Point/Counterpoint: Are the Service Academies in Trouble?

[JMA]

Quote:
Originally Posted by William F. Owen
I recently asked one of the Sandhurst Staff how many got failed out of the course and he told me, that it wasn't their job to fail people, but develop them. - This is fundamentally disagree with.

Concur. Much depends on the attitude of the company commander, the laddie beside me sacked 5 of his cadets when he was company commanding at Sandhurst. Combat arm DS tend to be more demanding at Sandhurst, especially of those who aspire to join the combat arms.

Yes and no. My opinion is that it is up to the initial selection process (OSB) to get it mostly right so that the course staff could concentrate on taking the students to their potential (as much as you can do in such a short period.) I got intensely irritated when presented with obvious hopeless cases from the outset.

Better to have half the size of the course and have a better pass rate of better trained and exercised young officers than to carry passengers along for the ride for no purpose.

I liked the idea the Selous Scouts had when they trained some National Servicemen (yes believe it or not even they needed to top up with 18 year olds). They took them directly on a physical selection course where they were placed under constant stress for a period of a month where they learned bushcraft and the like. A great test of character. 99% of those who made the first month passed out I understand.

Now (at last) here is a good use for Kenya. Take the cadets out there for a month where they will do just enough drill to get from A to B, do all the field craft/bushcraft stuff, do the basic personal weapon training stuff, mix in a lot of endurance and team work issues, cover the map reading etc etc

So effectively you cover:

TO1 Demonstrate combat fitness
TO2 Handle and fire platoon weapon systems (rifle and LMG)
TO3 Navigate across country
TO4 Apply battlefield first aid
TO5 Carry out basic fieldcraft
TO12 Lead Individual and Team Training (adventure training, cadet platoon projects, sports et al)
add Intro to tracking.
Plus many of the leadership aspects.

After one month they will have had the best/most interesting/most enjoyable training they will ever have and you will have sorted the men from the boys.

I say its a bargain. (I'll be available for the hot season say November