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Royal Marines commando

Royal Marines commandos take part in frontline combat, and are sent at short notice to deal with emergency situations.

Also known as: Green beret

What you'll do

As a Royal Marines commando, you could:

Working environment

You could work at a military base, on a ship or in a warzone.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and outdoors in all weathers.

You may need to wear a uniform and protective clothing.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

How to become a royal Marines commando

You can get into this job through:

Apprenticeship

You could apply to join the marines through an HM Forces Serviceperson Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

You'll apply directly to the marines to find the best apprenticeship route for you. This will depend on your qualifications and which service role you're interested in.

Entry requirements

Volunteering

You can join the Royal Marines Reserve to get some experience of what life is like in the service and to learn new skills at the same time. You'll do the same commando training as the regulars, but over a longer period.

If you're between 13 and 18 years old, you can join the Royal Marines Cadets .

Direct application

You can apply directly to join the Royal Navy as a commando. You don't need any specific qualifications, but you will need to meet the navy's eligibility requirements. For example, you must:

If your application is accepted, you'll be invited to talk to someone at your local armed forces careers office about what you want to do. You will then do the Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA) followed by an interview.

If you have the right skills, you'll be asked to attend the 3-day Candidate Preparation Course . This includes further interviews, fitness, medical and aptitude tests. If successful, you'll be offered a place at the commando training centre at Lympstone in Devon.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

Career path and progression

With training and experience you could move up through the ranks and get a commission to become an officer.

Throughout your Royal Marines career, you'll have the opportunity to gain qualifications in your chosen field.

You could apply to join the UK Special Forces as a Regular or a Reservist. Get information on how to join UK Special Forces Reserves .

On leaving active service, you could use your skills, qualifications and experience to go into a new career. You can find details about support and opportunities from:

Career tips

You will need to pass physical fitness assessments, including swimming, to be accepted into the Royal Navy. Get fit to Join has information on how to check your current fitness and how to improve to the level required.

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0