hi guys. I was wondering, for those you who made it pass PRMC or POC but left training later, what was it that caused you to drop out - injury, failing a test...?

I'm curious to see what the common hurdles might be that cause people to stumble.

I don't have it with me right now, but I believe one eye was at -1.75 and the other not far off that.

Does it lose signal often? I talked with a guy yesterday about buying one and questions were raised about its use in cloudy conditions. Under what conditions have you used it? Here in Tucson it would be fine, but in England it might be worthless.

I found another option which fits on the shoe and ...

Well, the US optician has to look up the conversions for the US-British measurements, but right now it looks like I'll be falling safely inside of Standard II!

Alright, in about one hour I'll be having an eye test to determine suitability for entry. I wear glasses and though I was borderline Standard I when 16, I've grown worse, I hope not too much worse to make Standard III for the RM.

So, if you pray, pray. If not, then pray any way... or do something ...

Thanks for the link, a nice chap already PMed it to me also. I was wondering about discrepancies between the timing of different tests. Is there a standard for all bleep tests?

GGHT - how accurate have you found the Forerunner?

Well, I don't consider myself a font of info on the Corp, I just read the Royal Navy website. The thing is, what's on a website isn't always the truth when you get down to it, so I ask to find out the perspectives of those with experience or other angles.

Seeing as the Bleep Test will feature I took a look around and found the CD available online. Very few people here in the USA have heard of the test, so I thought I'd drag a few of my friends in when I get the CD. I plan on incorporating it into my training. Last time I did it at college I remember ...

Oh well, that's that then. To be honest, whilst guarding installations does sound boring, what sounds more interesting is:

"Fleet Standby Rifle Troop (FSRT) - The Group provides a number of teams to conduct tasks in support of the Royal Navy worldwide. All the teams receive specialist training and ...

Found this, seemed a decent piece:

http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13 ... 03,00.html

Fair enough Beaky - but how many RM's do then go for career?

I don't think I'm underestimating the challenge, or taking it lightly. I'm not viewing it as a stepping stone but as a challenge and an accomplishment in itself. I do though intend to do other things in my life also.

As an officer I'll ...

Following on from my intial interviews a number of years ago I've always assumed that if I made the attempt to join the RM I'd do it as an Officer. I have the brains for it, and of course there's the extra challenge physically. However, I've recently been wondering if it wouldn't be a better choice ...

I've been looking around at the various options for service and considering what I might fancy doing. At first I was thinking 539 Asslt Sqd. because I've always loved the water and so the chance to at once be a Royal Marine and learn to sail and command boats is appealling. As I looked around the ...

Just curious since the RM/RN website doesn't seem to offer much info on this one.

The minimum return of service is apparently 3 years, when I made inquiries a number of years ago you signed up for one of I think three options - short term, medium term, or full career. I believe it has changed since ...

Well I think it's important to remember that although Sky News spins this as a 'softening of standards' the actual changes do not make things any easier, they simply serve to open up the playing field to more players and keep players in the game. The goals are still the same.