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Noodley

Guest
I regularly see the local Royal Marines out for a run whilst out cycling, and sometimes they wear what I would reckon to be 'combat gear' (not sure if this is the right term)....

How heavy is it and what does it include? I have identified the obvious stuff like heavy-looking backpack and rifle and maybe a waist belt with 'stuff' attached...also, what is in the packs?

It looks like hard bloody work. I could just ask next time I am on the camp (I have meetings a few times a year with their welfare warrant officers) but I fear they might just force me to try it out! And that is not a good idea :thumbsup:
 

MancRider78

Active Member
Location
Manchester
depends on order of kit....some squaddies I know think nothing of a brisk yomp with a fair bit of weight on them

"Most of these tests are completed with the ever present "fighting order" of 32lbs of equipment."

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/royal-marines/training.html
 
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Noodley

Noodley

Guest
The only bit of that I'd have a chance of passing is ECDL....not sure I'd cope if I was also wearing a backpack :thumbsup:
 

graham56

Guru
I would think it would be fighting order , it is about 21lb plus the weight of your rifle.( SLR 10Lbs) That'll be the boys out of Condor, right Noodley?
 

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
graham56 said:
I would think it would be fighting order , it is about 21lb plus the weight of your rifle.( SLR 10Lbs) That'll be the boys out of Condor, right Noodley?

SLR - somewhat showing your age. I do not think any serving soldier will have used the SLR
 

ACS

Legendary Member
MancRider78 said:
depends on order of kit....some squaddies I know think nothing of a brisk yomp with a fair bit of weight on them

"Most of these tests are completed with the ever present "fighting order" of 32lbs of equipment."

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/royal-marines/training.html

Point of order:
Squaddies - tab,
Royals - yomp,
RAF - trog,
RN - float.

Two types of order, fighting order, full kit, webbing, Bergen, rifle, helmet, respirator.

Light fighting order (LFO) no Bergen.

Training in FFO, normally done a marching pace over cross country (8 miles plus). LFO is done at double time. We never ran in FFO, due to the weight and the pressure on the knees and torso. The thinking was if you had to run in FFO then the possible damage to your body was the very least of your worries!

I do not know the current fitness test requirements, but being a lightweight (RAF) we had to do a Combat Fitness Test; 1.5 mile in LFO as a group in 15 minutes turn round and do a return leg as an individual 1.5 mile against the clock. Older you where the more time you got. 11 minutes was considered acceptable.

We did this at least once a month with a full fitness test once a year, 8 – 10 miles FFO, followed by CFT then shooting qualification with respirator on. We used to a full FT once every 8-10 weeks as a practice.

Royals have a higher fitness requirement so their CFT and FT are more exacting.
 

montage

God Almighty
Location
Bethlehem
Where abouts do you live Noodles? Near Arbroath I guess?

Sounds like you are describing Full Fighting Order/Complete equipment marching order...this will weigh just over 30lbs

I'm not a military person as such but spent 5 years in the cadets and done around 2 weeks "experiencing" the marines specifically including a mock officer selection weekend...."hard bloody hard work" doesn't do it justice! I'm certainly glad I have made the choice to get 3 more years of training under my belt at uni rather than go in at 18/19!

At the end of a royal marine's training they have to complete the commando tests..have a ganders at this - I also believe that the Royal Marines is one of the only corps in the world that has demands the officers have a higher standard of fitness than the bootnecks.

Satans B...you are an ex rock ape I assume? How long is the training for that? - just had a mate enter as an officer (he went into training the day before yesterday infact)
 

ACS

Legendary Member
montage said:
Where abouts do you live Noodles? Near Arbroath I guess?

Sounds like you are describing Full Fighting Order/Complete equipment marching order...this will weigh just over 30lbs

I'm not a military person as such but spent 5 years in the cadets and done around 2 weeks "experiencing" the marines specifically including a mock officer selection weekend...."hard bloody hard work" doesn't do it justice! I'm certainly glad I have made the choice to get 3 more years of training under my belt at uni rather than go in at 18/19!

At the end of a royal marine's training they have to complete the commando tests..have a ganders at this - I also believe that the Royal Marines is one of the only corps in the world that has demands the officers have a higher standard of fitness than the bootnecks.

Satans B...you are an ex rock ape I assume? How long is the training for that? - just had a mate enter as an officer (he went into training the day before yesterday infact)

Montage

Great deduction and very close, but no gold star. I was in the RAF but in an forward support role, while we got close, sometimes too close, we where not classed as infantry. However we had to have the same levels of fitness, survival training etc as the troops that we where working alongside. If we did have to bail out they had to have the confidence that we could hold our own, contribute and most of all not put them in danger because we could not keep up with them. It all sounds very glamorous and clandestine but nothing could be further from the truth, 90% hurry up and wait with 10% unadulterated arse clenching, eye watering terror thrown in just to keep the job interesting.
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
In my job (electronics related) I had a "typical" list of kit carried by troops. The idea was that we could somehow make a significant dent in the weight required. Unfortunately the electronics (3 pieces) weighed not much and even reducing those to zero wouldn't alter much at all whilst the weightiest bits by far were the rifle and ammo. I handed the list back saying - carbon fibre rifle...........
 
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Noodley

Noodley

Guest
Fair play to you Maggot....I had thought about the longer term effects of running with such kit, as many of them do seem to be contorted whilst running and it can't do much good ;)
 

Zoiders

New Member
All infantry arms be it RM, Army or RAF rgt do the CFT with the 32 lbs these days, there is no light fighting order anymore but there is the "other arms" fighting order for some support corps which is about 25lbs or so but it's been a long time for me so it may have changed - that does not include your rifle (about 12 lbs or so which is in fact more than the SLR it replaced) water (about another 2) or helmet which is also a fair old lump these days.

Like User76 says, it gets really shitty when practicing for a proper advance to contact which entails being festooned with about as many bandoliers and bags of ammo/gubbins that you can carry and still be able to move/shuffle beyond walking pace. If you are really new you get dicked with an AT weapon as well which is about another 30lbs.
 
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