Joining RAC - then P Coy / AAC

Hi, I want to join the RAC and that's definitely what I want to do for now, but I was thinking that sometime in the future I may want to do something like P Coy / AACC. Would this be possible or is it just for engineers? And if I pass, what happens (ie would I just be a normal marine/para etc)?

 

AACC is not just for Engineers as I'm joining The Rifles and 1 Rifles are part of 3 Commando Brigade where you can do AACC.

 

If you want to be a Para, join the Paras! Doing P Coy, earning your wings and then returning to your original unit is just not the same. Join the RAC, do some time and then transfer to the Paras if you want it that way. Sometimes easier said than done though.

 

You certainly don't become a marine or a para. Those are different jobs altogether. If you do P coy or the AACC then you can go to a unit that work with the marines or paras but you still serve under your capbadge. I don't know if either course is open to RAC though. I've never heard of it. Usually the course is for support arms so engineers, signals etc however certain infantry units offer the chance to go for it aswel

 

All Arms P Coy and All Arms Commando Course is what it says on the tin, for All Arms

But unless you are going to qualify for either and then go and serve in one of them units what is the point?

Most people would look at that as badge collecting and lets face it why the need for being Commando or Para trained if you are going to be a Tank Crewman, its not like they are going to be dropping your tracks from a plane.

 

Or if you dont want to be a Para or Booty, join an attached unit such as Sigs, Engineers, RAMC or Arty etc. Having sat on both sides of the fence, I would not recommend the RAC if you want to do P Coy or AACC as the focus in a RAC unit is more on D&M, Gunnery, Sigs and so forth. I do believe that some of the Household Cav have P Coy trained soldiers as technically Scimitar is supposed to be portable ??? I may be wrong though.

 

Don't quote me but I think the Household Cav (Blues & Royals, etc) have some para trained personnel ( I saw a few in my time at 5AB) but as for anywhere else in the RAC I doubt it.

They would probably let you go and do Pre Parachute selection (P Coy) but as for jumps unless posted to an Airborne role you would be hard pushed to get on the course.

 

Not quite true IIRC - RTR recently established an Airborne Troop, not entirely sure why though.

 

JT CBRN Regt???

 

Just had a debate with a future RM on their chat forum PRMC. One bloke reckons you can do the all AACC whilst your with Para, is that not false information or do I stand corrected?

My argument to that was that I've never seen a Para with a green lid or dagger and from information I've read Para's only do PCoy, for they are not commando's and don't require their training.

Another chap then wrote that he knows Para officers who have taken the AACC, is it true officers can take the AACC or the whole regiment, or are they telling fibs?

 

I've never heard of a para doing the AACC. You do get guys who've done P Coy and the AACC but these are guys in support arms. You're arguement that you've never seen a para with a green lid wouldn't really work though because you only wear the green lid if you're in 3 commando brigade so a guy can be commando trained but not wear the green lid

 

Yeh, see what your saying, I just mentioned the green lid as a flip-side to the whole debate. If a para was commando trained wouldn't he wear a dagger on his uniform?

It's just I've never seen it and wouldn't know why a para would need to do it unless they were attached to 3 commando brigade. I think its duff information. Its odviously clear if you left Para you could do it but whilst with the regiment what would be the point, although the training would come in handy, your airborne.

 

I completely agree with you. Yes they would wear the red dagger on a black background on their left arm. Lot's of marines are airborne trained but that's because certain jobs within the marines require it. Maybe people have seen that and assumed it's the same for the paras. I can't see any purpose for a para to do the AACC. Like I say I've never seen it however I may be wrong

 

Funnily enough IIRC I once saw a pic of a PARA officer with a green lid. He had done the AACC and was serving with 3 Cdo Bde at the time. It was a very unusual sight to see a Parachute Regiment cap badge on a commando green beret. However, as a commando trained soldier serving with the brigade he was dressed correctly.

 

Aritcle in Soldier magazine a number of years ago about a Para Captain who had completed AACC and was serving as liaison officer with 3 Cdo Brigade - complete with piccie of him with Para badge on Cdo Green Beret.

If this liaison position still exists then holder would presumably complete AACC.