PARAS OR ROYAL MARINES ???

2selfconscious · 30-11-2011 3:39am #1

hi , any advice on either ?
sent off my application forms to both the the royal navy and the british army , really interested in both units but cant make up my mind which id fit in better in ... from looking into both the stereotype that comes out of either is that the paras are very physical and are well a bit mental really ?
and the RM are very intelligent and highly trained

the paras are the smaller unit (bout 2000 i think) yet its the RM (9000 i think) who bang on about that they are a brotherhood .. thought it would be the other way around ?

is their certain personality traits or skills that would make you more suitable for either?
if ye were torn between the two which would ye go for and why ?
any info or advice on either much appreciated
thanks

OS119 · 30-11-2011 10:55am

if i were looking at an infantry career i'd go RM - they have lots of little specialisms (from the Commando's, through the Assault sqn, MAWC, SBS, Brigade Air Sqn, Logistics Group etc..), lots of little jobs around the world (embassies, training teams, fleet protection, anti-piracy), and lots of wierd and wonderful trades you can learn within 3 Cdo Bde while still remaining a Royal Marine. however, if you go PARA you'll be an infantry soldier your whole career, you'll stay with the Battalion, and you may find yourself at the age of 40 writing to prospective employers saying 'dear sir, i can use a mortar'...

personally, i rate RM above PARA - and i'm Army - i think that the very varied nature of their career/establishment produces a more rounded, less 'nail - hammer', more creative and enquiring soldier who has had a more varied, more interesting career than a soldier who does 22 years as a PARA in 16AA Bde.

my view, open to challenge, but thats my view.

swordofislam · 30-11-2011 3:31pm

Go to America and join the Seals.
They are the best of the best.
If you want to be the best of the best be a Seal!

Fratton Fred · 30-11-2011 3:52pm

When I was a kid, the Royal Marines was always seen as almost a glamorous job. Mainly due to the fact they taught you how to ski and only the wealthy could go skiing.

swordofislam · 30-11-2011 4:15pm

Fratton Fred wrote: »

When I was a kid, the Royal Marines was always seen as almost a glamorous job. Mainly due to the fact they taught you how to ski and only the wealthy could go skiing.

Prince Andrew did it that's why it was glamorous. But the seals are the best of the best!

krissovo · 30-11-2011 4:30pm

Do you like the cold?
Does the idea of being towed for miles behind a BV on skis turn you on?
Do you like snow holes?
Can you swim very well?
Do you fancy skiing into a frozen lake?
I can handle sea sickness?
Do you like to live near the sea?
Do you like hot areas like Turkey in the summer?
Do you love playing on the beach?
Can you run on shingle?
Do you want other opportunities apart from infantry?

Now count your Y/N answers. Mostly Y's then join the Marines, Mostly N's then do next Q&A:

Do you like heights?
Do you love heights enough to jump a 6ft gap at 80ft?
I really want to jump out of airplanes?
Can you run through wet mud?
Do you want to join a group of jumped up alpha males?
Do you like to wear desert boots, tight jeans and have close cropped hair?
Do you want to be infantry all your career?

If you have mostly Y's then join Para's, if the last 3 are N then join a Corp's and do either the All arms Para course or commando course and be both:D

krissovo · 30-11-2011 4:31pm

swordofislam wrote: »

If you want to be the best of the best be a Seal!

You watch too many Hollywood movies;)

Fratton Fred · 30-11-2011 4:41pm

swordofislam wrote: »

Prince Andrew did it that's why it was glamorous. But the seals are the best of the best!

Edward joined the marines, before deciding it was too hard and joined the theatre instead. Edward was not glamorous, nor was I a kid when he joined.

The seals were only the best when Chuck Norris and Steven Segal were in.

Fratton Fred · 30-11-2011 4:44pm

krissovo wrote: »

Do you like to wear desert boots, tight jeans and have close cropped hair?

Brilliant!

swordofislam · 30-11-2011 5:09pm

wish we had the Royal Marines in Ireland it sounds fcuking brilliant!

Maybe_Memories · 30-11-2011 6:07pm

swordofislam wrote: »

Go to America and join the Seals.
They are the best of the best.
If you want to be the best of the best be a Seal!

