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My mate is in week 24 of recruit training and has recently come back from Iraq..yes Iraq! he has picture the lot to prove him in Umm Quas etc with local Iraqs and playing football with them...

He said he go to go because in week 24 you are Classed as a qualified Royal Marine, Just not a Commando yet as you have note surpased the Commando Course....

My question is....is this true? Maybe one of the bigger boys may know?

Cheers, Dave

I believe that it could be true.I can remember when I was in the Paras and going through training in Aldershot our immediate senior platoon in front of us went to Borneo to back up 2Para, as they were short on man power.

I've heard of similar things happening for example an under 18 going to NI because he was a Bisley shot!

It is a strange one though, I'm not really sure what to make of it. If you really want to know then there are ways. Just use your loaf, ask more in depth questions for one.

After week 15 you are a trained infantry soldier and can go to war, although; ''it never happens'' - apparently!!!

I'm a Royal Marine and I've never done the Commando tests. I have also worked as a guard commander in an RM unit and with brigade. We are Royal Marine Trained Ranks.

In PRMC they told us you are eligable to go into war after week 15, although they also told us it has never happened to date...

How do you fit in then if youve only completed half of the training?

Ive heard that men were sent to the Falklands less than 24 hrs after their pass out parade, but never heard anything like this!

Are you given a beret for recognition?

Imagine going to war then failng to get the green beret lol

Yeh that would be a bugger.......

It would almost invariably cause problems, but something like that would I think be reserved for dire situations; after all you would be unable to fully operate with the commandos having not been trained in the full range of skills.

You wouldn't go to war as such, I should imagine you would go over the water to free up men, or do other general guard duties to free up the trained ranks.
My afco told me to be aware that if it all got too heavy in Iraq I may have to go over the water for a spell during my training. Cant see that happening now though.

I didn't hear of recruits coming out. All I had to deal with was RMR ranks. These weren't ex regs, I might add. They were coming out in command positions, and could not do the job. Apparently 3 weekends as an RMR Jnco gives them more experience than myself. Someone who has had 2 years & 3 operational tours as a l/cpl, & 5 years as a Marine. This was apparently considered a complete success.

We have a rejoin in our troop (855) who completed 24 weeks of training and his official title/rank is "MNE" and not "RCT" like the rest of us.

Your mates bull shi**ing mate. I'm in week 28 of training and i think if any Recruit troop was going to go to Iraq it would have been mine as we have completed one live firing ex and done our amphibious training and commando tests.

Also all Recruits are MNE2 when you pass out you become MNE.

Ross, 846 Troop

Ross,

Unless they've gone soft on you, you will still be a Mne II for your first six months or so in your first posting. A MneI, has a green lid and has proved himself to his peers as well. Don't worry no one actually mentions the two grades of Marine, just being one is enough.

Barry