Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
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New College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst |
The
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (
RMAS), commonly known simply as
Sandhurst, is the
British Army officer initial training centre. The Academy opened its doors in 1947 in the former Royal Military College (RMC) at Sandhurst. The Academy is prestigious and has had many famous alumni including Sir
Winston Churchill. The Academy straddles the border between the counties of
Hampshire,
Berkshire and
Surrey, marked by a small stream known as the Wish Stream, after which the Academy journal is named.
Prince Harry of Wales attended Sandhurst, commissioning on 12 April 2006, and his brother
Prince William of Wales has now completed his second term there. All British Army officers, and many from elsewhere in the world, are trained at Sandhurst.
The Commissioning Course, lasting 44 weeks, must be passed by most British regular army officers before they receive their commission. It is usually preceded by the
Regular Commissions Board and followed by a further training course specific to the
Regiment or
Corps the officer will serve in. Shorter commissioning courses are run for "professionally qualified officers" (eg, doctors, dentists, nurses, vets and chaplains) and
Territorial Army officers. This shorter course, lasting just 3 weeks, is known colloquially as the 'Vicars and Tarts course.'
Sandhurst also runs a variety of other courses for officers, most notably the Late Entry Officer Course (LEOC), and has renowned academic departments staffed by civilian lecturers.
In overall charge of the RMAS is the Commandant, usually an officer of
Major-General rank, while the
Academy Sergeant Major (AcSM) is the most senior individual warrant officer in the British Army (only
Conductors of the
Royal Logistic Corps rank higher than the AcSM, but there are several of them at any one time). The RMAS has courses which start in January, May and September of each year. Each intake numbers approximately 270 students, each of whom joins a
company. There can be as many as ten companies within the RMAS at any one time, each commanded by a Major and named after a famous battle in which the British Army has fought. The company names vary but are currently :
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Falklands Company
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Imjin Company
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Malaya Company
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Blenheim Company
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The 149th Sovereign's Parade in front of Old College |
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Inkerman Company
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Waterloo Company
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Ypres Company
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Gaza Company
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The Somme Company
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Dettingen Company - the "Short Courses" mentioned above (for Territorial Army and Professionally Qualified Officers) are operated sequentially, and are each known as "Dettingen Company".
Within a company are three platoons each of thirty officer cadets, commanded by a Captain and supported by a Colour Sergeant. Dettingen Company is divided along the same lines as the regular intakes, though smaller courses may consist of only two platoons.
RMA Sandhurst was formed in 1947, from the
Royal Military Academy in
Woolwich (which trained officers for the
Royal Artillery and
Royal Engineers from 1741 to 1939) and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. Following the ending of
National Service in the UK, the RMAS became the sole establishment for initial officer training in the British Army as the Mons Officer Training School in
Aldershot was closed.
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Royal Military Academy Sandhurst website*
Regular Commissions Board website
