Page 73 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021 (Crest)

ment. My family and I were to wait it out in a hotel room for the meantime with nothing but our suitcases. This lasted for two months until we were granted an exception to policy for the circumstances.
I was previously stationed at Fort Irwin, Cali- fornia, home of the National Training Center. The primary mission of the National Training Center is to test units from across the U.S. military along with multinational partners in Brigade level combined arms training scenar- ios. As a U.S. Army Aviator, I was in command of a fleet of OH-58 Kiowas. Our mission was to observe and coach the aviation task forces from the air. Coming from the Mohave Desert, a breath of humidity made us feel good.
The landscape, the driving on the right side of the car, the food, the terminology, everything was different. Adapting here was way easier than predicted mainly because
their armies into forces that are respected throughout the world.
Despite their many differences, The Ameri- can and British Armies have a lot of things in common too. Discovering our similarities is one of the many aspects of life at Sandhurst that make the experience here very enrich- ing. I hope that I’m able to pass this sense of enrichment and fulfilment on to the OCdts and friends that I meet here as well. Teaching OCdts has been a unique experience, espe- cially in this environment. I feel that I am learn- ing just as much, if not more than them. They are extremely motivated, intelligent, and team-oriented young soldiers. There is a huge sense of sorority and being a part of it brings a huge sense of satisfaction.
of British hospitality. Both I and my wife were extremely flattered by how well we were welcomed into the community.
Not long after my arrival, I had
started working and that was
when I really got to know the
real Sandhurst. A place that
holds history and tradition alike and is also a place that has an amazing and unique cul- tural mix. I am not only referring to the inter- national staff and OCdts but also the people that come from many places within the United Kingdom; it is such a diverse mix of different accents and cultures.
Originally, the American Army was based on the British Army traditions. Although they soon became two very different institutions with very different “modus operandi”, both still consider one another to be very important allies throughout the course of history. I can now see how different both countries are, and I understand how and why they manage to exchange their best ideas and practices with each other. This helps both countries develop
I cannot abstain from saying that COVID-19 has been a hindrance to what Sandhurst is meant to be. Clearly, I know that it has had its effect on the entire world, but for those of us staff and OCdts it has meant a dif- ferent personal and professional experience. The routines had to be modified, the locations of many field exercises changed. Ex NORMANDY SCHOLAR took place on the Academy polo pitch, and we didn’t go to Grafenwoehr, Germany for Ex DYNAMIC VICTORY. The “Sandhurs- tisms”, black-tie affairs, dinner nights, chapel, and extracurricular sports, all these things that made Sandhurst the experience that it is, had to be stood down in order to comply with Force Health Protection guidelines. However, in the end, the Academy has made the very best out of it and did an amazing job in keep- ing both the OCdts and the Staff motivated
and going on to a bright future.
It has been my honour and privilege to serve alongside our lifelong allies at their initial officer training centre. Defence Engagement programmes like this are one of the keys to making both organisations strong and capa- ble to face any future challenge together.
Both I and my wife were extremely flattered by how well we were welcomed into the community.
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