Young Officer Ages

[Alpamayo]

Hi,

I'd be grateful if anyone in the know could answer my query about joining the Royal Marines as an officer.

I am a final year undergraduate, but relatively old for my year (24 in December). I've got a place to do a Masters for the next couple of years during which I would hope to join the RMR and then apply to become an officer on completion of my academic studies.

If I were accepted to begin officer training in a couple of years, I would be 25 at the September cut off date and thus fulfil the age entry requirements (just).

Is it common for YO's to be this old? Would I be at a disadvantage if I were to apply at 25? The other option is to scrap the Masters and apply now, but in my current physical state it is doubtful that I would pass the POC before September.

Thanks - any advice is well received.

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

Welcome to the site Alpamayo.

First off, you are unfortunately too late for entry as an RM Officer in September 2008. The closing date for applicants was 31 December 2007 and whilst a few managed to apply slightly later, that option is no longer available.

If you wish to join the regular Royal Marines as an Officer, regardless of RMR service, you need to commence RM Officer training at CTC Lympstone at least one day before your 26th birthday. So you need to start the process about 12 months before you wish to enter.

The alternative is to try for a Corps Commission having joined as an Other Rank. Again if you are over 26, you will have to apply for a senior Corps Commission which would usually mean you undertake the slightly shorter Officer training package, but would deploy in the support role rather than as a frontline role.

You can join the RMR as an Other Rank whilst at Uni (despite what it says on the RM Official website: you CAN join whilst in full time education) & apply for a Corps Commission after completing Phase 1 training & passing the CO’s board to be forwarded for POC & AIB.

Questions are: Do you need to spend two years on a Masters anyway, is there a vocational application for it if you do when you leave, will the qualification be regarded as current and will it earn you more than if you didn't have it?

There’s a few strikingly similar threads here , here , here, and here again which should help give an overall balanced view. (Or they will do when someone stops buggering about with the server!)

Good look

 

[Alpamayo]

Thanks, Ninja. I hadn't realised that it's necessary to get the ball rolling a year in advance.

The Masters is something that I wish to do and, considering that I have missed the '08 intake, I lose nothing by continuing my studies for a year. It is vocational (it's in Arabic which certainly has a practical application), although I can't see it being anything more that a useful extra in the Royal Marines.

My gut instinct is to apply to enter in Sept '10 (4 months before my 26th birthday) and then just accept that I will be the oldest in the intake if I pass.

Again, thanks for the help - very useful to get what seems like someone's firsthand experience.

 

[Cpt_Black]

Although, if you fail to make the '10 intake (failing AIB, POC or an injury) you wont get another shot a direct entry...

 

[Littlegreen]

More than a handful of my batchmates were 25 on joining, and if anything, being a little older worked to their advantage in the main. In the long run, joining older can have it's own career penalties though.

 

[RoyalMarineNZ]

Scrub the Masters and get in...good advice about being behind the career plan. You can always do the Masters another time you cannot always do the Royal Marines. If your language skills are that good they may pay you to do the Masters...... who knows...

Failure to get in at a later date will haunt you forever....the world is full of .." I nearly joined the Royal Marines".....

Steve
RMNZ

 

[Arto]

Is an age waiver for joining as a YO possible?

Such as if the candidate would be 26 or 27 on starting the YO course and had a lot to bring to the table in terms of previous operational experience (as a pongo), military courses, education and is quite handy in a couple of currently relevant foreign languages.

 

[mikey1912]

Alpamayo, afew years ago I was in a similar situation to you.

I opted out of doing a masters in oriental languages and decided to join the corps as a YO after my degree.

I haven't looked back, and my linguist skills certainly helped.

I didn't feel it necessary to do a masters, simply because I was desperate to join the Corps. Everyone is different though.

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

Is an age waiver for joining as a YO possible?

Such as if the candidate would be 26 or 27 on starting the YO course and had a lot to bring to the table in terms of previous operational experience (as a pongo), military courses, education and is quite handy in a couple of currently relevant foreign languages.

Sadly, No.

You could either join the Regular RM as an Other Rank then apply for Senior Corps Commission, but if over 26, you would be unlikely to be appointed in a frontline role. OR join the RMR as an Other Rank, complete phase 1 training then apply to become an Officer in the RMR.

 

[Arto]

Sadly, No.

You could either join the Regular RM as an Other Rank then apply for Senior Corps Commission, but if over 26, you would be unlikely to be appointed in a frontline role. OR join the RMR as an Other Rank, complete phase 1 training then apply to become an Officer in the RMR.

Cheers for that Ninja_Stoker. Not the answer I was hoping for unfortunately so onto Plan B...

I've recently been put forward as a potential officer in my current Regt. Do you know how the process works for an Army Officer transferring to the Corps?

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

Cheers for that Ninja_Stoker. Not the answer I was hoping for unfortunately so onto Plan B...

I've recently been put forward as a potential officer in my current Regt. Do you know how the process works for an Army Officer transferring to the Corps?

Generally the Army tend to be a little cagey allowing an "in-service" transfer directly into the RN or RM and will often insist you must leave before applying for the RM. Obviously the best way to transfer is whilst still serving as there is less risk if you fail selection. In the event you cannot transfer whilst serving, you may be allowed to transfer to the RMR as a trainee Officer if you have recent Army service with a Commission, but you would still initially join as an Other Rank and at least complete phase 1 of RMR training first. For Regular RM, you would still have to join as an Other Rank as you would unfortunately be considered overage to join directly as an Officer in the Corps.

If the Army allow you to transfer whilst still serving, even if you are an Army Officer, you would at least undergo POC before being considered for transfer as a Senior Corps Commission candidate, to the best of my knowledge. It's worth giving the Personnel selecion officers a ring in Lympstone on that one as it's not at all straightforward. (Natch).

The issue with the Senior Corps Commission is that so far as I'm aware, you would be employed in the support role rather than as a Troop Commander. Again you'd need to verify this with the Area Careers Liaison Officer at your nearest AFCO and you'd be advised to face East when putting forward your case to the Army in the hope they permit an "in-service" transfer. If you're successful, it's probably worth giving the Pope a bell to say "ta" & lay first claim to a miracle.

The best thing to do is call the 08456 07 55 55 advice line as it's definitely a specialist area in which the decisions are dictated by the casting of chicken bones from the Ju-ju bag of a little known GP in Haiti.

Good luck.

 

[Arto]

Much appreciated Ninja. I'll pay the local AFCO a visit this week. To be honest, the transfer to Corps as a grav then SCC route doesn't sound too bad. Cheers.