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I think it was on this site a while ago where i heard that about 1 in 10 marines get to do jumps and earn thier wings. Is this correct? And would you of had to of served for a while before getting the opportunity to do this?

Also a friend of mine who past his training a while ago said he gets to do 3 sports, and i was wondering - what type of martial arts type sports you get the opportunity to do within the RMs?

thanks

To be Para trained all you have to do is put in for the course (which is run out of Brize Norton). Once qualified you need to do a minimum number of jumps each year to recieve Para pay. If you don't do the jumps you don't get the pay.

Forms of PT are not restricted. Once out of training, get down the gym and see whats on the notice board. You'll be surprised at how many different things there are on offer. If you have the time you could do it all!!

And if what your looking for isn't there, start your own club. Thats called initiative! You'll get all the backing from the PT Dept.

Used to be that you could only do a para cse if you had a job requirement for it. Recce Trp for eg. Otherwise it was quite hard to get on one.
Yours, aye,
Harry
Location, RV three and a half

Stix@CTC wrote:To be Para trained all you have to do is put in for the course (which is run out of Brize Norton). Once qualified you need to do a minimum number of jumps each year to recieve Para pay. If you don't do the jumps you don't get the pay.

Forms of PT are not restricted. Once out of training, get down the gym and see whats on the notice board. You'll be surprised at how many different things there are on offer. If you have the time you could do it all!!

And if what your looking for isn't there, start your own club. Thats called initiative! You'll get all the backing from the PT Dept.

What do you mean by Para pay?

A small bonus on top of your regular payment?

Thanks.

Skanza wrote:What do you mean by Para pay?

A small bonus on top of your regular payment?

Correct.

Skanza wrote: What do you mean by Para pay?

A small bonus on top of your regular payment?

Thanks.

I got a 1.5 quid a day extra in me pocket after I did my Para Course in 75. Considering that a Marines pay at that time was about 8 quid a day it was well recieved to say the least (10.50 quid a week extra)! All you had to do was 12 jumps a year to keep getting it. Worst Jump I ever did was in Sardinia with the US Airborne.

No bugger checked out the LZ! Turned out some US plane with "Experts" flew over the area and decided that it was OK.
Shame they never asked the Italians what was there before. I.E. a forest of Pine trees! We landed in a field of tree stumps. Loads of Yanks ended up with broken bones. Somehow not one Bootneck was injured.

Out of drop of 450 blokes nearly a 100 were biffed (we jumped from 6 USAF C130's). Three Yank Paras were damaged beyond local repair. As in wheelchair users. Backs cracked when they landed. One poor sod died instantly when he hit a stump with his head. Bad day all round really.

My very very last jump was in March 1982 at a place called Gardermoen in Norge. In hindsight I wish I'd have broke me fecking leg really!!

Artist

Nowadays even if you do manage to get yourself on a jumps course, you won't be able to maintain the requirements (or you'll be damn lucky if you do) to get your Para pay unless you're in a billet that actually requires it (BRF, Recce etc). It's a specialist role that's in less and less demand, and whilst getting on a course isn't too hard with a bit of patience (watch out for ones when everyone's on ops/ex and you're rear party ) it's not really worthwhile if you don't need it. Far better to get some civvy jumping jacked up for AT.

Would still be good fun though,

And I would suppose SF would see it as favourable.

Drink red bull, end of discussion

Not an issue for SF.