If things like in "Executive Decision" actually happened then I'd agree. :pac:

OS119 · 30-11-2011 7:07pm

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Brilliant!

you must also always wear a maroon t-shirt - preferably a Pln/Coy/Bn t-shirt - and a North Face Nuptse duvet jacket, and go on about 'hats all the time.

and get shirty when people talk about gay sex and mortars...

of course, if want to be a Royal Marine, you need to be able to dress convincingly as a woman, and have the confidence to attend naked social events like BBQ's, roll-matt fights, and Coy bars.

krissovo · 30-11-2011 7:23pm

OS119 wrote: »

you must also always wear a maroon t-shirt - preferably a Pln/Coy/Bn t-shirt - and a North Face Nuptse duvet jacket, and go on about 'hats all the time.

and get shirty when people talk about gay sex and mortars...

of course, if want to be a Royal Marine, you need to be able to dress convincingly as a woman, and have the confidence to attend naked social events like BBQ's, roll-matt fights, and Coy bars.

Back in the day the Para's would wear their green snugpak fleese, at least they have upgraded to North Face.

LOL, just had a horrible flashback to a "official" 59 Commando function I was invited to. Dress code was boots, stable belt and a arctic sock for your cash. Mid november weather was harsh on the old micky.

Double lol, just had a flash back to a 9 Para piss up which was a "snow" party. Anything remotely white and granular would be tossed in the corridor, we had flour, sugar, feathers from pillows, road salt and foot powder. It then turned to a yellow snow party where we all wrote our names on the ground. What followed next was gross, how do I describe it........Piss sliding? Kind of like a kids water slide but with piss as the friction reducing medium and the salt which rubbed your skin off:(

Lemming · 30-11-2011 11:27pm

OS119 wrote: »

and get shirty when people talk about gay sex and mortars...

For everyone else not aware of either the reference or the existence of ARRSE;

ARRSEpedia wrote:

3 Para Mortar Platoon

Unit Motto: Take us in the rear and we'll give you a good spanking.

Rumours of strange goings on in 3 Para Mortars date back to the 1980s when a member was found to be supplementing his meagre military salary by working as a 'rent boy'. Oh how the rest of the army laughed! Oh how The Parachute Regiment clapped their hands to their heads and wished the ground would swallow them up!

Since those halcyon days, the boys from mortars have become synonymous with all things gay. It's all good fun-poking of course, but it is the perfect example of one singular event having extremely long mileage.

However it may not all be in the past. With the Parachute Regiment deployment to Afghanistan it was only a matter of time till their deviancy made the papers. After a heated firefight, a member of the mortars' platoon said: "The Taliban took us from the rear and we gave them a good spanking." Nice to see the unit motto quoted in the press.

Article here. Please take note of the repeated references to the 'enemy's backyard' ... not that we're inferring anything you understand!

unclejunior · 30-11-2011 11:52pm

i typed 'the paras' in the search engine and this came up

:pac:

2selfconscious · 01-12-2011 1:23am

hey hey 14 replies and only one (OS119) and a half (krissovo) of any use ,
was a serious post lads so please dont go all uncle albert "during the war .. " on me with stories of piss ups lol
anytime i google the two the majority says RM .. bit surprised why people want to stay away from the paras tbh always thought they were the elite of the brits ? outside the S.A.S/S.B.S
saying that im startin to lean towards the paras coz tbh i havent brains to burn like some RM seem too and these days everyone wants to be a RM lol and was never really too bolloxed tabbing or during our own training

Lemming · 01-12-2011 2:34am

2selfconscious wrote: »

saying that im startin to lean towards the paras coz tbh i havent brains to burn like some RM seem too and these days everyone wants to be a RM lol and was never really too bolloxed tabbing or during our own training

On a serious note from my early 'contribution', if you don't like tabbing you might be in for a bit of a shock regarding the Paras, no?

Anyway, here's a video regarding P Coy ('Test week') where prospective candidates earn the right to undergo parachute training. The video is just under an hour long so make sure you have time! Just in case you think to yourself "jeez some of that looks easy" some of the tests over the week are pass/fail results.

Just get past the 'A' team intro to get to the actual video content.

