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thanks for the support, and no im not a royal marine, im considering going for the Para's because the marines probably do a lot of swimming and im not exactly the best swimmer.

Geraintm6 wrote:thanks for the support, and no im not a royal marine, im considering going for the Para's because the marines probably do a lot of swimming and im not exactly the best swimmer.

You still have to swim in the SAS training.

Ares

It's good to recognise your areas of weakness, but don't let a something like that put you off. Get down the pool and swim and swim until you are good.just don't give up and you'll get there.

You could always use some water wings

Geraintm6 wrote:thanks for the support, and no im not a royal marine, im considering going for the Para's because the marines probably do a lot of swimming and im not exactly the best swimmer.

Does anyone know if the Paras and the Marines still dislike each other?

LloydL001 wrote:

Geraintm6 wrote:thanks for the support, and no im not a royal marine, im considering going for the Para's because the marines probably do a lot of swimming and im not exactly the best swimmer.

Does anyone know if the Paras and the Marines still dislike each other?

Don't dislike one another as such, but the rivalry is strong. Both are considered 'elite' and both are proud of who they are so it is just rivalry.

RM and Para Regt have never disliked each other, having spent quite a long time working in mixed Units never saw anything but good healthy banter...sadly for the Para's they struggle to keep up!!

timex wrote:RM and Para Regt have never disliked each other, having spent quite a long time working in mixed Units never saw anything but good healthy banter...sadly for the Para's they struggle to keep up!!

I assumed they disliked each other as I read Steven Preece's "Among The Marines" and he said about the Paras and Marines disliking each other - They were nearly fighting in a bar at one point!

(The book was written in the times of 1980 if that makes a difference)

Its a good example of an outsiders view. Any serving soldier, however much rivalry there is, will always show some level of respect to the other party. Afterall we're on the same side, doing a similar job. I for one base my judgement on a persons character and nothing more.

As it has been said, its all banter. If someone can't take the banter they are in the wrong place, because from what iv heard its sometimes the only thing that keeps you going.

Amphibian

Don't believe everything you read in books.. as for bar fights, as far as I can recall they happened all over the place not just with Para/RM but every other combination of Regiments/Batterys/ Squadrons etc you could think of (stand fast the RAF)..

It is not a case of disliking each other it is a case of Competition and pride in what they can do, and both do it very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhLzDC6b ... re=related @ 5:00, good example of oldskool rivalry

I work in an environment where there are roughly equal numbers of former Paras and RMs, and we all get along fine.

When i was serving, it was deemed as an insult for RM to join the ranks of the SAS and they only went SB, (maybe something to do with the Falklands) and watching selection down at Poole and knowing several guys who tried, failed, tried, failed and tried again.... your heart certainly had to be in the right place for SB selection...i know they are water based.. but maybe thats the clue in their name Special BOAT Squadron.........and to be honest, and this may cause a bit of debate guys started to go SAS when they couldnt pass SB selection....but thats only what i know and my opinion.....

timex wrote: (stand fast the RAF)..

Not so, I nearly got hit with his handbag when I knocked over a snowdrops Banana Daquiri at Brize Norton, lucklily he broke a heel on his stilletos giving chase it was a close thing though