Commando Course (Royal Marines)

Commando Course (Royal Marines)
Unit name	Commando Course (Royal Marines)
Caption	Assault course training at Lympstone Royal Marines Commando Training Centre
Dates	Established 1942–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Marines
Type	Selection and training
Role	Commando qualification
Garrison	Royal Marines Base Chivenor, RM Condor

Commando Course (Royal Marines) is the principal selection and training programme that awards the green beret to recruits who complete rigorous infantry, amphibious and mountain warfare preparation at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines and associated ranges. It consolidates traditions originating from World War II British Commandos and integrates doctrine used in operations such as Falklands War, Operation Telic, Operation Herrick and Operation Granby. The course is a gateway for service within formations like 40 Commando, 42 Commando, 45 Commando and units deploying with Royal Navy task groups or joint formations with Special Boat Service and United States Marine Corps elements.

History

The Commando Course evolved from the ad hoc formation of British Commandos in 1940 and formalisation at centres such as Achnacarry during Second World War. Post-war reconstruction linked training to Royal Marines Reserve and the creation of permanent facilities at Lympstone and Arbroath Barracks. Cold War exigencies, including interoperability with NATO forces and doctrine from exercises like Exercise Joint Warrior, shaped curriculum changes. Campaigns including the Suez Crisis, Operation Banner and expeditionary operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina prompted periodic reviews that incorporated lessons from incidents such as the SSM Garryowen grounding and equipment updates following procurement programmes like the Future Commando Force initiative.

Course Structure and Phases

The course is staged across phases at Lympstone, Dartmoor, Salisbury Plain and unit ranges attached to Royal Navy amphibious platforms. Initial recruitment screening uses criteria from Ministry of Defence policy and the Armed Forces Recruitment pipeline. Candidates proceed through foundation infantry skills, survival, and navigation modules before undertaking the infamous 24-hour Endurance Test and the culminating King's/Queen's Badge-style endurance marches reminiscent of historic Achnacarry trials. Specialist conversion phases prepare personnel for postings to Commando Logistics Regiment, 5 Assault Squadron Royal Marines, or attachments to Fleet Air Arm and NATO battlegroups.

Training Components and Assessments

Curriculum components include live-fire marksmanship assessed against standards used by Small Arms School Corps, amphibious assault training synchronized with HMS Ocean-style ship-to-shore operations, and mountain warfare using techniques from the Mountain Leader cadre. Assessments employ tactical scenarios drawn from operations such as Operation Palliser and Operation Deliberate Force, casualty evacuation drills reflecting lessons from Battle of Goose Green, and leadership appraisal comparable to those used in Officer Selection Board processes. Continuous instructor-led evaluation culminates in final timed marches, obstacle courses, and a bayonet assault-style assault course derived from interwar commando doctrine.

Physical and Mental Standards

Standards are benchmarked against physiological norms studied by military medicine units at Defence Medical Services and psychological screening protocols developed with Service Personnel and Veterans Agency guidance. Physical requirements encompass timed runs, casualty drags, swimming under load consistent with Royal Navy interoperability, and pack marches up to distances seen in historical operations like the long-range raids of Far East Command. Mental resilience testing reflects cognitive-load studies used in Defence Science and Technology Laboratory research and is designed to identify candidates suited for high-tempo deployments with units such as 3 Commando Brigade.

Instructors and Training Facilities

Instructors are drawn from experienced cadre within Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, former operators from Special Boat Service, and exchange staff from allied forces including Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and United States Marine Corps. Facilities include live-fire ranges at Lympstone Range, climbing walls modelled on Dartmoor tors, cold-weather training areas comparable to Norway winter camps, and simulated urban environments inspired by lessons from Operation Telic. Medical support is provided by Royal Navy Medical Service teams and physiotherapy protocols aligned with Defence Rehabilitation Centre standards.

Notable Graduates and Incidents

Graduates have included figures who later served in public life or other services and are associated with events recorded in histories of Falklands War veterans and veterans of Iraq War and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021). High-profile incidents during selection have prompted safety reviews after training accidents investigated under Service Justice System procedures; such inquiries have led to procedural changes referencing precedent from courts-martial and inquests tied to training fatalities. Alumni network engagement is reflected in associations similar to the Royal Marines Association and commemorations at memorials like the Commando Memorial.

Impact on Royal Marines Operations

The course underpins the operational readiness of formations tasked with amphibious, expeditionary and specialist roles within 3 Commando Brigade, contributing skills applied in deployments to theatres such as Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa. Its emphasis on interoperability has facilitated combined exercises with NATO Response Force, contributed personnel to Joint Expeditionary Force rotations, and informed capability development programmes including Future Commando Force transformation projects.

Category:Royal Marines Category:Military training