CLYDE-BASED Royal Marines travelled to Wales earlier this month to take part in Exercise Ocean Fire.
Seventeen marines, who are part of 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group, swapped their usual Faslane base for Castlemartin to perfect their small-craft gunnery and boat-handling skills.
The group, accompanied by one engineer and one medic, had the opportunity to refine their specialist shooting skills, not only from land but from Offshore Raiding Craft boats.
They also had the additional challenge of dealing with the weather conditions thrown at them by hurricane Irma.
Marine Paull, said: “Drills and practice like this enables us to be ready for our operational role. Learning about how to counter the sea swell has been particularly useful”.
The three week long exercise helped them to maintain effectiveness in their core role of protecting the UK’s fleet of Vanguard Class Submarines.
To become a Royal Marine you need to undergo one of the longest and most physically gruelling infantry training regimes in the world. Training takes 32 weeks for Marines, with Royal Marine officers undertaking 60 weeks.
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