Royal Navy Forum

The forum is designed to be a one-stop shop for queries on any aspect of Naval life, whether personal or practical. You can use it to find out anything from the latest official Service-related information, regular updates from deployed units, or simply connecting with likeminded individuals away from third party platforms like Facebook.

The forum is moderated from 8am to 10pm, 365 days a year. Our Digital Moderators are on hand to resolve your queries and ensure that the forum is being used appropriately. They also act as a conduit for information from the Royal Navy to the wider Service community.

Once registered, you can subscribe to particular areas of the forum, meaning you’ll receive an email notification every time that area is updated.

The forum is meant to be used for free and open discussion, but there are some house rules to follow.

You shouldn’t use the forum for chain letters, junk mail, spamming, or as a distribution list for profit-making activities.

Any unlawful, harassing, libellous, abusive, threatening, harmful, vulgar, obscene or otherwise objectionable material of any kind is forbidden and will be deleted by the Digital Moderators.

By using the forum, you agree not to transmit any material that encourages conduct that could constitute a criminal offence, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any applicable local, national or international laws or regulations.

Above all, you should never interfere with another member’s use and enjoyment of the service.

The Royal Navy may, at its sole discretion, immediately terminate the service should a member’s conduct fail to conform to these terms and standards.

The Royal Navy aims to achieve a working environment free from harassment, intimidation and unlawful discrimination. By ensuring that all personnel are able to realise their full potential, we contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of operational effectiveness.

Every individual is valued for their unique contribution to the Royal Navy community, irrespective of race, ethnic origin, religion or gender, and without reference to sexual orientation or background.

The aim of Royal Navy Equal Opportunities is to contribute to operational effectiveness by promoting a fair and supportive environment in which the individual talents of all personnel are respected and fully developed.

The Royal Navy is made up of people with different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. To strive for a more productive forum environment, get to know the people you chat with and respect their individuality. 

We’ve put together some ground rules and tips to ensure that every forum user enjoys the best experience possible:

• Be open about your differences, and don’t ignore them
• Share how your background has influenced you
• Encourage questions about the things that make you different
• Make friends with people who are different from you
• Share any concerns
• Don’t make someone a spokesperson for his or her group
• Avoid making profane or obscene remarks
• Don’t tell racial or sexual jokes – even those about your own group; it only encourages more of the same
• Be careful with other kinds of humour, such as the ‘friendly insult’
• Emphasise common experiences that unify rather differences that divide
• Regardless of culture, race, gender, religion and other factors, people around the world share the need to communicate with others and engage in meaningful work
• Be vigilant on the information you publish on the website

The forum is perfect for sharing information, asking questions, debating issues and meeting people who have a common interest. To ensure that everyone is using the forum in the right way, here are some guidelines to bear in mind:

• Be respectful

   The number one rule? Respect your fellow contributors. In a perfect world, this would go without saying, but we’re all human and sometimes we can be less than 100% perfect. Before you post, ask yourself: would I really say the same if the person were sitting next to me?

• Attack the issue, not the person.

  Strong and lively debate is encouraged – personal attacks definitely aren’t. Avoid being inflammatory on the basis of race, religion, gender, nationality or sexuality, or any other personal characteristic. If you can’t state your case without making it personal, don’t contribute to the discussion.

• Discussing personal issues

  The discussion space enables you to be as open or as private as you choose. When sharing personal information, remember that not everyone will agree with you, and you might not receive the responses you’re looking for. If you’re experiencing serious personal difficulties, it may be better to contact Royal Navy Royal Marines Welfare on 02392 728 777 for confidential help and advice.

• Netiquette
  

  Taking the time to use correct punctuation and spelling shows that you respect other users. Consider word processing software, such as Word or Notepad, to write your message down before copying and pasting it into the forum. Posting in CAPITAL LETTERS is widely regarded as shouting and is considered rude. Emoticons are a great way to convey the emotions behind the words, while abbreviations and acronyms are the shorthand of the internet – that said, please leave ‘text speak’ for your mobile phone. 

  Remember the RN Forum is a unique environment for service personnel and their families, allowing communication on a Navy owned platform. It is yours to use, so join and start communicating with likeminded individuals, ask questions and gain answers from official sources, subscribe to received emails and keep up to date with your affiliated Unit.