Page 35 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

where we put these skills to the test, we were eager to get to West Point and begin the competition.
After four days at West Point
undertaking some final training and
getting our heads around how a
campus resembling Windsor Castle could be no older than most of us, we were finally underway.
The first day saw our training come into good effect, as we pushed Humvees, fired pistols, threw grenades and treated casualties on the various stands along the 12 mile patrol. The bivvy site looked more like Glastonbury than a harbour area, with cadets in camouflage of all shapes and colours congregating throughout the even- ing upon a muddy hilltop and gathering at the brew tent – our pyramid stage. After a couple of precious hours in our bivvy bags we were back on patrol at 0100hrs, this time testing our skills of recce, dealing with media, and calling in fire. We returned to the bivvy site in the small hours, bodies and minds already drained, knowing that
in just a few hours’ time the really hard work would begin...
The second day of the competition was a test of raw physical and mental strength; an 11 mile tab completed as fast as possible with assault courses,
boat drills, casualty carries and CBRN runs along the way. Having experienced Long Reach, Slims Stand and SSgt Maré this was business as usual for the Sandhurst teams, who gave the other nations a much needed lesson in how to tab, as we spent the morning flying past weary nations from across the world. With OCdt Bywater having already steered Team Red safely into camp, OCdt Cadman drove Team Blue forward at a rate West Point had never witnessed. The final gun-run was a gruelling challenge like none we had ever expe- rienced, though this only added to the elation we felt as we dragged our broken and battered bod- ies across the finish line.
Despite our legendary tabbing, Sandhurst was pipped to the line by a well-oiled team from West
The bivvy site looked more like Glastonbur y...
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