Life as a Royal Marines Cadet
Welcome to the Royal Marines Cadets. RMC follow a training structure that is like that of the regular Corps. As a potential recruit, you will be required to spend your first few weeks in appropriate civilian clothing, whilst you decide whether this is for you.
Following a mutually successful discussion with the Training Team, you will be issued with your basic uniform, and shown how to wear and care for it. You will then enter Phase 1 of your training, which is basic training to get you proficient in the core subjects that are covered in most Recruit to Royal Marines Cadet Syllabi.
A Recruit may be advanced to Royal Marines Cadet by your Unit Officer in Command as soon as all of the following example requirements are met:
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A minimum period has been served as a Recruit
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Satisfactory completion of Recruit to Royal Marines Cadet training
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Passing any qualifying exams for Royal Marines Cadet
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Recommendation by your Detachment Commander
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Pledging the Oath of Allegiance to The King, the Country, and the Service
On successfully meeting the above criteria, you will be passed for duty as a Marine Cadet and be entitled to wear the coveted Globe & Laurel cap badge of the Royal Marines. You will likely then join a Rifle Section and enter into Phase 2 of your training. There are many people who will help you along the way; you will be granted access to the exclusive Members area of this website, which contains a huge amount of resources relevant to the training programmes, and you will soon make a lot of like-minded new friends; people you will come to trust and rely on.
Completion of Phase 2 of your training could result in you winning promotion to Cadet Lance Corporal. You would then progress to the third phase, which is called Continuation Training. Continuation Training could lead to further promotion to Cadet Corporal and then Cadet Sergeant, and include specialist qualifications (SQs) such as a Cadet Physical Training Instructor (PTI) or Drill Leader (DL) for example. You will receive an enormous amount of help and encouragement from your Training Team along the way, and as you rise in seniority, you will be expected to accept an increasing amount of responsibility yourself for the training and operations of your Detachment under the guidance and direction of the Adult Staff Instructors.
If you are following, or wish to follow the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, many RMC adventure training events qualify as DofE modules. Being a member of the Royal Marines Cadets is nationally renowned as one of the most cost-effective ways of achieving DofE awards. In particular, sea training is of the best standards in the world, and bursaries are usually available to help even further with costs. In this respect, the variety and value for money opportunities the Royal Marines Cadets provide make them unique among youth organisations.
As well as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, most Royal Marines Cadet organisations are authorised trainers for awards and qualifications issued by the Royal Yachting Association, BTEC (Marine Engineering), and the British Canoeing Union. Visit the Organisation & Structure section of this website for more information about the wide variety of awards and qualifications on offer. As a Royal Marines Cadet, life is never ordinary.
