Page 99 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

Selfless Commitment In response to Philippians 2:1–7
Two lines stand out; ‘do nothing out of self- ish ambition or vain conceit...’ and ‘not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others’. It believes a very simple message, yet it’s where I think most OCdts (myself included) fall short when striving to be selflessly committed. At RMAS so many acts we do which we may think are
OCdt Riall
When we are in command of platoons or troops, we will be in a position where we have to look to the needs of our soldiers, but also our own careers, personal ambitions and reputation with those around us. We must learn to always look to the interests of others over the interests of ourselves and do nothing out of selfish ambition
or vain conceit. That is why selfless commitment is apart from the others’ values, as if you uphold it correctly. It is not through you that the difference or benefits will be shown, but through others, whereas values, such as dis- cipline or integrity for example, come directly from personal displays, which in turn bolsters ones character in the eyes of others. Selfless commitment is more understated. It does not pro- mote you; it’s those acts done out of
sight, that no one will thank you for or appreciate directly, and it’s those hours spent grafting away behind closed doors. However, we will have to make observed and scrutinised decisions throughout our careers, and I’m sure some will be decisions that will affect the welfare and liveli- hood of our soldiers. This is where acting without letting selfish ambition or vain conceit interferes with our intentions, is the ground upon which selfless commitment rests for me. For I have no doubt that if you look after your soldiers and put their interests first your reputation, your ambi- tions and your career will end up looking after itself. I finish with an account from the Falklands conflict, which I think perfectly illustrates selfless commitment, especially in striving to do those unseen acts.
On the afternoon of June 8 1982, Chiu Yiu Nam was serving as a seaman in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Sir Galahad, one of five Landing Ships Logistics (LSL) which ferried troops and stores around the islands, and were manned by Brit- ish Merchant Navy officers and Hong Kong Chi- nese crewmen. Chiu, as one of the helicopter flight deck party, was also trained in firefighting. In an attempt to outflank Argentine positions, Sir Galahad and her sister ship Sir Tristram had
selfless are often embroiled, unin-
tentionally, with personal ambition, competitiveness and self-promo-
tion. For example, when on exer-
cise if someone is struggling with
their bergan, a stronger member of
the platoon usually steps up to the
plate and carries two bergans or at
least some of the weight. I am not
saying this is a negative act; what
I am saying is that this is not an
entirely selfless act. By carrying the extra weight, that individual has now shown to the staff that he or she is physically strong and robust. They have also potentially pushed their own personal standing in their platoon higher through this very public display of their physical prowess.
What I argue is a selfless act, where you can truly put the interests of others above the inter- ests of yourself, is one which receives little or no recognition. It is done behind closed doors, is not assessed, marked or graded against your peers. It is that act which won’t make any differ- ence to your own life; however, it will significantly better the life of another. At RMAS truly putting others interests before your own is an extremely testing, and to an extent, counterintuitive task. We have to compete, better our peers, and ensure we score the highest we can when being assessed; this is ultimately a large part of what will guarantee whether we get into the Regiment or Corp we have set our hearts upon. To support this, speaking from personal experience, there is nothing OCdts take more pleasure in than watching one of their mates mess up. But this dynamic should not excuse us. I argue it won’t change once we leave here.
At RMAS truly putting others interests before your own is
an extremely testing...
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