Page 47 - The Wish Stream Year of 2022

OCdts queued up for their breakfast. The com- missioning breakfast was an absolute feast, with everything on offer from sausage and bacon, to cheese, deli meats, fresh fruit and pastries. After two weeks on ration packs, this went down a treat and was a world away from the Biscuit Browns and Pindi Chana Aloo that the OCdts had been fuelling themselves with throughout the Exercise. Along with this, a well-earned glass of champagne was also on offer for the OCdts to suitably wash their breakfast down.
What made Ex DYNAMIC VICTORY different to the other exercises at the
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst?
Ex DYNAMIC VICTORY is the only overseas exercise that OCdts undertake whilst at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, which offers them a huge training benefit. This is mainly down to the difference in the size and nature of the Ger- man training areas used; by comparison, there aren’t many UK training areas that could facili-
tate the 8 hour/ 6km Advance to Contact serial that is part of one of the rural lanes. Nor are there as many purpose-built towns and villages that this exercise requires for various training serials. In addition, American troops were used to play the first ‘free-thinking’ enemy that the OCdts had encountered during their training – their flanking manoeuvres certainly caused the OCdts a head- ache or two. This required more dynamic think- ing and complex planning in response, making the scenarios more realistic than on previous exercises, where the enemy would typically be stationary and sitting under a poncho. But this was a challenge that OCdts from Commission- ing Course 213 unequivocally rose to. However, the German climate did pose an unexpected challenge to the OCdts. This was a hot exercise, with temperatures reaching heights of around 37 degrees; staying hydrated and becoming best friends with the issued sun-scream was an absolute must (particularly for the fairer and more northern OCdts, such as myself).
Seven. With Ex DYNAMIC VICTORY behind us, seven is the number of days left for the OCdts of Commissioning Course 213 as I submit this article. As we approach the end of our Senior Term, there are feelings of nostalgia and excite- ment, along with a little nervousness as people look forward to their Phase 2 training and first Troop Command. But mostly, there is a sense of achievement. After 43 weeks of early mornings and long days, every individual has proven that they meet the standard required to earn a Com- mission from the Royal Military Academy Sand- hurst, a definite achievement for all.
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