CTCRM Lympstone or Sandhurst?

[Alf]

Hello all.

I haven't raised this at AFCO because I don't want anything I say to influence their final decision of me. I want to try selection for one of our best infantry units but I'm unsure as to what to do.

Basically, I wanted to try for Marine officer but I'm now too old - I'm 25 now and will be 26 by next intake - too old for the course. I can try for officer entry at Sandhurst and try selection for the Parachute Regiment; I realise the competition involved here. I can obviously still try for Marine Commando at Lympstone, or I can try for Sandhurst with the chance of being sent to a different regiment.

What should I be considering, in your opinion?

Alf

[Bliartheliar]

According to www.royal-navy.mod.uk you can become an officer upto the age of 28. Its probably best to talk to your AFCO though.

[themattmeister]

Although I'm not one to be too concerned about money I would look at the pay scales if I were you.

If my maths is correct then you'd be looking at a 50% pay reduction if you were to join the Marines as a recruit, that coupled with someone from your career joining the forces at the bottom might come as a bit of a sharp shock. Well it would for me anyway.

I've kind of had the same things to think about as I'm 22 and seeing as they only take officers in once a year I only have a few stabs at selection, also there's the fact that I'm itching to get in.

You may want to keep yourself in the manner your acustomed. I on the other hand have just finished university so I'm used to meat on the carpet and day old kebabs. so I would consider joining as a recruit a massive step up. I think if I had a career already, like yourself, I might consider it a bit of a step down and want to go officer else where.

[markd]

If you have the qualifications and if you can become an officer up to the age 28 I would do that.

[flynn101]

Well mate there are numerous Independent Army units attached permenently to 3 Commando Brigade RM like the Royal Logistics Corps, Royal Engineers, REME, Royal Military Police and the Royal Artillery

Heres a couple of useful links
Royal Artillery
http://www.army.mod.uk/29cdoregtra/main.htm
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/7420.html

Royal Logistics Corp
http://www.army.mod.uk/cdo_log_regiment/index.htm
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/2527.html

Royal Engineers
http://www.army.mod.uk/royalengineers/o ... /index.htm
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/static/pages/7421.html

[Sarastro]

No, the cutoff date for Royal Marine Officers is 26, believe me, and bloody strict about it they are too. The 28 age is for RN officers, just RM comes under Navy, so sometimes the info given out gets confused.

Alf, was in exactly same situation, check your PMs.

[Doc]

The only independant unit in 3 Cdo is 59 Cdo and thats about to become a Regt.

Its Independant because its only a Squadron and therefore has no Parent regiment.

RLC only have numbers in CdoLogRegtRM, apart from chefs in 59 and 29 and other odds and sods.

RE and RA are the only Army attachments to have unit size groups. RMP numbers about 1 or 2, RLC about 50, REME about 20, AGC about 15, RAMC about 10 mainly in 29 Cdo and a sgt in 59, Int Corp a handfull, and a few crabs mincing around Stonehouse and HQRM.

In response to the thread title, its upto you but seeings as your too old to goto CTC as a YoYo and its a rupert you want to be then that leaves one option really. You could join as a Nod and then go for corps commission in about 10 years or so.

[Sarastro]

Bah, double posted.

[Daveb]

I'm also 25 and going in as a recruit. I don't find it as a sharp shock to be honest, yes, I will be older than a lot of the others, but remember there may also be even older people. At the end of the day, I'm doing what I've always wanted to do and I dont think about the age difference (it certainly didnt mean a blind bit of difference on my PRMC ). My AFCO was telling me that the average age of recruits are a lot older now anyways (a lot join after they finish uni).

I would ask about becoming an officer, then if they say you are too old go in as a recruit. That's what I would do if I was in your position, but only you can make the choice at the end of the day mate.

[themattmeister]

Daveb I agree age doesn't matter especially if your fulfilling your ambition.

However if I was a 26 year old teacher, and it hadn't been my boyhood ambition to become a Royal Marine, who gets 25k per annum and a whole bundle of paid holiday I personally would find joining as a recruit on 12k a little hard to do and definately a decision not to be taken lightly.

Although other branches of the armed forces don't provide the challenges and training like the RM's, they are similar to a degree and being an officer in one would certainly help if you have a mortgage or wife and kids to support.

It's down to personal preference really.

[Daveb]

That's very true mate

[Sully]

Hello Alf, I was in a similar position many moons ago. I had a date for an RCB interview and made enquiries of the parachute regiment as the sponsoring regiment - but the questionaire seemed to be more focussed on who my 'housemaster' was and suchlike (don't ask - I think its got something to do with shirtlifting ) than with my qualifications or other indicators of potential ability.

Hopefully it's all changed now and working class lads are more acceptable in the mess but that (along with an off the record chat at the AFCO that suggested with my background I needn't bother going to the RCB) was a big reason for me going in as a recruit in the RM. The other was that I'd set my heart on the Corps and regarded even a commission in another unit to be second best.

I had a superb time and with hindsight I'm glad I didn't join as an officer either in the Army or the Corps (assuming that I would have made it of course). I think that as a grunt I was closer to the real spirit of the Corps which is priceless - just my opinion.

[Sully]

Dave, I was 26 when I joined and it was a bit odd sometimes hanging around with 16 and 17 year olds. Have a look at Artists excellent recent post on how lads come together through training (can't remember where I saw it). Younger lads can be a pain at first whilst the knobbers (including the older knobbers) are weeded out but by the end you are all men and you are all the same. What I'm trying to say is that if there are differences caused by age and they're hacking you off, then stick with it because they get less and less until they disappear.

[markd]

Hey Sully I notice where your from, Joing the RM didn't have anything to do with the history of Royal Navy ship building there did it?

[Alf]

Hello all.

Thanks for your replies, that's helpful and has given me more to think about.

I have been teaching English as a foreign language which isn't well paid, so I'm not used to earning 25K a year and money isn't really an issue for me.

How would the training at CTCRM vary compared to Sandhurst, if a comparison can be made? Is Sandhurst more classroom based, but less physically demanding? How would life vary as a Marine compared to life as an army officer, from living with your oppos to the exercises you'd go on? Would a Marine go on more exercises and practise more field-based stuff than an army officer from a battalion?

I may be asking you to compare two completely different things but I don't have too many people near me to talk about this subject I'm afraid.

Alf