Just looking for info on the aacc from lads who have done it and in particular any blokes from 1 rifles who have done it. I'm hoping to get a transfer to 1 rifles and interested in getting on the course after the up coming Herrick tour in April.

Any info will be good, cheers.

From what i heard it didnt go to well for them when they first put blokes on the course. They put about a coys worth on it and only a handful passed.

It's changed since then - they've got a decent set of ropes to square away the bottom field stuff, and up until the point I was med RTU'd the Rifles lads (and the RE) were leading in every serial.

That said, not a single one of them was a burning volunteer for the course, and they weren't going to wear the beret, shoulder flashes or dagger on their uniform. They were the on-call amphib unit, having completed the amphib work-up, and a lot of them were a little underwhelmed by Commando Course. Don't be surprised therefore if 1 Rifles think you've get better things to do with your time.

Indeed, most of the lads would've preferred to have done P Coy, but that may've been the dozen or so I was with.

OK thanks for the info. The PT at 1 Rifles is pretty good anyway so looking to get over there asap.

if it was underwelming alfred why didnt you go back and finish,you know you can do the all arms p coy as a volunteer or join direct,just wondering why you and your friends didnt join the paras instead of the rifles.

Plums - I'm not RIFLES, indeed I'm not Army. Commando Course teaches people like me, sailors, how to work alongside the Corps. As such, it is very noddy, basic field admin stuff, with some section level tactics, although obviously with some "commando" stuff alongside it. For trained soldiers, there is really very little difference between Commando Course and Phase 1 training - despite howls of protest from Green lidded personnel, they teach to the same pamphlets and have the same requirements, although with an overlaid "Commando Ethos" [1]. It is for this reason the majority of the Rifles lads were underwhelmed - they'd all done at least 1 tour of Afg, and had completed the same Amphib work-up completed by 40, 42 and 45 Cdo when they act as the "on-call" Commando unit.

As for AAPPS (or a re-run at AACC), as ever, time conspires against me: my desk officer thinks I have better things to do than get dressed in green and do phys......

[1] Commando Ethos - people.exeter.ac.uk/acking/Papers/RMethos4.doc

edit to add hyperlink

I always thought I might give it a blast one day when btn was slow for the simple reason of having something to do.

Are the rifles keen to get guys on courses such as p-company/AACC? Or is it a bit of a struggle to get on one?

I'm not in the rifles...yet. Just wondering!

Nah not really mate, i've got mates at 1 rifles and they haven't done it. And my unit is too busy putting bods on courses that are actually going to help for the upcoming tour.

Originally Posted by plums

you know you can do the all arms p coy as a volunteer or join direct,just wondering why you and your friends didnt join the paras instead of the rifles.

Because they wanted to be Rifles maybe. Paras are justly pleased with themselves but there's no monopoly on pride.