2selfconscious · 01-12-2011 2:53am

sorry i ment i was never really bolloxed tabbing meaning i didnt mind it at all or the beastings .. singar trainings another matter though :-p lol

nice 1 for the link

swordofislam · 01-12-2011 1:02pm

Seriously it has to be the seals! They are the best of the best

cruasder777 · 01-12-2011 1:04pm

2selfconscious wrote: »

sorry i ment i was never really bolloxed tabbing meaning i didnt mind it at all or the beastings .. singar trainings another matter though :-p lol

nice 1 for the link

You will mind tabbing when you try it lol, especially the first few goes. After running the first couple of miles with 35lbs on your back, it will feel heavier and heavier, you will struggle for air, but if you keep practicing you get better and better.

Its essential to practice it before attempting Para training.

Its physically the most difficult thing I have done, apart from mixed martial arts training and Ive done alot of distance hiking and a few marathons.

I still do the Paras 10 most yrs, but Im in my 40s and 14 stone so dont hit the 1.50 bench mark anymore. I finished last time in 2hours 06 minutes, I trained for 8 weeks 3/4 times a week for it, from a high fitness base.

I would rate P company just as challenging as the commando tests.

The 8 hours Royal Marines get to do their 30 miler compares to the 4.5 hours the Paras get to do their 20 miler over mountinous terrain.

In terms of what the Paras do, they also have varied roles inc mountain and air troop units in the Pathfinders platoon.

3/4 of the last British VCs won have been won by Paras inc in Afghanistan.

krissovo · 01-12-2011 1:45pm

2selfconscious wrote: »

hey hey 14 replies and only one (OS119) and a half (krissovo) of any use ,

Mine was a serious response wrote in a simplified form, even when I swung the old lamp a little and told a story. Basically each unit are very similar in capability, they are both very fit units, well trained and exercised units. The main difference between the two is their unit culture (or lack of it in some cases).

The Marines have their fair share of lack of intelligence but they appear more intelligent as they have more trades on offer. The trades in the parachute regiment are limited as these are performed by other para trained units like the logistics, mechanics etc. The Marines do have their Army support, again Engineers (59 Commando) and Artillery (29 Commando) but most of the remaining trades are done in house.

Fiatach · 12-12-2011 9:45pm

swordofislam wrote: »

wish we had the Royal Marines in Ireland it sounds fcuking brilliant!

Here is a video of Royal Marines in Ireland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hCkLrSzCTU

twinytwo · 12-12-2011 10:35pm

Fiatach wrote: »

Here is a video of Royal Marines in Ireland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hCkLrSzCTU

if your trying to be funny .... your not.

Also thats not what he ment.

twinytwo · 12-12-2011 10:41pm

cruasder777 wrote: »

You will mind tabbing when you try it lol, especially the first few goes. After running the first couple of miles with 35lbs on your back, it will feel heavier and heavier, you will struggle for air, but if you keep practicing you get better and better.

Its essential to practice it before attempting Para training.

Its physically the most difficult thing I have done, apart from mixed martial arts training and Ive done alot of distance hiking and a few marathons.

I still do the Paras 10 most yrs, but Im in my 40s and 14 stone so dont hit the 1.50 bench mark anymore. I finished last time in 2hours 06 minutes, I trained for 8 weeks 3/4 times a week for it, from a high fitness base.

I would rate P company just as challenging as the commando tests.

The 8 hours Royal Marines get to do their 30 miler compares to the 4.5 hours the Paras get to do their 20 miler over mountinous terrain.

In terms of what the Paras do, they also have varied roles inc mountain and air troop units in the Pathfinders platoon.

3/4 of the last British VCs won have been won by Paras inc in Afghanistan.

Ya im sure dartmoor is a walk in the park....

What has vc's got to do with anything?...

The paratrooper has become obsolete... plus they seem to have a fancy for shooting children in the back.

BigDuffman · 13-12-2011 10:46am

I've never been out fighting wars so can't really comment on that aspect of it. But both of them have world wide reputations for being amongst the best and can be considered the yard stick of professional soldier. The fitness levels and mentalities of both are astounding also when you look at the % of Paras and Cdos that go SF it will speak for the training.

But I have found the para's to live up to their loutish and overly aggressive reputation..a reputation which they are more than happy to live up to. No doubt they are hardy fookers. But they seem to want to prove it at every opportunity. You will also get stick for being a paddy more than you might encounter in other units.

The Cdos on the other hand appeared quietly confident and seemed like a decent bunch of lads. Not as much loutish bravado. The hint is also in the name...they're feckin commandos. Examples of bravery and lunacy (eg. tying yourself under the wing of an apache to go rescue a downed comrade!).

