Page 11 - Cormorant Issue 19 - 2016

Spending a night aboard HMS OCEAN, arriving on board courtesy of the
Royal Marine Commandos and their landing craft represented the starkest illustration of the course as to the unique challenges faced by each service and why it is important that they maintain their domain specialism in an increasingly austere climate. It also demonstrated how easy it is to take jointery for granted in military operations when interpreting land sea and air manoeuvres into a seamless operational battle space.
The course was more than just the scheduled curriculum, and as each of us sought to acquire our own 30% for being “a good egg”, I foolishly agreed to take part in the inter-divisional debates. As something totally new, I thought this friendly competition would present a useful opportunity to learn
a new skill and, as such, it was very enjoyable, although at times, it felt like an interrogation by Jack Bauer. The
“
of the course
lesson here, as a series of sharp planted questions were red at us was to assume ones opponent will use every advantage they can nd in battle so be prepared to ght in the mud even if we’d prefer to remain engaged in an air campaign.
a civilian is capable of distinction”.
This was perhaps the most alien of experiences for a mere civil servant and therefore, for me, the greatest challenge of the course. Having successfully navigated this eight hour ordeal, it was perhaps an opportunity missed in terms of experimentation, however with such a strong focus on good doctrine – it may remain better not to ‘ ght the White’.
After a year attempting to reach the summit of mount stupid without falling foul of the many obstacles, I now look forward to the sunny uplands of life after the course. This year has been one
of personal re ection, an opportunity
to get to know military colleagues and international students, and a chance to think more deeply and critically about some of the major issues affecting international security. Only time will
tell how important this year has been, but rarely does one get the opportunity to recalibrate before progressing and therefore I genuinely feel it has been exceptional value and a must for anyone serious about a career in international security policy.
PAGE 9
A Civil Servant’s View
Mr Francis Milton
“WHY WOULD A CIVIL servant take a year-long sabbatical to put
themselves through military staff college?”, or “How important can ACSC be for you as a civilian
without any real prospect of command?” These questions were often asked of the nine civilians who had chosen to join ACSC19 during the small talk of Costa or the forum. We perhaps had little real perception of what lay ahead of us last September, however looking back on a truly unique year in my MOD career I wanted to re ect on some of the highs and lows from a civil servants perspective.
Having left a policy role in MOD, to attend the course, I was both excited for the opportunity to do something very different whilst a little apprehensive of this decision that would take me off the civilian career travellator during my year in Swindon.
ACSC, represented a year of rsts in what has proved to be a frenetically driven programme of lectures, group discussion, academic research and of course the campaigning exam.
I discovered the game of spoof on our rst staff ride to Coningsby to visit the RAF combat power demonstration. This seemingly innocent drinking game highlighted the power of in uence (or Jedi skills) on others as those who did well manipulated the outcomes in their favour to avoid the drinking forfeits required by defeat.
This was
perhaps the most alien of
experiences for a mere civil servant and therefore the greatest challenge
The Longest Day, also known as ◆◆◆ the campaigning exam, which “even