Gunner to Officer in 16 Months – A Second Lieutenant’s Journey
By 2Lt Nathanael Pickett
PickettN428@gmail.com
The journey to becoming a Commissioned Officer into the Army is a challenging one. For some it can take longer than expected. In my case it took 4 years and 4 months from the date of my first interview to Commissioning at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). This article documents my personal journey to the Queens Commission. At the end of this article, I provide my top five skills which aided me through the process of becoming an Officer.
You might be thinking 4 years and 4 months is in fact 52 months, not the 16 advertised in the title. Before you start wondering if this Second Lieutenant is able to count, let me clarify. I shall be writing about my journey from the start of Officer Selection to the end of the Commissioning Course which took the 16 months advertised in the title. Before I talk about this journey it is important to look at my origins with the Army Reserve, in particular 457 Battery (Bty) and my soldier training.
Recruit to Gunner
I Joined 457 Bty 106 Regt Royal Artillery (RA) in November 2016 fresh out of university and having spent 2 years with Southampton University Officer Training Corps (SUOTC) while studying Civil Engineering at the University of Portsmouth. On arrival at 457 Bty I was advised that the best course of action is to undertake soldier training while my Officer application was ongoing.
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.
Army Officer Selection
ASOB looks at four core elements in all candidates that pass through the gates: Intellect, Practical Ability, Physical Ability and, Character. With this in mind when preparing for Briefing I applied the Known Unknowns Matrix[i] use by NASA mission planners to AOSB.
I identified the known elements of AOSB applying the matrix to my own abilities. Then I used this knowledge to create a personal development plan for AOSB. Further I mentally prepared myself with the understanding that despite my preparations there will be elements that are unknown to me. That I might not be capable to meet these challenges but tackle them to the best of my abilities.
Personally, my known unknown’s (weaknesses) where mental maths and mental aptitude tests. With learning resources readily available online, I focused on improving my skill at these tasks whilst maintaining my known strengths. As a consequence, the preparation paid off and I was successful at briefing being awarded a Category 1 grading.
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).
Commissioning Course Short 203
I was extremely fortunate that I was granted 4 weeks from work for training by my employer. This meant I was able to attend both Mod C & D gaining my commission on successful completion of the course. Easy… not quite.
From the start the course was unrelenting, the adage “Long Days and Short Weeks” is true. You are up early followed by a full day of lectures and lessons not finishing until late evening, at which point you still have your personal administrations to see too. I found the best way to stay engaged instead of switching off was to take notes in lectures and tutorials.
On the first morning at RMAS our Colour Sargent asked for only one thing from my Platoon (Plt): “Put in 100% effort in everything you do”. I always worked my hardest and was never gripped for failing to meet the standard. At times my best felt short of what was needed, I learnt that I could rely on those around me for help and at times it is important to seek assistance. Moreover, it was important that I supported others when needed.
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst can be a daunting place. Rich in history, steeped in traditions and with strange rules it can lead you to feeling overwhelmed. The biggest worry I had at Sandhurst was that as I am not an infanteer but a Gunner, would my field skills and drills be to the required standard?
“Put in 100% effort in everything you do”
A couple of days into the course I confided in my fellow OCdt’s about my personal worries, I was surprised to find out I wasn’t alone and that we were all concerned about aspects of the course. This sharing of worries helped bring us together as a team.
Teamwork was crucial in everything the Plt did, without teamwork the Plt would not have been able to overcome big challenges. As individuals we would not have been able to complete a casualty evacuation at the end of exercise. Nor would we have been able to complete all the smaller tasks in barracks which impacted on our day-to-day life’s.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.