Page 74 - The Wish Stream Year of 2021 (Crest)

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Senior NCO Instructor Selection Cadre
WO2 (CSM) Ryan Robertson, Malaya Company Sergeant Major
It was 2000hrs on Sunday 31st January 2021 and I was standing before 59 Senior NCOs from across the Field Army. An incredibly talented
group, who had been selected by their units to attempt the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Senior NCO Instructor Selection Cadre. Having been in their place before, I understood how they felt. Nervous, apprehensive and excited knowing that the next four weeks could shape the rest of their careers. This time, I was stand- ing there as the Cadre Sergeant Major, know- ing I had a part to play in the onerous task of selecting the instructors that were
to teach, coach and mentor the future leaders of the British Army.
As the first week commenced, it
was the Permanent Staff’s oppor-
tunity to show (and remind) the
Cadre how to conduct them-
selves in a Phase One Training Establishment. The Permanent
Staff also demonstrated how to
deliver lessons, including the nuances that are unique to the Academy. From rifle and drill les- sons to Combat Estimate training, the week was full on and was not without its challenges due to COVID. The Cadre, for the first time ever, were gated to camp. One of the aims of the Cadre is to allow the Senior NCOs to understand what the OCdts experience whilst at the Academy. This shared experience allows the instructors to be empathetic to the collective and individual struggles of the OCdts.
The second and third week saw each candidate of the Cadre prepare and conduct various mili- tary lessons. They deliver lessons to each other and afterwards they each have to provide peer feedback on what worked and what could be improved. By drawing on the vast experiences in each group, it meant that even if an individual was not successful, they would still leave having improved as an instructor. Much to my pleasure, there was some physical training thrown in and the competitive side in me came out as we raced from Saddle Back Hill into the Academy!
The final week of the Cadre was upon us. The Cadre were to depart on their final assessment, Exercise Long Reach, which is an arduous hill walking exercise with check points scattered across Dartmoor. Testing the teamwork and leadership of each group, some of the check points had command tasks on them. Each group walked an average of 55km
across undulating ground and wanted to beat the other teams by being the first team to finish.
Now for the hard part; selecting only 29 Sen- ior NCOs to become the future instructors at the Academy. At this point, it is important to recognise and set aside any of your biases and ask yourself ‘will this person get the best out of the OCdts?’. However, this wasn’t based solely on their ability to instruct. We would question whether we thought an individual could coach and mentor others, could they communicate well, how they cope managing stressful, per- sonal and sensitive situations and much more.
For future contenders of the Cadre, my advice would be, stay true to yourself. Although the Cadre is four weeks, your time at the Academy could be two years. Show humility by recognis- ing the varying experiences of the team you are in; what you can’t bring to the table, somebody else will. Finally, be confident (not arrogant) in your abilities; you have been selected by your units for a reason.
Ner vous, apprehensive and excited knowing that the next four weeks could shape the rest of their careers
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