Royal Marines Cadets

Royal Marines Cadets are part of the Sea Cadets, a United Kingdom uniformed youth organization. They take part in all the waterborne activities, as well as branching off into adventure training and military skills too. Royal Marines Cadets specialise in activities such as orienteering, fieldraft, and weapon handling.

History
The Royal Marines Cadets were formed in 1955 as the Marine Cadet Section, after the Commandant General Royal Marines expressed a wish to form a Marine Cadet Section which would be incorporated into the Sea Cadet Corps

In 2010 the Marine Cadet Section were renamed Royal Marines Cadets, following agreement by the Queen to allow the use of “Royal” in their title. An official rebadging ceremony took place at CTCRM Lympstone on 25 September 2011.

The Royal Marines Cadets were inspected on parade for the first time in 2014 by the Duke of Edinburgh, in his capacity as Captain General Royal Marines to mark the 350th anniversary of the Royal Marines.

Organisation
Royal Marines Cadets are a sub branch of the Sea Cadet Corps which created in 1955 on command of the Captain General Royal Marines and the Commandant General Royal Marines to be a detachment of the sea cadet corps, similar to the structure of the Royal Marines as part of the Royal Navy. The first Marine Cadet detachment was opened in Bristol Adventure unit. Marine Cadets was formed for "...sturdy, adventurous boys..." Sea Cadet units may open a Royal Marines Cadets Detachment, who will use the same facilities, parade alongside Sea Cadets and fall under the command of the units CO. Royal Marines Cadet detachments wear the uniform of the Royal Marines with the exception of Commando qualification badges, and follow a much more land-based training programme, with emphasis on subjects such as Weapons Handling, Mapwork and Fieldcraft. The main differences between the Army Cadet Force and Royal Marines Cadets are:
 * Uniform: The ACF are primarily only issued with MTP Uniform, whereas the RMC are issued with a number 1 uniform along with other uniforms.
 * RMC cadets are also able to take part in normal SCC training, including all boating activities, providing in effect a much larger range of activities.

Cadets or adult staff wear the Royal Marines blue beret, with red tombstone patch behind the cap badge. RMC Staff who have completed either Royal Marines Commando training, or the All Arms Commando Course at CTCRM Lympstone, are entitled to wear the Commando Green Beret, subject to written permission from the SRMO. Few detachments are Male only due to staffing limitations, however the majority also take female Royal Marines Cadets. SCC detachments of Royal Marines Cadets (RMSCC) are not to be confused with the three Divisions of Royal Marines Cadets that are part of the Volunteer Cadet Corps and pre-date the RMSCC. The RMVCC is however part of the wider Royal Marines Cadet family alongside their SCC and CCF counterparts. As of the 6 July 2014, following a tri-partite RMC parade at Buckingham Palace in the presence of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Captain General Royal Marines) and in celebration of the 350th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Marines, all RM cadets from the CCF, SCC, RMVCC can be titled as Her Majesty's Royal Marines Cadets. Prior to this the SCC used the title 'Marine cadets'.

National level
The operational head of the RMC is the Staff Royal Marines Officer (SRMO), who is a serving Royal Marines colour sergeant on secondment to the SCC. He is responsible for overseeing the running of the RMC and reporting to the CSC. He is one of the main assessors at each Company's CATSEA (Company Annual Training & Safety Efficiency Appraisal). The current SRMO is Colour Sgt Paul Allen RM.

The SRMO is assisted by Royal Marines senior staff officer and the regimental sergeant major (RSM), who is the most senior warrant officer within the RMC.

Company level
Companies cover the same area as the Sea Cadet "Area", and each is identified by a phonetic letter.
 * SCCHQ - Command Company
 * Northern - Yankee Company
 * North West - Bravo Company
 * Eastern - X-Ray Company
 * South West - Alpha Company
 * Southern - Zulu Company
 * London - Lima Company

Each company has a company commander, usually a major (SCC) RMR, who was formerly considered an ASO for Marine Cadets. In addition, Coys may include:
 * Company 2i/c - second in command - organisation of the coy and officer development
 * Company sergeant major (CSM)
 * Company drill leader
 * Company medic
 * Company quartermaster (CQMS) - organises company stores.

