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Royal Marines Reserve
careers / Services / royal marines

Royal Marines Reserve

Take your place within a team of part-time amphibious soldiers. You’ll be just as world-class as your regular colleagues, wearing the same green beret, and undertaking the same operations. The only difference? You’ll do it all alongside your civilian career.

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Royal Marines from Charlie Company conducting urban training at the Marine Air Ground Combat Training Centre at 29 Palms, California.

Train to the highest standards

This is no regular part-time job. You‘ll need to be exceptionally fit, undertaking the same assessments as full-time commandos.
OP Golden orb dress rehearsal at HMS Sultan. Members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the Royal Marines Band conducting a dress rehearsal at HMS Sultan ahead of OP Golden Orb where they will be the street bearers of King Charles III’s coronation in London.

Be part of a world-class team

Royal Marines Reserve is a key part of our overall ‘trained strength’: a 600-strong team dedicated to protecting the UK‘s interests and maintaining global peace.
A Merlin helicopter from 845 Commando Helicopter Force in flight over The British Virgin Islands. The Atlantic Patrol Tasking has arrived in The British Virgin Islands to reassure them that they will be looked after in this year’s hurricane season.

Deploy straight away

As soon as you’re trained, you’re deployable. That means working alongside your regular counterparts, wherever you’re needed most. From conflict zones to the scene of a natural disaster, you’ll need to seamlessly transition from civilian to world-class soldier.
Royal Marines in a line wearing equipment and holding weapons. Photograph of day one of the new advert shoot in Cyprus.

Become your best

You’ll start as a Commando Duties Rifleman within your RMR unit before having the opportunity to choose a specialism. Throughout your career as a reserve, you‘ll be trained, supported and pushed to become the best you can be.

You’re tough. Unless you’re joining as an ex-regular Royal Marine, getting through training will be the biggest challenge you’ve ever tackled. And once you’ve done it? That’s when you get your own green beret. You’ll need the flexibility to be deployable to wherever you’re needed, all over the world.

The Royal Marines Reserve is much more arduous than the Royal Navy Reserve, with a greater commitment required to prepare you for the rigours of the Commando Course – the same assessment undertaken by everyone who wears the green beret

Both Men and Women can become part of the world-class amphibious element of our Maritime Reserves, you just need to meet our basic eligibility criteria:

  • You must be aged 16 to 32 when you start training
  • The upper age limit may be waived for applicants with previous Royal Marines experience as a trained rank depending on specialisation, currency and rank
  • Qualification requirements vary depending on the role
  • A National of the United Kingdom, A Commonwealth Citizen or Dual National. Dual Nationality restrictions do apply
  • Minimum height of 145cm
  • A maximum BMI of 28 (there may be some exceptions to this maximum if your waist measures less than 94cm)
  • A minimum weight of 65kg or a minimum BMI of 23
  • Must pass Royal Marines Reserve Selection Weekend
  • Pass the Naval Swimming Test

If you’re rejoining the Royal Marines or have previously served in the armed forces, you’ll need to apply through our Firefly scheme.

45 Commando continue training in northern Norway with 47 Commando. Royal Marines from 45 Commando have deployed to Norway for Winter Deployment.

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Roles in the Royal Marines Reserves

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