Page 84 - Mercian Eagle 2016

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Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Capt Martyn Fulford 34 Pl Comd, Falklands Coy, Old College, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Having only arrived in August last year I was pleasantly surprised to find how strong the reputation of the Regiment is at RMAS, in particular across all Officer Cadet (OCdt) entries. This term there were 10 high quality cadets all competing for just one of two places and next term the numbers are set to be even higher. It is clear that WO2 Giles and CSgt Clements had been a hugely positive influence on Officer recruiting and one that will stand our future in good stead. WO2 Jones returned to the 2nd Battalion at Christmas and has now been replaced with WO2 Giles CGC who has already made his mark on the Junior Term Officer Cadets in Borneo Company!
The permanent staff cadre has also just completed with a strong showing across the Regiment and two CSgts being selected to join that illustrious body that is the RMAS Permanent Staff. Congratulations to CSgts Massey and Coates, the future of our Regimental officers is yours to shape.
OCdts that just pass will not lead infantry soldiers and most definitely won’t lead Mercians.
RMAS has changed significantly in
the past few years, particularly with the increased focus on officer education.
The exercises may be shorter and more numerous; yes, they no longer dig in and yes, one could commission without passing a Personal Fitness Assessment (PFA); however, OCdts that just pass will not lead infantry soldiers and most definitely won’t
lead Mercians. Passing is easier but doing well is now far harder and those we look
to recruit must be doing well to even get a foot in the door. The commissioning course is tough, but the product is still as strong as ever; as such, our challenge remains ensuring that the strong reputation won by the Regiment on operations is maintained here.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE