The Situation

[Jervis]

Ok my friend nicknamed "Betty" who is one year into serving for the Royal Marines is about to specialise as a Assault Engineer (really nice bloke)

However i've heard things like the equipment is sparse mostly everything you get is 2nd hand (not such a big deal) but then i started hearing that you have to buy your own scopes and boots if you bugger yours up... and after a year into it they have started treating him like crap.

Im in too minds to continue with the Royal Marines and asume it will be fine and dandy or to look at the infantry... Army Air Corps... the Royal Artillery tank regiments... Royal Grenadiers etc.

The thing which made me think woah this is bull is that after 3 years of service you have to pay 9 thousand pounds to leave... or 7 years minimal without having to pay to leave.

Please can someone who knows what there talking about i.e. Ninja Stoker or anybody else who is well informed please tell me this is a bad dream and aload of rubish

An off day perhaps... hopefully!

Any replies appreciated.

 

[CommandoJ]

hmmmmmm,

this will raise a few eye brows, what do you mean treating him like sh*t?

 

[Jervis]

I dont mind being treated like *text deleted**text deleted* and it is one person telling me i wouldn't associate it with the entire corps im more concerned about the 3 years then paying 9 grand to leave.. that cant be true.

 

[Chris]

Where did you get this info that you must pay 9k to leave? I have not heard about being able to buy yourself out of the forces for quite some time, my uncle talked about the option but that was 50 years or so ago it was available and i dont think it still applies.

 

[CommandoJ]

I dont mind being treated like *text deleted**text deleted* and it is one person telling me i wouldn't associate it with the entire corps im more concerned about the 3 years then paying 9 grand to leave.. that cant be true.

well i don't mind taking a 'extra phys' or shouting, but i don't like being treated like sh*t 24-7, i don't think anyone does, how can you? i think you would mind if you were treated like it for your whole life.

paying 9 grand to leave? ninja can you answer this?

 

[v3locity]

I should think that the option to buy your way out as it were still open.
As for being treated in that manner i cannot believe it of the Royal Marines. I may be wrong but i have a few friends in the Corps and they have never mentioned anything of the like and only have words of encouragement for me. It is possible your friend simply does not get along with the people he serves with.

 

[Geryon]

I can see the 9k thing, the gov do spend over 170k training you

 

[HHHNNN]

to buy youself out is true.........my cousin went to iraq a few years ago and lost two of his mates and scrimped and saved for ages to buy himself out but then decided against it *text deleted*

 

[Ash]

from my interpretation of what he said sounded like you have to buy your way out if you want to leave after 3/4 years unless you do minimum of 7 years..

Im almost a one'r percent sure this is false but please clear it up none the less someone because my little head will be thinking about it otherwise..

Cheers

 

[Jervis]

The contract states that you can serve for three and a half years after completing training then you may give a years notice to leave... so i dont see how buying yourself out 6 months early is going to benifit you anyway.

And as for the disrespect... i dont beleive that, as the RM has a massive respect for anybody who has a green beret like some of the stories of a random RM at a bar gets abuse and ten other RM guys who didn't nessesarily know him stood up. (its things like that that make the RM so great and what inspires me)

The thing is this guy "Betty" is a top candidate you know... there isn't a guy more suited to the job than him his done it all. and when people like him talk like this does make me think about infantry...


1. Are the Royal Marines who are in deployment suffering from lack of supply's of food and/or Equipment

2. Are you responsible for buying the majority of your equipment?

3. Whats the story on this buying yourself out and minimal service please clear that up?

Basic 3 questions i'd really like anserws too would appreicate it so much!


Cheers

 

[JDMSAM]

Its a question for NINJA, im sure quite a few people would like this answered

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

There is categorically no such thing as "buying yourself out" of the Royal Marines. Perhaps you need to verify your friend is actually in the Royal Marines as it would be surprising if he didn't know what contact he signed-up on. It's possible he may be serving with a designated unit attached to 3 Commando Brigade, but is not a Royal Marine. If he is a Marine- why not suggest he submits a Bounty card on your behalf- if he does & you get to week 15 of training, he gets £1000 (before tax). If he doesn't give you a bounty card, draw your own conclusion.

The Royal Marines contract is as follows:

You are guaranteed up to 18 years service or until 40 years old, whichever is longer, if you wish to serve that long.

If you sign on & wish to leave, you may do so at any stage during the first six months after you have served 4 weeks. There's no cost, you're free to go.

If you do not leave within the first 6 months, you must complete Recruit Training (8 months minimum), serve 2.5 years return of service & are then free to submit 12 months notice at any stage thereafter.

In short, if you don't leave in the first 6 months, the earliest you can leave is after 4 years, 2 months after joining. Again there is no cost.

