Officer Regiment selection

[MTacheKell]

Hi there,
Currently looking at my military options and exploring different avenues within the Army. At this point I am awaiting my medical for the RMR, due to my age (24) I don't believe I will be eligible for RM Officer as they only have one intake a year and they have stopped recruiting for the 2021 start date.

I have been exploring Army Officer careers and have a few questions that I was hoping you could help me with.

1).What are the dates for each intake, I have read there're three a year and I'm fairly confident in saying one is January?

2).Assuming one makes it through Sandhurst, when receiving offers from regiments will you be offered specific roles or do you just get a standard offer and then your role is sorted once with the reg. As an example, 1 rifles may offer me a light Infantry leader role where as Yorkshire a Armored infantry leader role so i would then choose which one I want to pursue?

3).I'll be the first to admit my essay writing isn't exactly top quality but I can get the job done, how highly does this factor into your overall score at Sandhurst in regards to being top of the troop etc. For someone who wants to be more front line orientated essay writing wouldn't be a top priority compared to someone in logistics?

4).Once you are with a regiment can you apply to another regiment should you wish to or is it more that you are set to stay with them through your career?

Thank you for any information given in advance.

 

[DSJ]

Hi there,
Currently looking at my military options and exploring different avenues within the Army. At this point I am awaiting my medical for the RMR, due to my age (24) I don't believe I will be eligible for RM Officer as they only have one intake a year and they have stopped recruiting for the 2021 start date.

I have been exploring Army Officer careers and have a few questions that I was hoping you could help me with.

1).What are the dates for each intake, I have read there're three a year and I'm fairly confident in saying one is January?

2).Assuming one makes it through Sandhurst, when receiving offers from regiments will you be offered specific roles or do you just get a standard offer and then your role is sorted once with the reg. As an example, 1 rifles may offer me a light Infantry leader role where as Yorkshire a Armored infantry leader role so i would then choose which one I want to pursue?

3).I'll be the first to admit my essay writing isn't exactly top quality but I can get the job done, how highly does this factor into your overall score at Sandhurst in regards to being top of the troop etc. For someone who wants to be more front line orientated essay writing wouldn't be a top priority compared to someone in logistics?

4).Once you are with a regiment can you apply to another regiment should you wish to or is it more that you are set to stay with them through your career?

Thank you for any information given in advance.

1) Correct. Sept, Jan and May.

2) A bit long in the tooth to confirm current practice. @Brotherton Lad is in a position to advise. However, you do your visits to preferred regiments, make your choices (used to be 3), interview, and then get offered a place. I don't know if you have a preference for a role or a regiment - that's something that you'll have to think on as Inf Battalions do re-role.

3) Writing is a necessary skill. Forget the image of spending the next 5-7 years leaping into trenches with a bayonet between your teeth. You'll get your 3 years as a Pl Comd and then, guess what? Desk jobs, interspersed with (if you get them) sub-unit/unit commands with even more writing & staff work required. Even during operations you will still need to be able to write succinctly, accurately and clearly. You will have a variety of range letters, exercise instructions and soldiers reports to write, and that is something that every officer needs to do irrespective of choice of Arm. Your 'top priority' should be doing as well as you possibly can in every aspect of Sandhurst training. The management bit then kicks in when you need to be and stay fit, manage your Pl/Tp, deal with admin and personnel issues, do your day job and also turn your hand to all and any extra sh1tty jobs handed your way by your OC/Adjt/CO.

4) People do transfer. It would seem odd to be thinking about that already, but it's not unknown. I'd suggest that looking at doing so soon after joining a regiment will raise eyebrows.

More than happy to be corrected by people who are more familiar with the current system at RMAS. Good luck.

 

[MTacheKell]

1) Correct. Sept, Jan and May.

2) A bit long in the tooth to confirm current practice. @Brotherton Lad is in a position to advise. However, you do your visits to preferred regiments, make your choices (used to be 3), interview, and then get offered a place. I don't know if you have a preference for a role or a regiment - that's something that you'll have to think on as Inf Battalions do re-role.

