RN Para Wings

[Colin]

Hi,

Can someone from the Royal Navy get their Para wings?
I know that they can go 'commando', but can they go para.

If so, do they have to do P Coy?

[Rockape]

Personnel from the RN serving in Mobile Air Operations Teams (MAOT) and some other specialist posts are parachute trained. The guys in the MAOTs are all commando trained (successfully passing the AACC qualifies a person to attend parachute training, if required, without doing P-Coy).

I don't know how it works for other RN personnel who need to parachute, but in the RAF there are personnel from the Tactical Supply Wing and Tactical Comms Wing who are parachute trained, but do not undergo the RAF Regt pre-para course or P-Coy.

[Stu-]

I have a mate who is a RM embarked on a RN warship as part of electronic warfare, he is parachute trained.

[Tab]

Stu;- to keep your wings you are expected to do so many jumps per year, or you used to. If this is still the case how is he going to keep his wings if he is now ship borne.

[Colin]

In reply to Tab

When I was in the RNR in the early nineties an officer and an able seaman on board my ship both had their para wings. I believe they obtained them, by once being members of 10 and 15 Para TA.

Incidently para wings are worn on the bottom of the left sleeve of the number one tunics. For officers it is above the rank curl.

[Tab]

Colin, Yes they may have got them in the TA, but when I was in the Para's you had to do so many jumps a year to keep them. they even flew the Battalion back from Cyprus in 1956 for some more parachute training and to keep qualified.

[Colin]

So if you have to do 'qualifying jumps' there must be a lot of military personnel who end up losing them. Probably the relevant regiments/services turn a blind eye to it. Or is the 'qualifying jumps' just for jump pay. Also would all the above then apply to SAS wings. There must be a lot of Generals who don't do any more jumps.

[Stu-]

He was in the U.S. on his last tour and did joint jumps with u.s. forces, and he's an officer also so would agree with colin's note about officers having their para wings.

[Colin]

Stu,

So if he did his jumps with the US forces, does that mean he can be dual qualified, ie US Forces Para Wings and would he be entitled to wear them on a British forces uniform. I seem to recall that we British are funny about wearing 'Foreign' badges, medals, etc.

[Stu-]

As far as I know the jumps he did with the u.s. forces were just a joint exercise, nothing about his training being with u.s. paras/airborne

I will have to check with him but I dont think he did p-company as the commando course gives entry to basic parachute training (dont take my word for this, maybe he did have to do p-coy)

I will have to email him and ask exactly what capacity he's under oki!

Stu

[Colin]

Christ that was a quick reply!

Thanks Stu.

I find it interesting whereby someone in a particular service can wear another services badge/s, it sort of makes them a bit more unique/maverick, especially if they were someone from a service that you would'nt expect to see wear a particular badge, ie RN + Para wings or a Para + Submariners Badge.

I don't know why a Para would want to be submarine trained but I thought I would throw that one in!

[goldie ex rmp]

Stu,

So if he did his jumps with the US forces, does that mean he can be dual qualified, ie US Forces Para Wings and would he be entitled to wear them on a British forces uniform. I seem to recall that we British are funny about wearing 'Foreign' badges, medals, etc.

when i was in germany in the 90's it was all the rage to do the german para course which then let us wear the german wings on combats

[Colin]

Thanks Guys that was quite interesting.

[Maroon]

In Para Reg you are allowed to wear one set of foreign Para wings (if qualified) you wore them on your smock above the right Breast pocket, most guy's got their yank wings and German but we had a couple of guy's running round with Malayan wings...

[theparamancan]

Its all about slovakian wings. You have a knife ontop of your reserve to cut your rigging lines before you deploy your reserve (which you have to throw out with your hands) Hmmm.