Page 23 - QARANC Spring 2024

The Gazette QARANC Association 23
to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) was overwhelming.
A year later I found myself at RMAS on the Professionally Qualified Officer’s Commissioning Course Short. Sandhurst lived up to my expectations of being a very grand yet daunting place. However, I quickly felt at ease within my platoon and surroundings. I was able to call on my experience from the Reserves and use this to my advantage and in the support of others.
I found the leadership roles that I was selected to have on the exercise phase equally enjoyable and challenging. My platoon made these roles much more manageable and being the platoon sergeant on the stretcher run was the highlight of the exercise phase for me. This was a very challenging aspect but also showed how much the platoon had developed in a short space of time.
When the directing staff announced I would be the given the privilege of being presented with the sword of honour at our pass off parade I was shocked. I felt there were some very high calibre individuals on this course, so I never imagined that I would even be considered for it. The last few days of the course were filled with hours of drill practice, including a lot of sword drill practice to get ready for pass off parade.
After two fantastic weeks we paraded in front of the old college as newly commissioned officers before heading back to our civilian lives. I returned to my day job visiting patients in the community, remaining in disbelief at how much I had learned and
Sandhurst lived up
to my expectations of being a very grand yet daunting place
developed personally and professionally. My civilian role involves spending a lot of time with frail elderly patients, quite the opposite to military life.
I have absolutely no doubt my experience at Sandhurst will shape my approach to future tasks and challenges and I am excited to see where my military adventure takes me next.