Brigade Patrol Troop

The Brigade Patrol Troop is a troop of Royal Marines, United Kingdom, under command of the Support Squadron 3 Commando Brigade. The Troop consists of six teams of four men each. They are employed in a reconnaissance role, ahead of the main force collecting information on the enemy and reporting directly back to the Brigade Headquarters. They are often deployed in advance of the brigade.

History
The Troop was formed in the early 1990s using personnel from the Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre, and attached to HQ 3 Commando Brigade as a Brigade asset. Subsequently they have been employed on all Brigade deployments including Operation TELIC, the British involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and in Afghanistan on Operation Jacana and Operation Herrick.

Selection and training
Members of the troop are drawn from the Reconnaissance Operator trade of the Royal Marines, already Commando-qualified, and continue their training to later qualify as Mountain Leaders. The Troop only accepts candidates from the Royal Marines.

Personnel are trained in first aid to a high level of competence; cold weather warfare training; voice and data communications; and reconnaissance patrolling and intelligence collection. Personnel qualify as "Sharpshooters" (snipers), using the L115A1 sniper rifle and carry out basic parachute training at RAF Brize Norton.