Jus womdering, do royals ever get to go in subs? I heard they were used to transprot lads (SB anwyay?) to the Falklands etc, any other non SF trianing excersises where you get to work with them?
Also....how does one go about getting aircrew? Can you apply for it as a marine? or do you have to be an NCO?
When I was with 1st Raiding Squadron, in the late 70's, we used to go out to Gib every now and then to excercise various subs in the insertion and extraction of raiding parties. An interesting experience, especially when doing it for the first time. The longest time I spent submerged was 13 hours. That was enough for me. Give me the wide open spaces every time.
I should imagine that these excercises still continue today.
You used to have to be a SNCO or Officer in the Royal Marines to be a pilot, but this was opened up to JNCO's in the 80's.
3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron was manned by about two thirds NCO's and one third Officers, with attached ranks from the Army Air Corps, of one SNCO and one Officer.
I became a RM SNCO Pilot in 1991 and am still flying there today.
The job is still the same; to supply the airborne anti-tank and recce for 3 Cdo Bde, but the name has been changed to 847 Naval Air Squadron as of 1995. This opened the gates for a flood of RN Officers to join the squadron I'm afraid.
The even sadder bit is that from then they stopped training RM NCO's and now only RM Officers can apply to become pilots.
Most of the old NCO's have been commissioned over the past few years as we were all nearly time done and they would have lost about 30 blokes with all the experience and lets face it, knowlwdge and skill.
We have just come back from Iraq, where the squadron performed outstandingly and very sucessfully.
