Royal Marines - Anyone's DS been through the recruitment process?

[SoTiredNeedHoliday]

Hello,
DS is adamant he wants to join the Royal Marines. He loves history and has always been interested in the military so it is not a massive surprise. However, it is scary as a parent.
Since he has brought it up I've been encouraging him to look at Army Officer entry potentially but he really wants the marines. He does fit the criteria for Army officer entry.
Unfortunately you need a maths GCSE at 6 or above for Marines officer entry, which DS doesn't have. He is doing his A levels now.

Anyway, has anyone's DS been through the Marines selection process? It looks very vigorous and difficult.

Why don't you buy him these 2 books and have a read of them yourself too?

Becoming the 0.1%: Thirty-four lessons from the diary of a Royal Marines Commando Recruit www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1529363500/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_DFBTZ9K270R6K22PKTSB?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Commando Mindset: Find Your Motivation, Realize Your Potential, Achieve Your Goals www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241416051/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_VRWCS2KKV6FPZ45BHRTZ?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

DH has a friend who served in the Marines and is now enjoying a very successful civilian life after learning lots of very powerful lessons in training and deployments. By all accounts it is very tough training for obvious reasons but sets them up well for the rest of their lives.

My BIL is an ex-Marine, though he was a reservist rather than a regular. The training is, to be frank, pretty brutal - BIL failed it twice, getting a stress fracture in his leg on the second attempt! All the Marines I've ever met are mad as hatters, though lovely blokes!

Would your son consider going to Uni first? It will allow him to join up at a more senior level on leaving Uni - sometimes you can join up and then go into Uni with the military effectively sponsoring your education - there is obviously an expected return of service if you go down this route.

thanks @CaveMum & @Holdingontonothing. I have ordered the books, I'm looking forward to reading them myself!

He feels he has had enough classroom education at the moment and when he has done his A levels really wants to get on with it (he's words). Though I have met a number of people who have got their degrees and various other qualifications while serving (mainly in the army).
I think if his mindset is that he wants to do something other than study he is probably best to do that and then come back to study when he is ready too?

It is hard. I know someone who is doing it at the moment. He needs to be really fit, and also able to keep pushing himself physically and mentally with no endpoint to work towards iyswim.

DH friend shared this a while back, interview with Ben Williams. A really fantastic story of how the Marines training and culture turned him into a man any mother would be proud of

Another thing I’d add is that I hope your son is comfortable in his own skin - whilst all 3 services enjoy the cry of “naked bar”, the Marines in particular are notorious for it! That and an affinity for little black dresses

@CaveMum

Another thing I’d add is that I hope your son is comfortable in his own skin - whilst all 3 services enjoy the cry of “naked bar”, the Marines in particular are notorious for it! That and an affinity for little black dresses

This is so true. I have a friend who is a former Marine and he's incredibly fit still, mad as a bag of frogs, drinks like a fish and gets naked at the drop of a hat. Frequently found in fancy dress before getting naked. Great guy but a complete nutter. And everything is hoofin'.

Heh, I studied with some RM officers. Naked bars, lingerie, heels. That was just them. Ah, good times!

DH is Royal Navy. He always wishes he'd gone RM. More opportunity in some ways.

If he doesnt want to be an officer, don't force him.

Has he been to the Armed Forces Careers Office for a chat yet? If he has half a brain, the Army will be trying to poach him as he walks in the door....

There was a Channel 4 documentary 7 years ago, Royal Marines Commando School. There are 6 episodes and you can still get them on YouTube. My son was one of that cohort and it is very, very accurate.

It is very tough, and he phoned in tears more than once, but he made it. He wanted to be one of the best, and was incredibly proud to pass out. I never wanted him to join, but respected his choice and supported him as best I could. He's had some great training and interesting experiences, but it's not an easy option.

@HundredMilesAnHour oh god yes “hoofin”, every other bloody word was “hoofin”, that and complaints about being “threaders”

DH did 20 years in the RAF, I met him 3 years in, so between him and his brother I’ve had my fair share of military entertainment over the last, almost, 20 years!

thanks all the comments are really helpful for me! I think comradery is vital in a job like that.

