Gunner to Officer in 16 Months – A Second Lieutenant’s Journey

Soon I was off on my Basic Soldier Training at ATR Pirbright and ATR Winchester. After passing out there was more training to be done with the RA Basic Signallers and High Velocity Missile (HVM) Level 2 courses. A highlight was in 2019 on the Annual Training Camp in Temby I was able to live fire a HVM.

During this time despite applying to join in the summer of 2016 I was having issues regarding getting through the front door of Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB). It felt like a game of perseverance but 3 years later in the summer of 2019, it was resolved, and I was promptly booked onto Briefing at AOSB.

For Officer selection a key learning I took away from these 3 years is the importance of promptly completing of my own administrations such as forms, supporting documents, etc. Then following up with the person responsible for actioning the next phase of the process. A weekly talk with my Candidate Support Manager (CSM) and Yong Officer Development Officer (YODA) meant I was booked on to Briefing, Mainboard and the Commissioning Couse without delay and I was one of the first notified of earlier dates.

On returning to 457 Bty I was buoyed by my pass and was congratulated but reminded of the reality; there was still a way to go until I could go to Sandhurst let alone Commission as an Officer. These words of caution served me well. They assisted in pulling my head out of the clouds and focusing on the next step in the process, Mainboard.

Following my grading a Briefing I embarked on the training to become a commissioned Officer, due to the time elapse since I was at UOTC the training I had done previously had expired. Reserve Army Officer training is made up for 4 modules (mod) named A to D. Each lasts two weeks with a Mainboard pass required to attend mod C & D. As I had already completed soldier basic training, I was allowed to skip Mod A and thus armed with my Briefing grade I was approved to go back to SUOTC so I dusted of my Pink & Black^[ii] and was enrolled onto mod B.

As well as undertaking mod B training, I needed to continue to prepare for Mainboard. Like before I used the Known Unknown Matrix to create a development plan focused on my known weakness’s, this time aided by the feedback I received at the end of Briefing; you can request a copy of the summary. Fortunately, 103 Reg RA was running Reserve Potential Officer AOSB sessions which I attended. I found these sessions extremely helpful in supplementing my personal development for Mainboard.

I attended Mainboard 13 months after passing briefing, this is rather longer that the normal, but life & coronavirus got in the way forcing plans changed. Due to Covid-19 Mainboard was run slightly differently however the skills mentioned are still relevant regardless of the duration of AOSB.

Teamwork is a critical skill in the Army, AOSB included. I didn’t appreciate how much knowledge I had about AOSB from my personal perpetrations. Not everyone in my syndicate had been a member of a UOTC or the opportunity to watch a presentation from the Vice President of AOSB. I shared my knowledge with my syndicate, others did the same and it brought us closer as a team. By working as a cohesive team, we strove to give equal opportunity for every member of the syndicate to show ourselves to the Selection Board and supported each other in group tasks. Out of my group 7 of the 8 passed, read into that what you will.

The day after leaving Westbury I received a letter stating that I had successfully passed mainboard, it had only taken 4 years! Next stop RMAS and completing my officer training (after a champaign celebration).

The exercises where longer than any I had done before with new experiences to be had by every member of the Plt. Personally, it was digging a shell scrape for my basher in our harbour area. As can be expected the field phases were arduous but throughout the course each element has its surprises and difficulties, as a team the Plt was able to overcome the challenges of the course.

Regrettably, I was unable to be part of Sovereign's Parade with my Plt. Nevertheless, I had a sense of great pride as I watched my fellow course mates march up the steps of Old College, I reflected on our accomplishments during the month we had been at Sandhurst together. This was followed by a persisted state of introspection on how I had changed over the past 4 years and 4 months.

1. The administration process’s slow down the selection pipeline. It is important to always be in contact with your candidate support manager (CSM), they are the ones who progress your application. It is critical to be at the top of their to do list, so your application doesn’t just sit in their inbox. Contact them once a week to keep the ball rolling.

2. Share your knowledge. Not everyone has the same background as you and you might know something that could be a game changer to someone else. Helping others doesn’t just feel good but others will support you when you need it.

3. Sandhurst is the name and sleep deprivation is the game! With the long days of lectures with less sleep in the evenings than you would like, it can be difficult to keep your eyes open when the lecturer starts talking about yet another Joint Service Publication that “you should read”. Taking notes in lectures was key during these days for two reasons. First it kept my mind active and thus awake. Second it helped me retain information and have a source to go back to after RMAS.

4. When at Sandhurst they talk about Known Unknown Matrix. Along my journey there were plenty unknown unknowns, normally in the form of administration and a few curve balls on exercise. But, with perseverance and flexibility I was able to adapt and overcome.

5. The Army is all about working as a team, and Sandhurst is no exception. Not everyone has the same skills or experiences, this diversity makes the team stronger. Use other people’s strengths to help with your weaknesses. Ask for help when you don’t know what to do. Work hard for your fellow OCdt’s/AOSB Candidates and they will help you in turn.