However, in 1997, as part of the reconstruction and the modernization of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the army command decided to establish a designated regiment for maritime special warfare operations.

In addition, the regiment is tasked with sustaining internal security and performing maritime search and rescue missions.

At the end, the graduates join their units where they will perform (in addition to their usual tasks) what they have learned during the courses.

Twenty hours of training daily Commander of the school, Commando Lieutenant Colonel Marwan Issa, explains that the students undergo during the fundamental course, which spans three months, heavy military training, sometimes reaching 20 hours per day, and it is divided into three stages: In addition, this stage includes various calisthenics, and walking.

During it, the member is exposed to severe psychological pressure like difficulties, hardships, sleep-deprevation, and not getting any chance to rest.

The first three weeks of this training involve combat within enemy territory that's why it is performed at night, which forces the members to work for 20 hours per day.

Who makes it till the end At the end of the third week, the members perform the imprisonment and retrieve prisoners' patrol, which is considered one of the toughest because members play the role of the prisoners and they undergo real torture similar to what they might face if they get captured by the enemy.

The selection of those who are not graduates from the Special Forces School follows a strict guideline: a candidate, preferably below 21, must be fit, have physical strength, and have mental clarity in order to pass the early stages which include calisthenics in addition to physiological pressure assessments.

The selection and training process for the Marine Commandos is extremely demanding and rigorous and lasts around six to seven months.

The goal behind this week is to fortify the capabilities and strengths of the soldiers to endure more and to sustain in front of the severe conditions which they might face during their future operations.

The course includes a number of cruel and cumbersome exercises such as, quick walking, running on the sand, long distance swimming, crossing tens of meters under water, swimming with tied hands and legs, dealing with ropes underwater, etc... All this in order to enhance the combat capabilities and the efficiency of the soldier, in addition to enhance his confidence in his capabilities.

The divers also follow lessons in dealing with explosives either on land or underwater, scanning and searching the shores, weaponology, dealing with boats and helicopters, radio, reading maps, survival, unarmed combat, sailing and rowing, diving accidents, special diving and environmental instructions, defensive diving (open circuit, compresses air) that reaches 60 meters deep, attack diving (closed circuit, 100% oxygen) which reaches 200 meters underwater during day and night, and helocasting boat recovery whereby the swimmer is pulled from the water by a moving boat.

Scenarios for this training includes combat patrolling that begin in the sea then attack a beach either to occupy it or clean it from obstacles and mines, which is a preparation for the following friendly units.

With a week-long break between each segment, selection and training is extremely demanding both physically and mentally which is why there is such as high attrition rate.

In addition, it is notable that this is the only unit in the Lebanese Army to perform an operation outside Lebanon, however, it was only a search and rescue mission.

In addition to those operations, the Marine Commandos were used to restore and maintain order in some Lebanese cities at different occasions whenever major clashes or turbulences took place.