Troop level
Since not every unit has a Royal Marines Cadet Detachment, using Sea Cadet Districts would result in Troops with one detachment or none. As such, Troop borders, are independent and cross District boundaries. There are several Troops in a Company, and are numbered 1 Troop, 2 Troop etc. Each troop has a Troop Commander and Troop Sergeant. The Troop Commander and Troop Sergeant organise Troop level training and are primarily responsible for the standard of the Detachments in their designated area.

Detachment level
Part of a Sea Cadet Unit. Commanded by a Detachment Commander (formerly OCMCD - Officer Commanding Marines Cadets Detachment).

Gibraltar Cup Competition
The Gibraltar Cup was presented by the Commandant General Royal Marines and named from the Battle Honour of that Corps. It is awarded annually to the Royal Marines Cadet Detachment (RMCD) which is considered to have attained the highest standard of all round merit in the previous year.

The aim of the Gibraltar Cup Competition is for the best detachment in each Company to compete for the top award for the Royal Marines Cadets of the Sea Cadet Corps. It is held in March (annually) at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM), Lympstone, Devon.

The Gibraltar Cup Competition comprises a series of challenges, tests and assessments to enable the SRMO to establish which detachment will be the worthy winners of the Gibraltar Cup. While each detachment already nominated is a worthy winner from within its own Company, only a fit, dedicated, well trained and cohesive detachment will take the trophy.


 * Current Holder: Guildford RMCD - Zulu Company (Southern area)
 * Competition Date: Friday 4th - Sunday 6 March 2016

CATSEA
Company Annual Training & Safety Efficiency Appraisal (CATSEA) is established to:
 * Assess the efficiency for all Detachments on a National basis, using a common standard.
 * Enable the SRMO, to have a direct input to training needs based on assessment.
 * Raise standards and provide all RMCD with clear targets to aim for.

The CATSEA is conducted annually by the SRMO and the Headquarters Company Team. This CATSEA is a compulsory event for all Royal Marines Cadet Detachments. CATSEA is completed at Company (Area) level, all Detachments are assessed in the same task and the same stances are completed during the CATSEA weekend. Serving members and commissioned officers in the Royal Marine Commandos and Royal Marine Reserves as well as commissioned officers in the SCC complete the CATSEA assessment in regards to the Sea Cadet HQ guidelines.

Cadets
All Royal Marines Cadets are required to complete boards for each promotion. The higher the board the higher the level the board is run at so MC and MC2 boards are run at detachment level, MC1 boards at troop or company, Corporal boards at company and Sergeant board at a national level. All promotions boards have multiple sections all of which must be passed individually.


 * * High-achieving Marine Cadet 1st Class can be promoted to the rank of Cadet Lance Corporal by their detachment commander. This is an honorary rank and is not needed for progression up to Cadet Corporal. However, unlike Marine Cadet 1st class, Cadet Lance Corporal is considered a junior non-commissioned officer rank, and as such is given more leadership responsibility (equivalent of midway between Able Cadet and Leading Cadet).

Adult senior rates / warrant officers

 * If you were previously a Petty Officer Cadet or Cadet Sergeant, you can become a Probationary Petty Officer or Sergeant, skipping the Civilian Instructor rank.
 * As of 2009, If you join as a Civilian Instructor and want to be a uniformed member of staff, you would become an Acting Petty Officer or Sergeant, following a 6 month probationary period.

Other Marine Cadets

 * Royal Marines Section Combined Cadet Force
 * Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps

Other elements of the Community Cadet Forces

 * Army Cadet Force
 * Air Training Corps
 * Sea Cadets

Other MoD sponsored cadet forces

 * Combined Cadet Force
 * Volunteer Cadet Corps