Page 25 - LBV 2024

OSCA
The One Star Command Assessment (OSCA) is an army wide initiative designed to identify and evaluate
the key behavioural skills required
by senior commanders looking to promote. I was offered the opportunity to work alongside fellow officer cadets in supporting the execution of the assessment at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst last month.
Throughout the week candidates were asked to conduct various tasks such as mental aptitude tests, interviews, fitness tests and behavioural observation tasks with our main role being to assume
a persona with which the candidates would be required to interact. Their response to our behaviour would determine the outcome of their report.
After arriving Sunday afternoon we were paired up and each allocated to one of the three behavioural observation tasks before being briefed on our characters and the overall aim of the assessment.
The tasks were extremely enjoyable to conduct and acting took me far beyond my comfort zone but the experience provided invaluable insight into the army’s approach to the professional development of its workforce. In summary, our task was to adopt a disruptive, uninterested and unenthusiastic persona in an attempt to discourage the candidates from completing the challenge and to
assess their response and leadership techniques. The challenge, to build
the most origami cranes at maximum profit within an undisclosed time frame seemed simple at first but with our excellent acting skills proved impossible to complete.
Asking questions such as “what’s origami?” and “how long is this going to take?” Quickly created tension but encouraged the candidates to take control and demonstrate their patience and compassion towards us. Alongside
this, we had the opportunity to interact with and learn from the candidates as we chaperoned them in between tasks and in the evenings were given the freedom to socialise, explore and conduct personal PT.
Overall, OSCA proved to be an equally education and rewarding experience and one I would strongly encourage other cadets to apply for in the future.
OCdt Hunt
Ex Maroon Student
Maroon Student provided a glimpse into the physical challenges faced by infantry units.
From the CUOTC, only three cadets qualified for this vigorous exercise, spread over three weekends, each serving as a pass-or-fail test.
The first weekend began with frost on our bivvy bags in a remote Catterick field, followed by a mile-and-a-half run that had to be completed in under nine minutes and forty-five seconds.
Afterward, we underwent the para soldier conditioning review and tabbing on Sunday. From the first weekend, candidates began to drop out.
Weekend two involved tabbing over difficult terrain and another demanding mile-and-a-half run that mentally exhausted many. We faced command tasks and a para-style planning exercise that afternoon. The second weekend ended with a tough simulated log run
combined with a navigation exercise through marshland, testing our endurance and weekend three escalated in intensity. We completed a para log run, a stretcher race, and a steeplechase, during which one candidate suffered a severe injury. The weekend culminated in a climb up the trainasium and a full para- role fitness test, including a 40kg tab
and a 20kg run. All three CUOTC cadets passed, with two now on the preparation course for P company.
OCdt Dugmore
THE LIGHT BLUE VOLUNTEER 25