officer or recruit

[iareglenn]

Apart from the obvious advantages e.g.salary and the opportunities when leaving the corps, are there any other reasons for wanting to be an officer. I am saying this because i know for sure i want to be a royal marines commando, i am doing a levels at the moment and may do a degree, so if i wanted i could try for officer selection. But for some reason i am greatly drawn to joining as a recruit, it is something i suppose i can not explain. So can anyone tell me the other reasons someone may want to join as an officer?

[T T Fresh]

why not sign up as a recruit then do a corps commission later on? It'll benefit you as you will know what the "lads" go through as Sharky Jnr put it to me.

best of both worlds

[Humph]

why not sign up as a recruit then do a corps commission later on? It'll benefit you as you will know what the "lads" go through as Sharky Jnr put it to me.

best of both worlds

A very lengthy process though so best be signed up for a long ROS.

You have got to find the reasons you want to be an officer as well but I agree with all of the above(do you think you can do it for a start.) Do some research and get reading some books. AFCO will tell you more about what it requires and what is expected of you.

I think the recuit selection appeals to some because because they want to be 'one of the lads' whereas an officer would perhaps from the outside not appear as appealing because of the leadership involved and you may not be 'one of the lads' in this case.

Thats a very simplified view based on no military experience what so ever. Others will be able to tell you a lot more than me.

Humph

[iareglenn]

thats what i thought but what do i say when i have an interview and im asked why not be an officer, youve got the qualifications and i say i wanna be one of the lads, will this not affect my chances of joining?

[42]

tell um to mind their own f@#k business,worked for me and i`m a colonel now. honest

[Humph]

Listen mate no one can answer these questions for you as it is your reasons for joining as a recuit or officer that will affect your decision. If you have got the qualifacations then why not try for the POC? The success is about 1 in 10 anyway and you could always go for recruit selection if you don't make it with the fitness already high and knowledge of what to expect.

Just level with them during the presentation they give you as you will have a chance to chat with an adviser.

Humph

P.S The AFCO in Sheffield has an outswinging door and don't try and get into the solicitors next door like I did.

[dalo]

The royal marine officers are respectfully one of the lads. "They sleep in the same bed and shag the same women as you" meaning that there is no separation from them and the lads. Also Going in as a recruit then going for commision later has its advantages to, one being you have had lots of training already before you go into the officer course and also your fitness levels will be soaring from being in the royal marines for however long. Also experience from being in a troop and doing things, being commanded, leading a patrol may help you by giving you first hand knowledge of what situations are like when you have to lead as an officer.

[Guest]

I wasent sure if it was a good idea but I thought of joining as a Marine and then getting a Degree with the marines. This way I'd already be fit because of all the training and I'll have the degree and maybe some extra qualifications to go with it as well as the experiance. Can any one tell me if this is a good idea and is it possible to apply for higher then Com Officer as some told me it was but I'm unsure if its true? Thank you for your time.

[druadan]

Getting a degree once you're serving requires a lot of effort and self-motivation, as on top of your normal work-load you'll have to stay in and complete your Open Uni work instead of running ashore with the lads Dredging up stuff I looked at ages ago, I think the Corps offers a grant towards further education, but you don't get given three years out to go to uni or anything like that. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong

To rise up the ranks you have to do a Junior Command course (for Cpl), and a Senior's course (for Sgt), and I'm pretty sure a third one for WOs. These are all back at Lympstone for a few weeks. To get a commission from the ranks, you can either get a Corps Commission, whereby you are selected to join the next YO batch and go through the whole 15 months training, or senior NCOs can get a Staff Officer Late Entry commission, though that (unsurprisingly) is for staff work.

Dalo, not strictly true, there's still a definite divide between the officers and the men, but from my limited experience I'd say it's far less than in other arms, I'm sure partly due to the fact that the Marines is the only training in which the Officer's have to out perform their men in all respects and do all the extra command stuff.