Page 8 - Wish Stream 2023 CREST

RMAS First Impressions:
A Global Collective from
29 Platoon Borneo Company
Having the responsibility to represent our coun- try in this prestigious academy is something that every International Cadet is proud of. We
bring a varied perspective to training, therefore broadening the understanding of international communities. This is reflected in the accounts below which show the highs, lows and opportuni- ties of being an International OCdt at RMAS.
Training with a twist
OCdt Arkhab, Indonesia
As an International Cadet in The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I have experienced the dif- ference in the OCdts’ lives here in the UK which is quite different for many reasons. Firstly, the two countries have different climates. The UK has quite a cold and wet climate, in contrast to the Indone- sian climate which is tropical and warm. In other words, UK OCdts are more acclimatised. The train- ing in general is the same but there are a few dif- ferences to The Indonesia Military academy, espe- cially concerning physical training. In Indonesia, physical training is mainly focused on body weight training and running. In contrast, in RMAS we do a lot of strength conditioning and weight training to prepare us to carry weight while tabbing and duties undertaken on exercises which I have found to be beneficial.
Social and military cultural change
OCdt Safrar, Oman
A differentiating area is the social and military cul- ture. I expected these to be the biggest difficulties; however, it was not actually a roadblock to keep- ing up with the required level of performance as an OCdt. Working under the DS and alongside British OCdts, the training environment, and the different ways of thinking around me, may be completely different from what I am used to, but undoubtedly, it gives me the chance to think and plan in a dif- ferent way. The DS make sure that we learn the British Army ’s standards and the responsibilities of the British Army’s officer. Ultimately these dif- fer from my Army back home as we have different operational orders, roles, responsibilities and differ- ent equipment, but it is beneficial to learn different standards and responsibilities as we become more adaptive and have a wider view on the role and expectations of army officers.
Setting the bar high with our
previous experience
OCdt Galea, Malta
As the course was nearing its beginning, I found myself more excited to start working with the Brit- ish OCdts. This was a bit of a leap into the unknown and, luckily, it was very noticeable in the first cou-
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