3) Writing is a necessary skill. Forget the image of spending the next 5-7 years leaping into trenches with a bayonet between your teeth. You'll get your 3 years as a Pl Comd and then, guess what? Desk jobs, interspersed with (if you get them) sub-unit/unit commands with even more writing & staff work required. Even during operations you will still need to be able to write succinctly, accurately and clearly. You will have a variety of range letters, exercise instructions and soldiers reports to write, and that is something that every officer needs to do irrespective of choice of Arm. Your 'top priority' should be doing as well as you possibly can in every aspect of Sandhurst training. The management bit then kicks in when you need to be and stay fit, manage your Pl/Tp, deal with admin and personnel issues, do your day job and also turn your hand to all and any extra sh1tty jobs handed your way by your OC/Adjt/CO.

4) People do transfer. It would seem odd to be thinking about that already, but it's not unknown. I'd suggest that looking at doing so soon after joining a regiment will raise eyebrows.

More than happy to be corrected by people who are more familiar with the current system at RMAS. Good luck.

Appreciate the reply,

1). Perfect, thank you

2). I understand there is a element as to what is available at each regiment, I've read that you get offers to different jobs so was curios.

3).Don't get me wrong I understand how important writing is and that typically a officers career will eventually lean towards the desk jobs. Though the admin side of the role will be something learnt along the way. There is not a lot of information online (At least that I can find) regarding the written/ theoretical aspects of training.

4).Was more a curiosity, I'm northern west based however would be looking to join a Reg somewhere else to broaden my horizons. As you say a officer eventually finds a desk so was more thinking should that time come would there be a possibility to move closer to home where the family is.

 

[DSJ]

Appreciate the reply,

1). Perfect, thank you

2). I understand there is a element as to what is available at each regiment, I've read that you get offers to different jobs so was curios.

3).Don't get me wrong I understand how important writing is and that typically a officers career will eventually lean towards the desk jobs. Though the admin side of the role will be something learnt along the way. There is not a lot of information online (At least that I can find) regarding the written/ theoretical aspects of training.

4).Was more a curiosity, I'm northern west based however would be looking to join a Reg somewhere else to broaden my horizons. As you say a officer eventually finds a desk so was more thinking should that time come would there be a possibility to move closer to home where the family is.

All different regiments/corps will pitch their wares telling you what they are and what they do. As for the current written work, no doubt there is an ARRSER here who is either at RMAS or just finished who can fill you on on what to be ready for.

As for postings, suggest you read "The Moon is a balloon" by David Niven to see the wonderful vagaries of postings hard at work - SMEs at hammering square pegs into round holes (On commissioning, Niven wrote 'anywhere but the HLI' as his regiment of choice... and got the HLI). Something very similar happened to me.

MCM need to fill roles and wont necessarily give two sh1ts about your proximity to home. Again, if that has changed then fair enough.

 

[Brotherton Lad]

Appreciate the reply,

1). Perfect, thank you

2). I understand there is a element as to what is available at each regiment, I've read that you get offers to different jobs so was curios.

3).Don't get me wrong I understand how important writing is and that typically a officers career will eventually lean towards the desk jobs. Though the admin side of the role will be something learnt along the way. There is not a lot of information online (At least that I can find) regarding the written/ theoretical aspects of training.

4).Was more a curiosity, I'm northern west based however would be looking to join a Reg somewhere else to broaden my horizons. As you say a officer eventually finds a desk so was more thinking should that time come would there be a possibility to move closer to home where the family is.

Yes. 3 intakes a year. The Sep and Jan ones are 9 Platoons and the May one is 6 Pls for the Regular course (so about 270 cadets and 190 for the May intake - recently all of these have been full with a waiting list).

I'm not intimately involved with the selection process but my son commissioned last August. The usual routine is something like this (all currently subject to Covid restrictions, sadly).

Early on, try to visit units before you even arrive, then in the first term you can make expressions of interest for particular cap-badges. In the Inters term you would normally get Regimental visits so you and the Regt can weigh each other up and then you have to go for two choices. If you join a large Regt or Corps, they will decide which unit you will be posted to. Of course, you can express a preference, hence the need for visits and a decent interview.

Regimental Selection Boards are at about the 12 week point in that term. Cadets who do not get either of those 2 choices go into clearing (a bit like getting into university). RMAS berets and badges are swapped for Regtl ones during the final exercise in the third term.

Academic work is an important part of the course, just as physical fitness and military skills are. Good luck!

Covid is making this process complicated and the situation remains dynamic.