut up suffice to say that the RN are rightly and justly proud of the corps and wont let them go easily, even if the corps regard in jest that the RN are just a taxi service for them. The vast change in the RN in recent years has been from open ocean ASW warfare to expeditionary forces (i.e marine taxi's) and the guys in whithall wont waste the vast sums already put in too achieving that (I hope). Here ends my rant (dissatation)

Any armed force that does not change over time will ulitimately find itself holding the sh*tty end of the stick. The Corp is always evolving and will forever do so.

The Army at the present time are having a really hard time maintaining it's manpower levels. Basically they keep falling short on recruitment levels. Mostly amongst the Infantry regiments. Some say it is because of the lack of glamour ref the county Regts.

I know a bloke who is in the Cheshire regt. He's changing over to the REME to get quals for when he leaves. But also he feels really hacked of because they never seem to know whether the Regt is going to exist this time next year or the year after! He's dead proud of his Regt but, tells me that a lot of the blokes feel no motivation anymore because they are always wondering when the axe is going to fall.

Old Jackson looks at the Corp and see's the answer to his manpower problems. A top quality force of well led, well motivated soldiers. What would happen ifen he ever got his way would I thing result in a mass exodus of the SNCO's and Officers and a general lowering of morale and motivation.

He would be better served by giving his line regts a massive big boost of moral and treating them with the respect they deserve.

The adverts for the Army are all very nice but they are designed for nationwide viewing. Why they dont advertise on the local (i.e. Granada) channels for local lads to join local units is beyond me. In the old days groups of men would traipse around with drums beating and recruit rucks of blokes. Now. A Landrover and trailer will pull up in a town centre and a group of blokes will then stand around with there arms folded, and ask any passerby "fancy joining the Army mate?" One even asked me! (I'm 47) Didnt strike me as very motivating to say the least.

Artist

Test post

Hmm. As a fresh and enthusiastic bootneck, i'd have to say we view our matelot bretheren with an odd mixture of amusement, curiosity and poorly veiled superiority. We all know the only thing more dangerous than an officer with a map is a matelot with a gun, right??

But fact is, at least the current generation of Marines emerging from Lympstone are intensely proud of our Naval heritage. Our rich history is ground into us from the day we enter that recruitment office to the (fairly) regular 'history' lectures we get throughout training. Everything, everything, from the very origins of the Corps, to the make-up of the cap badge, to the peculiar language we speak...the very heart of the Corps is Naval. Me and my oppos have all seen articles in the galley that suggest a possible future amalgamation with the Army and it is a universally abhorred idea at CTC. My wet shall never be a 'brew' and i'll never associate myself with the honking pongos at Okehampton, who skulk about semi-permanently in a cammed up mess! Don't get me wrong, we do respect the Army but it is another world, one far from our own. At least that slightly tubby matelot in huge black rimmed glasses is off to 'scran' and may even know when the Battle of Trafalgar was. Odds are, he even dhobyed at some point that day.

My point here is not to have a dig at Perce but to get across the fundamental part that the Navy plays to the Corps. Rant over.

Davo 141, i've been interested to note about the 'Gorillas' in Iraq and even 'gorilla farmers' that seem to be causing so much havoc. Where, I ponder, have those lazy zoo-keepers been? It's a criminal waste of Royal's talent, I tell ya.

yes we all know it was a spelling mistake now dont we!
no need to show of just cause you nearly got your green lid...grrrrr
glad to see you are enjoying it dan!

cheers, davo

sure i just seen the Zoo keeper down the petrol station thou

dan says

and i'll never associate myself with the honking pongos at Okehampton, who skulk about semi-permanently in a cammed up mess!

dan you should remember where there is only afew thousand Royal Marines, there is well over 100.000 members of the Army. The most of these being support units such as drivers, clerks, chefs, administration etc.

Its alot easier to keep a grip on the standards of a small family as yours rather than a masive family like the Army. And I'm sure if you spent some more time with some of the Army's Infantry and Cavalry units with all there pride and traditions you may get to like some of them. As saying you will never associate yourself with any member of the Army is being a bit arrogant.

I used to tolerate 'Pongo's' especially when they left their gear loafing?.Adapt and improvise!.Aye jr

All I'm saying is you will get more bad apples in a bigger fruit bowl

Moved by Mod:
Undecided Posted: 29 Feb 2004 12:55 Post subject: BREAKING NEWS

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Did anyone see the story on the frontpage of the express today. It said the government are thinking of making the army in control of the marines. In other words the marines will be part of the army and not the navy to cut costs. The marines will still keep their green berets and badges. The same thing may also happen to the raf regiment so that all ground forces are controlled by the army.

There a lot of people over her signing up for the army.
I know one guy who wants to join the marines.
They cant put the marines in the army.
For one it would make no sense of the name

If nothing else, you can always guarantee a good piss-up with Jack.

The idea of 'absorbing' the Royal Marines into the Army does have its merits. It would solve the Army's under manning rate of approx 6,000 at a stroke. A couple of weeks on the drill square to get Royal up to the necessary standard would be a good investment in my view.

I commend the idea to the house as they say in Westminster.