Choosing a Specialisation?

[yorkie321]

All you serving or ex Royals. If you could make the choice again, which spec(s) would you go for and why?

Cheers,

Yorkie

[Hankins]

gd is the way to go as long as you don't get pinged

[ali_hire]

Care to elaborate on this for us Hankins?

I would have thought that choosing something that can help you in the real world would have been more beneficial?

[yorkie321]

or maybe the guys who are close to finishing, have you made your minds up yet?

[Artist]

GD is gerneral duties as in a rifleman.

Whatever Spec you go for in the end your core roll is as a rifleman when the shits hitting the fan. Hench the reason why all Bootnecks do the full commando course.

Some say go Sigs, Driver, HW, VM the choice is all yours in the end although some trades do ping guys straight out of the box with the guy having no say in the matter. Sigs have always been like this and to a lesser extent the Chefs branch.

But don't put in to be a SC or a ML right out of the box the powers that be will just laugh at you. As it you have to have passed a JCC to even apply to go ML.

Artist

[lodgi]

Care to elaborate on this for us Hankins?

I would have thought that choosing something that can help you in the real world would have been more beneficial?

All the bootnecks I've spoken to Ali have said the same. They all want to be GD for life. A corporal was telling us on my PRMC how he managed to avoid getting pinged by applying for SF and ML. All the corporals told us you don't join the marines to be a mechanic or a chef, they all want to be Riflemen from what little I have seen of them.

[ali_hire]

Yeah I've got a mate who is a driver and has had deployments as both a rifleman and as a driver, he absolutely loves it.

One of the Cpls at Lympstone said to us that there are 2 choices when it comes to specialisations - career progression and enjoyment. He was basically saying that if you want to rise through the ranks quicker then you're better off going for something less popular like chef, stores, etc.

[Felias]

gd is the way to go as long as you don't get pinged

SF is the way to go. As long as you don't fail selection.

[jay999]

out of interest which specialisations are the most under subscribed? and say if you manage to get through CTC and state preference to an under subscribed branch are you likely to go there?

[Shrek The Royal]

There is very little chance of stopping GD these days for more than 18 months, some do dont get me wrong however as you get older rolling round in the mud and living in a tree line will become less appealing trust me. As said previously being tied to an SQ dosnt mean you will never find your self as a rifle man again, Take India company out in Afghan that was a composite company made up of Drives, chefs, clerks, air def, store men etc.. all in the mixer serving as GD rifle men.

[Artist]

There is very little chance of stopping GD these days for more than 18 months, some do dont get me wrong however as you get older rolling round in the mud and living in a tree line will become less appealing trust me. As said previously being tied to an SQ dosnt mean you will never find your self as a rifle man again, Take India company out in Afghan that was a composite company made up of Drives, chefs, clerks, air def, store men etc.. all in the mixer serving as GD rifle men.

As I said your roll is in the end to carry a rifle and soldier regardless of your SQ/TQ. Nicely put Shrek.

Artist

[Artist]

SF is the way to go. As long as you don't fail selection.

Total and Utter Bollox! You've been in half a dogs watch Feelyarse so wind your neck in!!!

ML's are not SF for fecking starters! The course is long and hard and takes a hell of a lot to hack. But once the new ML2's have completed the course most are drafted back to a Cdo unit and carry on being Section Commanders within a units various rifle companys.

But come the time they are required to teach the lads the joys of Cliff Assaults, Absailing, Surviving in adverse conditions, Skiing they are the guys who know what they are talking about.

Down South in 82 it was the M&AW cadre who were tasked with the assault on Top Malo House:

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Falkl ... -Cadre.htm

The Argie SF bods at the house were well and truly sorted out in no uncertain terms by the Lads. Quite a few other Argie SF bods in various OP's dotted around the hills witnessed the attack and decided then and there to surrender to any bugger who was willing to let them surrender ASAP!

Each Cdo units Recce Troop is chockful of blokes who are the dogs bollox when it comes to soldiering as well, to witness a Recce Tp do their job is a sight to behold.

SF.......Yer if you want to lose that Cap badge then go for it. Don't forget gentlemen a Bootneck is considered by most other armed forces to be a rare breed. As in he's bloody good at what he does. So why go SF? I never felt the urge and I had a ball serving in the Bootnecks as did most of my Oppos. I've got Oppos who serve/served within the SF. They are good lads one and all but I never felt the urge to do it because I was quite happy doing what I did as a Royal Marine and when I meet up with my SF oppos we are equals as far as we are all concerned.

Artist

[jammin87]

That link Artist - I'd read about Top Malo House a while back. It turns out (I'm quite sure anyway) I met Captain Boswell RM. A couple of years back in cadets I got on exchange to Canada and got to go back as staff the year after. Captain Boswell was the UK exchange officer both times, not sure if he still is. I chatted to him down at Frimley Park the second time round, a very nice guy. I was very surprised when he told me about ML, and even more so when I read about Top Malo House a year later and his role in it!
(Before anyone says, I don't think this should be in claim to fame in the sprogs forum, it doesn't seem relevant there.)

[Artist]

jammin87

Bos is a bloke to respect in all ways and means. About three years after 82 Bos organised a world record attempt at Freefall Parachute Stacking at Dunkerswell the RN/RM freefall centre. As in a ruck of blokes leap out of some aircraft at the same time and stack together, Feet linked to the chute beneath and so on. They did it with I think 29 blokes and it was proudly shown in the Globe and Laurel.

A little known thing but the RM freefall parachute display team were sponsered by Kronenberg Lager, as they were formed the same year as the Corps, 1664. So all the chutes were in the Corps colours with 1664 in the Kronenberg type style emblazened over the inside of all the chutes.

Bet you didn't know that then chaps!!

Artist

[yorkie321]

Getting back on thread guys.....which spec(s) would you recommend?