Page 81 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

Rosier-Pamplin. Both semis and the final itself produced some amazingly competitive, hard- hitting rallies and matches, reminding all specta- tors what a wonderful game at this level it is to watch - a shame therefore that there were no officer cadets or Sandhurst staff able to play or spectate. The victors, Hyde and Rosier-Pamplin, were duly crowned Sandhurst Champions, join- ing a long and prestigious list of previous winners stretching back to the 1960s.
The dinner in Old College that evening was an excellent affair, allowing celebration and mer- riment in historical and grand surroundings... a fitting conclusion to a thoroughly enjoyable, quality, sporting fixture.
The dates for the tournament in 2018 are 24th/25th March. It is hoped that there will be some Sandhurst cadets amongst the pairings.
‘No Plan Survives First Contact’
As a four-year-old child, the first full sen- tence I ever wrote contained the words ‘when I grow up, I want to be in the Army’. 19 years on, I have embarked on my journey to make this a reality, and I am now an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in week ten of training.
OCdt Middleton
recruits to do so from my intake of thirty-three, winning the top recruit award in the process. Throughout my six and a half years I was heav- ily involved in the RMR and found it extremely enjoyable – especially the four cold weather exercises in Northern Norway. The RMR did not only help prepare me for the rigours of Sand- hurst through soldiering and fitness, but also command. Towards the end of my RMR career I was fortunate enough to take a recruit troop through training as a section commander, and complete my Junior Command Course.
As we have been told many times within the first ten weeks of Junior Term, no plan survives first contact. This was also the case with my long- term career plans. After a successful briefing board, the main board phase of my army officer selection did not go initially to plan. During the four days of the Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB), I was identified as having the potential to commission but had areas for personal develop- ment before attending the regular commission- ing course. I was subsequently given the oppor- tunity to attend a new initiative – The Leadership Development Course, Slims Company. Slims Company is a twelve week course designed to iron out the creases in potential officers who fall just short of the mark at AOSB, like me. The course focused on areas such as leader- ship, confidence, impact, reaction to stress and physical fitness, in order to prepare the course for re-assessment at AOSB. Slims Company is seen by some to be a negative course, and that those who attended the course will be of a lower standard. Personally, I feel extremely fortunate for the opportunity and believe the benefits are
In 2010, as a keen
16-year-old whilst stud-
ying for four A-levels, I
joined the Royal Marine
Reserves (RMR).
Knowing that one day
I hoped to commis-
sion as an officer in the
armed forces, I saw this
as the best preparation that I could possibly do. This also allowed me to attend university whilst re-affirming my future intentions and maintain- ing my interest in a future commission. In 2012 I completed RMR training and was one of two
OCdt Middleton, Norway 2014, Rear LMG gunner
...I saw this
as the best preparation that I could possibly do.
SANDHURST 79