@whereiwanttobe Oh gosh yes, we watched the series, it was incredible to see the lengths they go to and what they have to be able to endure. Is your DS still a marine? Did he get to the end of 32 weeks without being 'passed back' to improve on things? That seems almost impossible to do based on the show. Good on him passing the course and becoming a commando!! You should be one very proud mum.

@RedCarsGoFaster yes he's spoken to the marines careers liaison officer. His school arranged that so I don't think the army got a look in at him. From what I hear the Marines want people who only want to be a marine and if you're considering army etc it goes against you.... Not sure if that's the case in reality.

@Howmanysleepsnow yes I think the mental aspect of just keeping going will take time but as their peers in training are doing it hopefully that helps 'cement' that into their nature

@Holdingontonothing thanks for sharing the video, I hadn't seen that!

My brother was a RM and one of my lovely nephews has been in the marines for about 15 years.
They’ve both seen a lot of shit but absolutely loved/love their jobs. DN is definitely the person you want with you come the zombie apocalypse!

DS started the recruitment process at 18 after A levels. The medical checks are very, very thorough. If I remember rightly, there are 4 rounds of the process.
He had to have hearing and eye sight tests before even starting the second stage.
He'd had a broken a small wrist bone and that was thoroughly investigated but he's had a prescribed inhaler 18 months prior to start of recruitment and they require 4 free years of a prescribed inhaler so he had to stop the process.
He is actually very glad he didn't proceed with the RMs. He's now 22 and joining the army beginning of January.

All the Marines I've ever met are mad as hatters, though lovely blokes!

Also hard drinking and hard living, and they get through a lot of women when they are young.
Lots of my ex DH's (ex Bootneck) mates died young from things like motorbike accidents and suicide.
I've heard some eye boggling stories about bringing women home to barrack etc.

Many of them found it difficult difficult to adjust to the mundanity of normal life after being a hard living marine and turned to alcohol.

I'm not sure I'd want it for my son.

My dp's son wanted to join the marines at 18 after A'levels. Pretty much got told they weren't that keen on applicants so young and were looking for those with more life experience. He's now a medic assistant in the RN.

thanks all. Some really helpful comments here especially helpful for me to get my head around it.
@MrsFin I'm sure that is true in some cases. I'd like to think that the mental health care and structure around the services is a lot more intensive than it was 15 - 20 years ago. But these are questions that I will be asking as we go through the process.
@Stath super helpful to hear your family has loved the RM. It's all my DS has wanted to do for years now.

We've a bootneck in the family, he joined at 18 and was absolutely determined, but he ended up in Hunter with an injury so it took him over a year to pass out. He is deliriously happy in his role and will likely do the full 22.
I'd say the sense of commaradery amongst the lads is probably stronger than the officers, let him follow his own path.

Dd is navy, it's the same recruiter at first and the first step is to talk to them about the options and opportunities, raf and army are in the same office too so he could discuss opportunities with them all.

Fitness and endurance are key skills for selection for the marines, but they will guide him

@SoTiredNeedHoliday Yes, he's still a marine. He had an injury so ended up in Hunter for a while and didn't get through the final yomp on his first attempt, but the marines invest so much in the men that he had huge support to get him through to the end. I couldn't be more proud of him

I have a family member in the marines, completed his active duty but now works in the recruitment offices. Training is extremely tough. He has incredibly high standards when it comes to cleaning and ironing! The recruits get seriously bossed around although obviously this was years ago.

He served in Iraq. Loved the job. Now he's working in the offices he's bored stiff!

Oh bloody hell yeah naked bar. My neighbour has been out for about 10 years now and still does it

The training process is brutal.

My husband has, it's extremely challenging, very high drop out rate. If he wants to be a Marine the Army simply won't compare for him so I wouldn't bother trying to persuade him that way!

Just to add, I'd be very proud to have a Marine for a son!

I have a good friend who is now a retired marine. He ended up training as a military lawyer via the marines and is now a barrister (and retired from the military). He and his friends are brilliant people - smart and brave. I understand it's scary as a parent but I'd be encouraging this.

DH’s cousin got through after setting his heart on doing it and began training. I don’t know a huge amount about it other than he dropped out just under the halfway point. He’s very positive about the whole experience though and says he definitely would have regretted it if he hadn’t tried.