MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Royal Marines back in the Falklands for Exercise Commando Strike

Royal Marine Commandos during a beach landing

Forty British Royal Marines Reserve (RMR) Commandos from RMR Merseyside are heading back to the Falkland Islands next week 25 years on from the original South Atlantic conflict.

Part of a 120 strong contingent from five RMR units across the UK, the reservists will travel to the Islands to conduct Exercise Commando Strike, a training package designed to increase the operational effectiveness of the RMR in readiness to support 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. This is the first time that the Royal Marines have deployed to the Falklands in any great strength since 1982. They will remain in the Islands from October 4 to the 20th. Exercise Commando Strike consists of two distinct phases. Phase one involves a dry company level exercise, designed to improve basic soldiering skills, and incorporates a yomp from San Carlos, following part of the infamous route the Royal Marines took to liberate Port Stanley during the conflict, which finishes at Onion Camp live firing ranges. Phase two is an extensive live firing package using weapons such as 81mm mortars and General Purpose Machine Guns. The reservists will move from individual fire and manoeuvre to a full live company level attack with supporting heavy weapons. The aim of the training package is to revise and enhance the reservist's soldiering skills in preparation for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. A number of ranks deploying are veterans of the Falklands conflict, including Lieutenant Colonel John Davies, now Commanding Officer of RMR Merseyside who was a Troop Commander in Yankee Company, 45 Commando group at the time. This time he's returning as the Exercise Director. "We take a truly global perspective in the way we prepare our reservists and provide quality training in harsh environments all over the world. This training helps to ensure that our people are able to operate in support of regular Royal Marines anywhere in the world", said Lt Colonel Davies. "Royal Marines Reserve Commandos, from all over the UK have recently taken part in Exercise Green Eagle in Sierra Leone where we tested their abilities to operate in a hot equatorial, jungle environment. They also travelled to Norway for cold weather warfare training and plans are being developed to train in dry, arid conditions similar to those encountered in Afghanistan." Royal Marines Reserve Commandos work alongside their regular comrades around the globe. The RMR has been deployed in significant numbers to the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq in a variety of front line roles, with approximately 20% of RMR Merseyside currently deployed on operations in support of 3 Commando Brigade. Members of the RMR combine the demands of a busy civilian job with weekly evening training sessions and between six and eight weekends of instruction and practice annually. They also undertake a minimum of 14 days operational role training each year. With its headquarters in Brunswick Dock, Liverpool, RMR Merseyside also has three satellite detachments in Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham. The Maritime Reserve Command was formed in January 2006 to refine the requirement for Volunteer Reserves now and in the future and is currently headed by Flag Officer Reserves, Rear Admiral Tony Johnston-Burt. It provides a single, efficient command structure for the 747 Royal Marine Reservists (RMR) and 2,500 Royal Naval Reservists (RNR) based at 19 locations across different UK towns and cities. This represents 8,000 man days per year to the Royal Navy, accounting for 30% of the additional manpower required for training and exercises, in addition to those personnel on Full Time Reserve Service or mobilised for specific operations. The aim is to have the Maritime Reserve at full strength by 2010 and ensure that it has the right number of effective, trained and motivated reservists, fully integrated with the Naval Service.