Page 102 - The Wish Stream Year of 2022 CREST

German
Commemorative
March
OCdt Solms-Laubach
In early April, a group of RMAS OCdts took the opportunity to travel to Germany and take on a marching challenge alongside German
counterparts. The result was over £800 raised for charity, 55km traversed, and international relationships strengthened with our NATO allies in Germany.
RMAS is currently home to OCdt Solms-Lau- bach, an international cadet hailing from the German Parachute Regiment. Each year this regiment commemorates comrades who fell during the 2010 Good Friday Skirmish between German and Taliban forces in Afghanistan. This commemoration manifests as a yearly march which in 2022 was planned around Lake Starn- berg, near Munich, in Bavaria. OCdt Solms- Laubach seized the opportunity to lead a group of British Officer Cadets to Germany and raise money for UK and German veterans’ charities.
Following a late-night flight and a couple of hours sleep on the floor, the party was roused by a booming recording of the famous airborne anthem, Blood on the Risers, provided kindly by our German hosts. Our group set out and liaised with 45 German officer cadets from various units including the Parachute Regiment, Mountain Infantry, and Medical Corps before beginning
the journey across the snow laden Bavarian landscape.
The tab was conducted at a solid pace, but with enough time to enjoy the wintry vistas offered around Lake Starnberg. The conversations had between the cadets of both nations was a wel- come and interesting distraction from sore feet. A key topic was the comparison between officer training in the UK and Germany. A few notable differences were how German OCdts traverse all ranks from private upwards before becoming officers. This led to the Germans politely inquir- ing how snobbery is avoided when British officer and soldier training is so separate. Fortunately, the British OCdt party was able to proudly pre- sent their cap badges and explain the “Serve to lead” ethos which put the subject to bed. This is a single example among many of how the tab provided the opportunity for two allies to better understand one another’s military culture.
The tab was a success and celebrated with traditional German food and beverages. It was a rewarding experience for all those who par- ticipated and the two veteran charities, Help for Heroes, and Lachen Helfen were the beneficiar- ies of money raised. Great thanks are due to our German hosts for making us feel so welcome and the RMAS chain of command for enabling the endeavour. Finally, we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to the Sandhurst Trust for sup- porting us financially to cover travel costs. As always, the Sandhurst Trust is working hard to support good causes and build opportunities for officer cadets.
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