News

June 27th 2025

Known throughout the world for their rigorous training and elite fighting capabilities, the Royal Marines have trained Reservists at Foresters House, next to Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell, since 2014, having had a Nottinghamshire presence since 2007, and are on the hunt for fresh recruits as part of their latest recruitment cycle.

Royal Marine Reserves (RMR) undertake the same gruelling assessments as their full-time counterparts, wearing the same famous green beret. The only difference is they do it all alongside their civilian career.

Recruiters say they are “not looking for Superman”, but they do want to see candidates who refuse to give up, even in the face of extreme adversity.

Major Andrew Creasey, Officer Commanding of the Nottingham Detachment, a satellite unit of RMR Merseyside, said: “The training to become a Royal Marine is tough, deliberately so, but it’s not designed to prevent people from passing. It’s a test of your application and determination to succeed rather than a physical test that’s designed to be unachievable.

“The idea is that you come in with lots of potential, we harness that potential. If you have the willingness to listen and apply yourself at all times, even when you feel like you have reached your limit, we will develop you to reach the required standard.”

Training

 A ‘Regular’ Royal Marine undergoes 32 weeks of training to become a fully-fledged Commando.

A Royal Marine Reserve must tackle those same challenges, but as they balance training with civilian employment, their training can take a couple of years.

This takes the shape of one training night a fortnight at the Detachment’s base off Swiney Way, covering physical training and classroom-based lessons, plus a monthly training weekend away to put it all into practise.

At the end of Phase 1 there is a week-long exercise to test their training so far. At the end of Phase 2, which places even further demands on the recruits, they are met with the infamous Commando Test to earn the coveted green beret.

This test includes a six-mile endurance course, a timed nine-mile speed march as a Troop, the ‘Tarzan’ assault course with its high-wire obstacles, and a 30-miler speed march across Dartmoor, Devon, all in the space of a week.

Sergeant Matthew Harness, a firefighter with Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service who passed his Commando Test back in 2000, said: “I was immensely proud and happy with myself for passing – and I remember being hugely relieved it was over.

“The training is hard, there are no two ways about it, and it’s a hell of a commitment. But it certainly gives its rewards with the doors it opens for travel and doing things you don’t normally get the chance to do.”

Nottingham-born Major Creasey, 42, who previously served full-time in the Royal Marines, added: “I take my hat off to the Royal Marine Reserves, they definitely don’t get an easy ride.

“They have to go through the same mental and physical challenges the Regular Royal Marines go through, but on top of that they’re balancing jobs and family life. Do not underestimate the commitment and demand placed on Reserves training. It’s a very long and arduous process.”

Norway

As soon as they’re trained, the Royal Marine Reserves – a 600-strong national team dedicated to protecting the UK‘s interests and maintaining global peace – are deployable.

Sergeant Harness has been deployed on a number of occasions as a Reservist. In recent years he’s become a key player in the annual cold weather warfare training for Exercise Hairspring in Norway.

The 45-year-old said: “Every year there is a training package which covers basic survival and skiing skills.

“We also do ice breaker drills – you may have seen them on the TV. It’s where they cut a hole in the ice and you have to plunge in, to train people should the worst happen to them and get them used to that cold shock.

“I’ve certainly done it more than my fair share of times. It’s not too bad, it’s over in a flash. Standing there waiting to go is worse than doing it.

“You get very cold when you first come out, so you have to roll in the snow to get the water off – that’s the cold bit. But it’s all good fun.”

Superman

Becoming a Royal Marine is not for everyone. But for those who can overcome the physical and mental challenges, there are opportunities to enjoy travel and adventurous training as well as bonuses on top of the standard pay.

Sergeant Harness added: “We’re not looking for Superman. We’re looking for someone who wants to give it a go. Someone quite motivated who understands there is a hell of a commitment.

“There’s a misconception that we’re looking for Olympic athletes at the start of the process. That’s not true. The whole point of the long training is that, with a decent grounding, you gradually build.”

If you’re aged 16-32 and want to find out more, search ‘Royal Marine Reserves’ for information on eligibility requirements, commitments, training and the benefits of service.