So for what its worth my 2c is go commando.

Also how undoubtedly bad a$$ are their recruitment videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f8mG4KvqMw

RMD · 13-12-2011 1:35pm

cruasder777 wrote: »

In terms of what the Paras do, they also have varied roles inc mountain and air troop units in the Pathfinders platoon.

Which if I'm not mistaken is in essence essentially the same as the RM Brigade Reconnaissance Troop / AW Cadre.

cruasder777 · 14-12-2011 7:50pm

twinytwo wrote: »

Ya im sure dartmoor is a walk in the park....

What has vc's got to do with anything?...

The paratrooper has become obsolete... plus they seem to have a fancy for shooting children in the back.

How is the Paratrooper obsolete ?

28.12.2010 - Paras have jumped into action in Afghanistan in recent months. Parachutists from 1 Para (SFSG), the core component of the Special Forces Support Group, have parachuted into Helmand Province on Company-level raids against Taliban forces. The Paras use low-level parachutes to jump from from low-flying RAF C-130s.

cruasder777 · 14-12-2011 8:03pm

BigDuffman wrote: »

I've never been out fighting wars so can't really comment on that aspect of it. But both of them have world wide reputations for being amongst the best and can be considered the yard stick of professional soldier. The fitness levels and mentalities of both are astounding also when you look at the % of Paras and Cdos that go SF it will speak for the training.

But I have found the para's to live up to their loutish and overly aggressive reputation..a reputation which they are more than happy to live up to. No doubt they are hardy fookers. But they seem to want to prove it at every opportunity. You will also get stick for being a paddy more than you might encounter in other units.

The Cdos on the other hand appeared quietly confident and seemed like a decent bunch of lads. Not as much loutish bravado. The hint is also in the name...they're feckin commandos. Examples of bravery and lunacy (eg. tying yourself under the wing of an apache to go rescue a downed comrade!).

So for what its worth my 2c is go commando.

Also how undoubtedly bad a$$ are their recruitment videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f8mG4KvqMw

"You will also get stick for being a paddy more than you might encounter in other units."

...................What is that based upon ?

Two famous ex Paras born in the republic are Paddy Doyle(ex SAS, holds the most endurance records in the Guinness book of records) and Tom Mclean, who along with Chey Blyth was the first man to row the Atlantic..

2 Paras commander Lt Col Joe O'Sullivan is from the republic.

The Paras have always had less racism then other units, due to respect being based around ability, but you have to be seriously dedicated to earn that respect, unlike other regiments they dont suffer fools.

In the 70s they even had black NCOs, before other regiments even had black squaddies.

The regiments in the British army I would avoid would be the Black Watch, which is a loyalist regiment and the Blues and Royals, Grenedier gds, Coldstream gds, Scots gds, they are regiments you would get serious stick for being Irish in, hence why recruiters direct you to Irish regiments or the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders battalion(RRS), who are historically a Scots Catholic regiment.

twinytwo · 15-12-2011 12:01pm

cruasder777 wrote: »

How is the Paratrooper obsolete ?

28.12.2010 - Paras have jumped into action in Afghanistan in recent months. Parachutists from 1 Para (SFSG), the core component of the Special Forces Support Group, have parachuted into Helmand Province on Company-level raids against Taliban forces. The Paras use low-level parachutes to jump from from low-flying RAF C-130s.

Seriously??

The traditional role of the paratrooper has become obselete... it became so with the invention of the helicopter.

The whole idea of the paratrooper was to drop into enemy territory and hold key objectives until the arrival of the main forces.

cruasder777 · 15-12-2011 2:45pm

twinytwo wrote: »

Seriously??

The traditional role of the paratrooper has become obselete... it became so with the invention of the helicopter.

The whole idea of the paratrooper was to drop into enemy territory and hold key objectives until the arrival of the main forces.

Less used, not osolete, US forces in Iraq Afghanistan have done battalion sized drops.

Saying that, when was the largest large scale marine beach landing ?

Donny5 · 15-12-2011 4:52pm

cruasder777 wrote: »

Less used, not osolete, US forces in Iraq Afghanistan have done battalion sized drops.

Saying that, when was the largest large scale marine beach landing ?

Al-Faw in 2003, and before that, probably the Falklands.

PARAS OR ROYAL MARINES ???

Comments