Completing the arduous 13-week Royal Marines Commando selection course, U.S. Marine Capt. Joseph Brown has earned both the top student award and the Commando Medal. The top student is selected by the training cadre, and the medal awardee is selected by their classmates as exemplifying the Royal Marines Commando values.
While Brown retains his oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution and thus won't actually become a serving Royal Marine, his performance does him great credit. The Royal Marines are renowned as an exceptionally well-trained force. Approaching 50% of recruits do not complete the commando course. Far smaller than the 180,000-strong U.S. Marines, the Royal Marines have a total strength of around 6,000 personnel. Brown's example is just one element of the cooperation between these two marine service branches. Where the U.S. Marines provides heavy combined arms amphibious maneuver forces, the Royal Marines center on providing light infantry amphibious raiding forces. The Royal Marines's mission is to seize beachheads, attack maritime infrastructure, and provide a highly mobile advance force. This underlines the Royal Marines's focus on infantry movement over difficult terrain. The respective mission sets for a U.S. Marine officer and a Royal Marine officer are thus similar but different in important ways.
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And while there were occasional disputes over strategy and tactics between the two marine outfits during the Afghanistan War, they retain a close relationship. They are bonded by their central focus on aggressive, highly mobile offensive operations. Regularly training together, the Royal Marines have been introducing the U.S. Marines to their infamous ice-breaking drills, for example. Alongside excellent arctic warfare forces from Finland and Norway, these two marine outfits complement a potent NATO ground force deterrence against Russia.
Of course, the United States is increasingly focused on the rising likelihood of war with China. While the U.K. government prioritizes trade ties with Beijing, the U.K. military and intelligence establishments are working closely with the U.S. to plan for China-related contingencies. Supporting the U.S. Marines's military-leading efforts to reshape for the China fight, the Royal Marines are involved in reconnaissance and amphibious assault planning for the Pacific.
We should hope that war with China or Russia does not come. But if war does arrive, the training, cooperation, and aggression of the Royal Marines and the U.S. Marines may play a significant role in any victory.