Page 22 - Wish Stream Year of 2019

was to come. The Platoon cleared through the rest of the buildings with speed, aggression and passion, putting on quite the show for the del- egation of senior Qatar Army Officers who had come to spectate. On the cusp of conquering the village, to everyone’s surprise the heavens opened and a spell of cool rain came down as the final rooms were assaulted.
This concluded the exercise phase of the trip and the last few days were to be spent doing some cultural activities organised
by the Qatari Cadets of CC192;
a quick visit to the British Embassy to learn more about the work being done there by the Defence Attaché and his team for the region, followed by the various traditional markets selling anything one could imagine and forming a large interest for the Officer Cadets desperately trying to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. In the evening we were invited to join Mr Al-Maadeed’s cousin and family at his wedding, which led to everyone in the Platoon emphatically danc- ing around to traditional music with beautifully-
crafted ornamental swords; this was an experience that gave a quick taste of the sensation that we would hope- fully all enjoy upon commissioning in April with swords of our own!
Ex ORYX ENDEAVOUR was a fan- tastic and rewarding experience that all of the Cadets and staff selected to go will cherish for many years to
come. We were all exceptionally grateful for the generosity of the Qatari Ahmed Bin Mohammed Military College and our own Qatari Cadets for welcoming us to their country and introducing us to their culture. It truly was an incredible expe- rience. Many thanks must also go to all of the directing staff from RMAS who helped orches- trate the exercise so that we could all learn so much from it.
Mr Al-Maadeed, Mr Allatiyah
and Mr Al-Naemi. This phase of
the trip was surreal for all of the
Sandhurst Cadets involved as
we travelled deep into the desert
to Mr Al-Maadeed’s family farm,
where we were to enjoy a tra-
ditional Qatari meal, of course
eaten sitting in big groups on the floor using our hands. It was safe to say that none of the Brit- ish members of the trip managed to master the technique, not for the lack of trying! That evening also saw some of the Cadets galloping majesti- cally across the desert on the finest Qatari race- horses, something only comparable to a scene in a Hollywood hit film. The final day of the trip was enjoyed by all in Qatar’s Capital City, Doha,
Ex ORYX ENDEAVOUR was a fantastic and rewarding experience...
20 SANDHURST