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Hi I hear a lot about the army units being deployed to Iraq but not much about Royal Marine units and how often they are being sent to Iraq. Could anyone enlighten me on this situation please?

RM are JRRF (joint rapid reaction force) Dont take this as gospel but as far as I know...

The RM are not supposed to be out of the country for long periods of time for example 6 months is the maximum time out of the country for exercise, and you must have noticed all commando units are based in the UK (bar a few men attached to the army) unlike the army which are all over the show.

dave

right as far as i know 42 cdo are going norway in the new year and then to afganistan in the summer as they have just finished their viking and bowman conversion. 40 cdo are going to africa seria leone i think and i heard a dit 45 cdo are going back to afganistan if im wrong please correct me

Fella there is going to be a brigade deployment next year, the corps has been quite the last few years due to Bowman and Viking conversion. All units are rotated through out diffrent theaters, each unit is set to a diffrent state of readiness.

Everyone catches up a Tour somewhere NI, Afgan, Iraq Kosovo etc.. we are no more special than anyone else in that department and its good operational experience.We dont live in a glass box that says break only in times of war! And you can expect to spend a 6 month tour in any one of these environments, as for exercises 6 months is kicking the arse out of it usually these last for about 3 months i have never known an exercise last that long there would be a lot of threaders blokes if there was.

yo shrek what company are you in mate i got quite a few mates in 42 cdo

It says on the navy site that 45 commando was the first to specialise in mountain warfare, does this mean they are kept back for this role eg getting left out of iraq whilst the other units get sent.

I left 42 about 2 years ago i am now Lympshfitz, 42 is full of mega young thrusters these days.As for the 45 question every one is Mountain and Artic warfare trained its one of the primary roles of the corps with regular deployments to Norway, that goes to all Commando trained ranks such as Logs, 59, 29 etc..

shrek did u get pinged for sigs or something mate or are you doing your juniors. yeah alot of my mates i was in training with went 42 cdo

No fella, i didnt get pinged for sigs i work here.

bootie down the afco told me about pinging the other day, threaders

dont really fancy being a farking cook for the first 12 months or whatever it is but comes with the territory i suppose?

shrek - if i wanted to gain experience in the corp for work in CP or private security work, what would be the best specialisation to go for? preferably one without a massive waiting list so that i get pinged whilst waiting for my chance?

what is this bleeding 'ping' your using
is it basically you get chosen for a job that you dont want as your not needed anywhere else ? www

Wee Willy Winkie wrote:what is this bleeding 'ping' your using
is it basically you get chosen for a job that you dont want as your not needed anywhere else ? www

Basicly yeah, but it doesnt always relate to specialisations etc, you can be "pinged" for something in any situation, ie to do something cr*p that most would rather not do.

Dont worry about being pinged for a cook/combat chef, belive it or not the chefs branch is popular at the minute as they have dangled a carrot for any one who chooses this branch is garunteed priority of any branch they want after they have given a 2 year return of service. The corps will try and give you 18 months as a GD marine unless you choose to specialise under the DSS (plus you have to pass out first)

The govement in there infinate wisdom have created a massive vaccume with Iraq everyone is leaving the corps to go work out there doing CP work why work for 200 quid a week when you can do the same job for 500 quid a day.

As for what SQ will help you get CP work RMP would probabley be the best as they cover CP as part of there training (however you will have to put some time in before being eligable for this SQ), but why do you want to join the corps if thats what you want to do?

My mate has just left the corps to go out and do CP work he was just a GD Marine he went of to Africa for his course (cost a couple of grand to do),being in the Corps would give you a good foundation though if this is the profffesion you want to persue.

Most decent CP training companies are now advising guys who do courses to be over 25 years old, and have at least 2 operational tours behind them. It isnt so much needed to do the course, moreso to get a job at end of course from the recruiting companies. Course qual plus experience will get you the job, not either or.

Lots of competition now with the new industry standards kicking in.

You can always go for a convoy protection job though, I wouldnt.

Good advice there Doc, Ther are a lot of blokes catching it up out there at the minute, the CP guys dont have the suport and infastructure we have, all that money is no good to you if your brown bread.