General Sir Peter Wall inspects the Territorial Army Consolidated Course Commissioning Parade [Picture: Sergeant Brian Gamble/MoD]
Last week, the first Army Reserve Officer Cadets graduated from a new eight week commissioning course being piloted at the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Vigilance can report.
According to a source at the MoD one month on from the Reserves White Paper this pilot course demonstrates the new focus on growing the Army Reserve, adding these young Officers will be part of a new era for the TA as the new Army Reserve, with improved training, benefits and equipment, and the Officer Cadets cannot wait to get stuck into Army life.
The source said the pilot course requires the Officer Cadets to immerse themselves in Army life for eight weeks, learning all the basics of military skills and the art of leadership, from weapons handling and drill to command and tactics, saying the core values of the Army are instilled into Reserve Cadets at Sandhurst in the same manner as their Regular counterparts. The same standards of selfless commitment, respect for others, loyalty, integrity, discipline and courage are expected.
Vigilance learnt the aim of the course is to enable recruits to fast-track their officer training which would usually be spread over the course of a year or more.
General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall said: “Those who volunteer to serve as Reservists in the British Army are, in my opinion, unique. It is not only the level of commitment and dedication required, but also the willingness to deploy on operations that sets them apart. These are exacting but also exciting times that will see some of the biggest changes to the Regular Army and the Reserves for many years.”
One of the Officer Cadets graduating on Saturday was Second Lieutenant Matthew Osment, 26, who is an auditor with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and he was full of praise for his employer and the TA: “It is a big commitment for my employer to let me have eight weeks off to take part in this new commissioning course, but the leadership skills I have learnt at Sandhurst have given me confidence and assurance I can take back into my day job. I have learnt how to manage and lead teams effectively under pressure and these are key skills for me to progress in the Army Reserve, which can only benefit my civilian career. I have always wanted to be an Officer in the Army Reserves. It has been tough but really enjoyable and the other Officer Cadets on the course will be friends for life.”
Second Lieutenant Osment is commissioning into the Royal Signals and will soon be leading soldiers to set up and manage communications systems on training and on operations.
The course is part of the new package on offer to Reserves. In future Reserves will be better paid - including contributions to a military pension - better trained and better equipped, as they play a greater part in the Army’s role to secure the nation in an uncertain world.