If you undergo further expensive specialist training, then you may have a caveat attached (called Return of Service) to ensure you perform the task in the newly trained role, before you may again submit notice to leave. For example: we don't just spend £500,000 training a helicopter pilot & permit them to leave to become a civilian pilot on the day they finish their course.

With regard being charged for kit, if you are found to be negligent with the kit you sign for, which is initially issued free, and you subsequently "lose it" or negligently break it then you indeed incur some or all of the costs of replacement, depending on the degree of negligence & accountability. If the loss is through no fault of the user, then there are no costs- particularly when involved in combat.

Funnily enough the taxpayer gets a bit hacked-off if you consistently break equipment they have to pay for. This maybe the cause of you friends angst- he's messed-up & is being made to pay for his negligence. Likewise, many years ago, I foolishly dropped a volt-meter over the side of a ship in Bermuda & got charged £55 for a replacement. I wasn't happy, but as it was my fault I could hardly expect someone else to pay for my carelessness. It only happened once.

As for second-hand kit, all MoD consumable equipment that I'm aware of, is initially issued new or refurbished by the manufacturer (in the case of rifles & other expensive longer-lifed items).

You have to remember that everyone has their ups and down in any job & there's good & bad in every job, but always verify the supposed advice given by a disaffected and disgruntled individual to ensure the advice is correct. In this particular case it's astoundingly wrong.

 

[Jervis]

Really appriecate you taking the time to write that out mate cheers solved alot of my worries.

 

[Sotiris]

They even issue you new kit if you're in the OTC. Something I disagree with! Handing out something like 2 grands worth of equipment to kids who couldn't tell you the difference between their SA80 A2 and their webbing. Although...it does allow me endless hours of kit stroking :nuts:!

Haha Ninja, how'd you manage to drop it off a ship?

Also, I'm pretty damn sure that in Robin Eggar's Commando: Survival of the Fittest there is a YO recruit that has to pay several grand to leave training. But I'm also sure that he had been sponsored by the Corps through uni, so the reasons are fairly obvious.

Incidentally, one of the lads in my company (Cardiff Coy) is being paid through uni...built like a tank, quiet as a mouse and looks like he could run through walls.

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

Always happy to help clarify any issues, particularly important ones such as this that need laying to rest.

It's surprising some of the myths that evolve and can end-up being considered "fact" by virtue of the fact the story may be repeated & quoted incorrectly.

...a YO recruit that has to pay several grand to leave training. But I'm also sure that he had been sponsored by the Corps through uni, so the reasons are fairly obvious.

Yep, Officer cadetships (not currently available for RM Officers) & Officer bursaries are refundable if you do not complete your side of the contract (ie: the Return of Service on completion of sponsorship). As with all things in life- nothing is free.

As regards dropping the voltmeter: Gawd knows, but my boss was a bit miffed at the time as it cost more to fly out a replacement than the thing actually cost. Fortunately I wasn't sent the airfreight bill.

 

[CommandoJ]

yer cheers ninja, cleared a lot for many of us i think.

 

[Knockton]

My mate made me get one of those bounty cards that ninja mentioned.
So if i do get to week 15 of training (looking less likely by the day thanks to this crappy knee) he better buy me a bevvy or two!

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

Ok my friend nicknamed "Betty" who is one year into serving for the Royal Marines is about to specialise as a Assault Engineer (really nice bloke)...

The thing which made me think woah this is bull is that after 3 years of service you have to pay 9 thousand pounds to leave... or 7 years minimal without having to pay to leave.

Upon further investigation, it's possible your mate Mavis, is a trifle confused, particularly with regard his terms and conditions of service.

The Royal Marines terms & conditions are as stated earlier in this thread.

If referring to the Army, someone joining in the last 10 years then it's a 12 year contract. If joining the Army under the age of 18, then in the first six months, having served 28 days, you would be free to leave. (Same as RM). If you joined the Army aged over 18 then you're free to leave in the first three months, having served 28 days, you would be free to leave. After serving 3 years you could then submit 12 months notice to quit at any stage & at no cost. If joining over 10 years ago, the old Army 3,6 or 9 year contract, from which you could buy yourself out of no longer exists - but in any case it was never anything like £9K.

Also, having checked with the Army 59 Commando Squadron Royal Engineers (soon to be 24 Commando Regiment), they are all trained as Assualt Engineers, after 14 weeks basic Army training, but refer to the specialisation as Combat Engineer. The only other other thing you may be thinking of is an Assault Pioneer in the Royal Logistics Corps, but the terms and conditions will be as above unless someone's been serving for many years.

 

[HHHNNN]

ahhh yeah my cousin joined up years ago he was probably on one of them contracts

 

[Jervis]

Sorry, i ment i've heard about the contract... that wasn't betty's words. He only said about him being treated badly and having to buy his own gear. Which can be explained from you and your voltmeter, thanks for looking into it alittle deeper thou. :shakehands: