Page 72 - Wish Stream Year of 2016

Slim’s Company
Potential Of cers Allan, Foreman and Lai
Defeat into victory. That is the essence of the Leader Development Course; designed to transform setbacks into successes. Those
currently serving in the rst ever Slim's Company (Coy) all proved they had the suf cient potential to become Of cers within the British Army; how- ever, for individual reasons they required further development. Slim's Coy was designed to pro- vide the training to allow Potential Of cers (POs) to develop in a wide range of areas, including their character, leadership and intellect, so that when they return to the Army Of cer Selection Board (AOSB), those shortcomings will have been recti ed. Slim's Coy creates an environment where POs can continually learn
Potential Of cers take a well-earned break
bination of command appointments, the Ops room, planning exercises, organising patrols, negotiations and media reporting created a com- pletely new and exciting challenge for Slim’s Coy that provided many opportunities for personal development.
and adapt, always striving forward with the goal of development. The secondary aim is to develop us as potential Army Of cers. While Slim's Coy develops character and the PO’s fundamental skills, it also allows POs to begin to learn the essential military skills needed to become effective Army Of cers.
Slim’s Coy have been on a journey of self-discovery and character development.
Slim’s Coy have been on a journey of self-discovery and character devel- opment. The Directing Staff's intent is to develop POs into individuals that can embrace the intellectual, physi- cal and human challenges of of cer training and beyond. Frequent Pla- toon Commanders’ interviews and peer-to-peer appraisals have been invaluable for POs to recognise other
The question Slim’s Coy are so used to being asked is what do you do? The activities con- ducted by POs over the duration of the pro- gramme have been meticulously and deliber- ately selected. The Physical Training Wing have put Slim's Company through a series of obsta- cle courses, loaded marches and circuit ses- sions to improve physical robustness. A week in Inverness was spent challenging ourselves, climbing, canoeing and mountain biking. Daily debates focused on a wide variety of domestic and global issues and have been conducted at platoon or company level; beyond this Slim’s debated a motion using a parliamentary format. Lectures from Faraday Hall academic staff have culminated with a series of group presentations on topics from DIA, CABS and War Studies. Cul- tural visits to London have included tours of The National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, a talk at the Institute for Economic Affairs and a ‘Challenge Day’ of completing tasks around the city. Recently, after several deployments into the Barossa training area, the Company deployed on Ex SLIM'S PURSUIT, a stabilisation operation centred in and around FOB William. The com-
people’s perceptions of themselves. This has provided an opportunity for self-re ection upon which POs can alter their behaviour to become better leaders. It is evident that every PO has gained greater self-con dence in many aspects, such as public speaking and commanding oth- ers. Slim’s Coy are often given unique and inter- esting tasks designed to push the POs out of their comfort zone, be more adaptable and think outside the box. There have been numerous occasions on exercise, adventure training and during command tasks where POs have had the opportunity to put into practice various styles of leadership and discover the styles that are most suited to them. POs are constantly drilled on their followership skills and have been taught to work together as an effective team; this has created a strong bond between those in Slim’s Coy which means morale is always high. Instilled within Slim’s Coy is the relentless pursuit of excel- lence, engendering the determination and drive to develop themselves in everything they do. It is fantastic to see how far Slim’s Coy have devel- oped over the course of the LDC and are looking forward to undertaking new challenges on the Regular Commissioning Course.
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