Why have the Royal Marines when we have the Army?

[Geoff]

what is the point?

[Steve C]

Why have a ferrari when you can have a ford?

-Steve C

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Steve C on 2002-01-11 18:22 ]</font>

[BullDog]

Why have a Woman when you have a right hand

you should be asking this to the Army M8 the answers would be more interesting...

If they could find the site that is...

[ratso]

Why have the Army when you have the Marines?
One family who work together not like the army regiments who all work for themselves.
When the Army take up the Green Beret the change is incredible they all of a sudden belong to something they become proud to be a part of.
The same has to be said about the Para's and their attatched units.
Must be a good thing.

[Geoff]

thats what i thought, thats why i want to go in the RM, its small, and very professional, unlike the army's size, it doesnt suit me, some of my friends fathers are in the army,

also, in the RM when you go away on operation, are you split into a squad or say 4-8 Marines or with 40 other Marines? im trying to prove somthing to my friend..

[Steve C]

I think if you're in a rifle company, you get put into a 4 man fire team which is part of an 8 man section, 3 sections make up a platoon of 29, counting in 3 cpls, 1 sgt and 1 oc. Do I win the quiz?

-Steve C

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Steve C on 2002-01-12 11:53 ]</font>

[Nomad]

No a "Platoon" is somthing the army use. We Use Troops. The smallest denomination is a Sniper, then a fire team (2, 3 to 4 men)a section comprises 9 to 8 men, which can be split into two one being the fire team. in NI a section is split into two Bricks of 4 men. Read about Commando 21 on the http://www.civvie-street.co.uk site which will give you a heads up on how thing are working in 2002.

[Steve C]

Ahh, the good ol' sniper. They can work in two man patrols too , can't they? How are they deployed on operation, are a number assigned to each close combat company? Thanks.

-Steve C

[Geoff]

how do the snipers become snipers?

thanks

[Yorkie Malone]

Pass out of training first.
Then If you can shoot good enough
You take a snipers course.
Easy the hard bit is passing out first

[Defiant]

Yorkie i thought u had to be very good at shooting and be asked to go to training for sniper

[BullDog]

Defiant...

To Pass out of training you have to pass shooting proficiency which is quite high - and about 50% pass (or did when I went through) as marksmen.

So you see amongst a group who are already Good - good then has another plane. Once you are on the Snipers course you will be taught to be even Gooder!

Once qualified Sniper (somtimes refered to as PW3) you then join a unit in Recce troop and deployed as an asset from there. if units are overbourne then you perform any GD task.

[Steve C]

So once you pass out of training you can go directly to sniper school if you've gotten a high enough standard proficiency test and are considered to have the "aptitude"? Would doing some shooting beforehand increase your chances on the proficiency test? I signed up for the FCA (irish reserves) over here, i expected to get in earlier, done medicals etc up to now, but the paperwork is dragging out. By the time I head to CTC I will probably have gotten some rounds down with a steyr aug, would you consider the steyr aug, being a bullpup design, has the same firing mechanics as the SA80 and that it could help me in this test?

I heard that RMs out of training always serve a set period in a GD role "earning their spurs" before specialisation, is this true or can you specialise, PW3, HW etc straight after pass out?
Thanks!

-Steve C

[BullDog]

You are only seeing what you want to see. You do not get selected you request to go on a snipers course - if you then get a reccomendation to proceed you will have the opportunity to go forward for the training which you will have to pass.

Snipers are selected from trained ranks and those who gain places are usually not wet behind the ears.

Not everyone can do the course and not everyone can serve the reccomended 3 years as a Grav (GD Rifleman) some will be selected pressed into other SQ's these too need to be filled.

[ratso]

Sniper conjours up some lovely images of the one man who holds up an army for days..
The truth is he has to crawl onto the battle field and crawl off without being spotted avoiding the sheep and cow s**t and being wet through in his gillie suit most of his life. Then he spends the rest of his time waiting around for nothing to happen because he went to the wrong battle....
No wonder people choose to be drivers and chefs.....
It has to be one of the hardest GD courses to pass, I did a lot of spotting when on FTS (what a loaf that job was pool all day followed by bo****king officers all night, YOUR A LITTLE USELESS S**T, SIR. Now that was a job.....
No truth is I have a lot of respect for anyone who can crawl half way over woodbury common on his belly and not be seen when he is twenty feet from the training team..