Commando Training Centre Royal Marines

Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) is the principal military training centre for the Royal Marines of the British Armed Forces. It is situated near the villages of Lympstone and Exton, between the city of Exeter, and the town of Exmouth in Devon. The centre delivers new entry training to recruits and officers, as well as specialist trade training and command course for non-commissioned officers (NCO), and officers of the Royal Marines, Royal Marines Reserve, and Special Forces snipers. The Royal Marines is the only element of the armed forces to train officers and other ranks at the same location.

Organisation
CTCRM is under the full command of Commander in Chief Fleet, and responsible for providing Commando trained officers and other ranks for the front line. CTC is overseen by the Commandant CTCRM, a Brigadier, Royal Marines, on behalf of the Commandant General Royal Marines, who is supported by a Deputy Commandant, the Commanding Officer.

The centre is structured with three training wings supported by a Training Support Department which provides the training infrastructure. Each wing is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel, reporting to the Director of Training for the standard of training output.

Courses
Candidates for the RM are required to attend the Potential Royal Marine Course (PRMC), held at CTCRM, in addition to academic, medical and interview assessments for candidates to the British armed forces. PRMC lasts 3 days and assesses physical ability and intellectual capacity to undertake the recruit training. Officer candidates must undertake a similar selection called a POC (Potential Officers Course), which is more physically demanding and also has tests of leadership and command plus the Admiralty Interview Board.

New entry training for RM Other Ranks is conducted over thirty-two weeks, the longest infantry training course in NATO, and is undertaken at CTC, Woodbury Common and Dartmoor. The course culminates in the commando tests, undertaken over three days, leading to the award of the green beret, the distinguishing mark of a Commando.

New entry officer training is undertaken over fifteen months, with Young Officers completing a similar package of military training leading to the commando tests coupled with an element of command and management training leading to commissioning. The performance targets for the commando tests are more demanding than those for other ranks.

On completion of training new trained ranks and officers will normally be posted to a rifle company in one of the three Commando formations of the RM, later electing to specialise in one of the trades available. A number of trade specialisation courses are conducted at CTCRM, with others being undertaken elsewhere.

Command courses are undertaken by candidates for promotion, encompassing the military and leadership skills required at the higher rank as well as the management skills required for supervisory roles.

CTCRM delivers the All Arms Commando Course, providing commando training for non-RM: Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel posted to commandos or elements of 3 Commando Brigade.

Lympstone Commando
CTCRM is served by Lympstone Commando railway station on the "Avocet Line", only open to those having business at the base.