Page 49 - RADC 2020

TRAINING
Infantry Battle School – Opportunities for our Soldiers
Sgt G Phillips, RADC
So, a lot of people hearing about this would be thinking why on earth would
an RADC SNCO want to complete an Infantry JNCO promotion course and I’d ask myself the same thing! Quite simply, I had to in order to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) SNCO Instructor Selection Cadre next year.
The tactics phase on the Section Commanders Battle Course (SCBC), aka Junior Brecon, had recently become a pre-requisite for the RMAS Cadre and for
All Arms females to complete. There are
no allocated places for this on the Platoon Sergeants Battle Course, aka Senior Brecon.
I found this out after attending the RMAS Instructor Cadre Briefing Course (ICBC), where JNCOs and SNCOs can go to if
they are interested in, or would simply like
to know more about, the role of an RMAS SNCO Instructor. This provides greater insight into this career path and I would certainly recommend it if you want to know more.
Preparing To Go
Leading up to SCBC, I was aware of the assessments I would need to pass and was training hard to ensure I prepared myself as best I could. I spoke to both male and female colleagues who had already passed this course in order to gain a better understanding of what to expect and hopefully get some hints and tips! Being RADC, our unit structure and how we operate is somewhat alien to other ‘normal’ military units and cap badges, therefore
I had to be pro-active and organise the training myself. I liaised with Training Wings at local infantry units who helped to provide the relevant kit and weapons training. I
also organised and participated in a short preparation course in Brecon a month beforehand and received support from my own CoC throughout this process.
Prior to the course, I was out tabbing every week for months, doing a lot of strength & conditioning work and out running on training areas where there were a lot of hills. It helped to have a healthy dose of my own self-induced pressure mixed with extreme determination to pass the course.
Arriving & First Week
The realisation of what I’d gotten myself into
The SCBC course conducting the 2 miler physical assessment
suddenly dawned on me when I entered
the huge conference hall full of about 150 infantry male JNCOs for the first briefing on a Sunday morning. Immediately people were looking at me wondering why I was there but I didn’t feel intimidated as I’ve worked with infantry on operational deployments and attended several male dominated courses before this. I was there to pass the course to the best of my ability and work as a team helping the members of the section out wherever possible, not being someone who is ‘jack’.
The first week we had theoretical assessments, an 8 mile tab carrying 26kg completed in under a 15 min mile pace, an individual Night NAVEX (navigational test), and numerous presentations and briefings. I was glad to have passed the 8 miler first time as this is an entry assessment that must be passed in order to continue with the course. We also had work to do in the evenings; writing orders, patrol reports and traces.
Remainder of the Course
The next few weeks comprised of Section and Platoon level attacks, reconnaissance, and fighting patrols from a Platoon harbour. We would deploy onto the Brecon training area and start with a physical assessment such as a 2 miler carrying 21kg in under 18 min. Then shortly after conducting battle prep, we would move off to start being assessed in our Command Appointments
(as Sect Comd and Sect 2IC) dealing with
the scenarios provided, some of which occurred at night and others involved casualty extractions. Within the section, we had to carry Rifles, GPMG, Sharpshooter
and NLAW. As the weeks progressed, it became more physically challenging as they tested our levels of endurance. We also had to compile patrol reports whilst on exercise; it was quite humorous seeing people putting on gloves to do this as it had to be immaculate.
Due to the outbreak of COVID 19, the arduous 8 week infantry tactics course was condensed into 5 weeks. During the course, we were confined to camp and worked weekends to bring forward some of the briefings from the last 3 weeks of the course. After the 5 weeks about 115 people passed this course. Unfortunately,
we did not get to conduct all elements of the course but the feedback I got from the lads and instructing staff showed I held my own and passed the course with a decent grade. I became the first RADC member to pass SCBC, something I’m proud of especially because this isn’t my ‘bread and butter’ but also for completing it in my thirties!
Final Thought
If I could give any advice to those who
are interested in different roles, it is to be proactive and use your initiative to find out about the roles and opportunities available to you. For instructor roles, you need
to be robust and physically fit, as other people look at you....‘Do as I do’ not ‘Do as I say’. Equally, if you are a line manager and see potential in some of your soldiers then please have a look at this, suggest instructional qualifications for them to use and find out if they are interested.
If you are a JNCO/SNCO interested in instructing at RMAS in the future, you can apply to attend the RMAS ICBC to get a better understanding. I’m also happy to speak to people through my experience so far. There are a lot of pre-requisite courses you must complete and a strict ruling that you must be Substantive Sgt for a minimum of 2 years before being able to attend the RMAS SNCO Instructor Selection Cadre itself. I’ve been preparing and completing the relevant courses for the last few years, be under no illusion it is not a quick process; you have got to want it.
Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.
Sgt Phillips on exercise in Brecon
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