Royal Marines commando
Royal Marines commandos take part in frontline combat, and are sent at short notice to deal with emergency situations.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
As a Royal Marines commando, you could:
- carry out special combat missions
- intercept drug smugglers at sea or deliver humanitarian aid
- collect, co-ordinate and interpret intelligence reports
- fly aircraft and helicopters
- lead training exercises, such as beach assaults and mountain survival
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.
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:
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- physical fitness and endurance
- persistence and determination
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- concentration skills and quick reactions
- active listening skills and the ability to work in a team
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- thinking and reasoning skills for making quick decisions
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
- be a UK, Republic of Ireland or Commonwealth citizen
- have a good level of fitness
- pass a medical check
- pass security checks
- pass enhanced background checks
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
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
- entry requirements vary
More Information
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.
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:
- be aged between 16 and 32
- be at least 145cm tall
- pass fitness tests
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.
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.
Further information
You'll find more details about how to become a commando from Royal Navy Careers.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.