Life as a Royal Marines Cadet
Welcome to the Cambridge Detachment of the Royal Marines Cadets. We follow a training structure that is like that of the regular Corps. As a potential recruit, you will be required to spend your first few weeks in appropriate civilian clothing, whilst you decide whether this is for you.
Following a mutually successful discussion with the Training Team, you will be issued with your basic uniform, and shown how to wear and care for it. You will then enter Phase 1 of your training, which is basic training to get you efficient on 8 core subjects which are covered in the Recruit to Royal Marines Cadet Syllabus.
A Recruit may be advanced to Royal Marines Cadet by the Unit Officer in Command as soon as all of the following requirements are met:
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A minimum of 8 weeks have been served as a Recruit
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Satisfactory completion of Recruit to Royal Marines Cadet training
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Passing the qualifying exam for Royal Marines Cadet
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Recommendation by the Detachment Commander
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Pledging the Oath of Allegiance to The King, the Country, and the Service
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On successfully meeting the above criteria, you will be passed for duty as a Marine Cadet and be entitled to wear the coveted Globe & Laurel cap badge of the Royal Marines. You will then join a Rifle Section and enter into Phase 2 of your training. There are many people who will help you along the way; you will be granted access to the exclusive Members area of this website, which contains a huge amount of resources relevant to the training programme, and you will soon make a lot of like-minded new friends; people you will come to trust and rely on.
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Completion of Phase 2 of your training could result in you winning promotion to Cadet Lance Corporal. You would then progress to the third phase, which we call Continuation Training. Continuation Training could lead to further promotion to Cadet Corporal and then Cadet Sergeant, and include specialist qualifications (SQs) such as a Cadet Physical Training Instructor (PTI) or Drill Leader (DL) for example. You will receive an enormous amount of help and encouragement from the Training Team along the way, and as you rise in seniority, you will be expected to accept an increasing amount of responsibility yourself for the training and operations of the Cambridge Detachment under the guidance and direction of the Adult Staff Instructors.
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If you are following, or wish to follow the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, many of our adventure training events qualify as DofE modules. Being a member of the Royal Marines Cadets is nationally renowned as one of the most cost-effective ways of achieving DofE awards. In particular, our sea training is of the best standards in the world, and bursaries are available to help even further with costs. In this respect, the variety and value for money opportunities we provide make us unique among youth organisations.
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As well as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, the Royal Marines Cadets are authorised trainers for awards and qualifications issued by the Royal Yachting Association, BTEC (Marine Engineering), and the British Canoeing Union. Visit the History & Structure section of this website for more information about the wide variety of awards and qualifications we have on offer. As a Royal Marines Cadet, life is never ordinary.
