Whoever said joining the Army was easy lied.
Now i know i am a strong minded and confident individual but what the AOSB Briefing just put me through was the biggest emotional rollercoaster i have ever been on.
Since i have started this process i have never questioned whether i was able or good enough to be in the army. Because i was made for the army. It is in my genes. I cannot go and work in an office and make tea for people. Thats not what i want. Or need. I need progression, I need the active lifestyle. The desire to always achieve. The responsibility. I need a job that i can be passionate about. I am a born leader and i am meant to join the British Army.
So i thought...
I arrived in Westbury Sunday evening in good time to get a good nights sleep before AOSB Briefing. However, my body two days before had decided to give up on me. So i was run down with a cold. I could not stop coughing, i could not swallow and my head was pounding. I needed the sleep.
Monday morning i wake up in a room with a girl who was also attending Briefing. I didnt really have much in common with her. She was a Genetics Major and i did politics. I dont do science. I dont talk science and i certainly dont do Morrisons. We had nothing in common. However it was nice to speak to her and know that i was somewhat more prepared than she was and i have had only known i was attending three days beforehand. She had a whole three months on me.
My mind was certainly eased to a degree however my stomach was not. Nevertheless we got the taxi into the barracks, went to our accommodation and then when to the 'Ante Room' where the rest of the 50 odd candidates were waiting. I scouted the room to see how many girls were there, there were only 5. I dont know why but this unsettled me. Mainly because i really didnt want to be in a group with one of them. It is a lot easier to boss around a group of males than a female. Especially one who has been an Officer Training Cadet or an OTC with the hand movements and everything, like the girl i ended up in a group with oh and a room with.
I had now become Brown 43. I had no name. I was just a number. In a brown team of 7.
They were a great bunch of individuals and all had HUGE personalities. This worried me. I was always a confident individual and i find it very easy to command conversations. Yet when everyone has those qualities it can be quite hard to be seen. So let me walk you through the Key points of AOSB Briefing.
The rules:
- Toilet only when told (which for some reason was never when i needed to go)
- Always be on time
- Always be in number order
- No hands in pockets or arms crossed
- No talking unless asked
- Nothing less than determination
- Always listen
- Work as a team
- NEVER answer back!!
- Always address as Sir/Maam/Staff
- Strip and make your bed
- No trainers in the Mess
1. Introduction
This involved a two minute conversation about the best thing i could talk about. ME!!
I sailed through this. After the past two weeks and the three awards and two AGMs i have spoken at public speaking was not something that bothered me.
2. Group Discussions
The topics given were:
What are the incentives of the West staying in the Middle East
Does the concept 'Big Society' actually work
Should Euthanasia be legalised
Should Israel give Syria their land back?
Does AV Work?
Must say that anyone who read the news in the last week would have aced these. However, the group did not work well at letting people speak. I can probably hold my hand up and say i spoke more than i should but to be honest i was the only one with a bloody clue. Some of the remarks that were said surprised me. How do people expect to do well if they have no basic knowledge of our government.
As a politics student i was happy with myself.
3. MAP Test
This included Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning.
It didnt help that when i got in there and was told by the Staff Sergeant not to touch the Mouse and i knocked it and was screamed at! To which i had to just accept what i done and reply courteously ' Yes Staff' 'Sorry Staff'. Not a proud moment.
However luckily other idiots did it too. Mine was genuinely a mistake. But mistakes dont happen in the army and you must accept them so i did.
Back to the MAP Test. It was rubbish. In fact it couldnt have gone worse. My worst section verbal reasoning i somehow finished. Although i held no hope for my mark. I didnt even get half way through numerical reasoning which was my strength. And Abstract reasoning well... what the hell is that all about. It all looked the same to me.
4. Planning Exercise
Basically this is a scenario where you have to get from A to B but you have aims to complete. Then there is an obstacle of some form. You have to basically analyse every little detail, write it down. Write courses of actions and make a plan whilst assessing factors. Sounds simple.
NO IT IS NOT!! Oh my it was tough, We had 40 minutes to do the exercise and i can tell you it went by so quick.
Then all of a sudden we are handing it in and he is telling us it is being marked. :(
Then as a group we have to work out the best plan. And all of our faces drop we all made vital mistakes, missed out key pieces of text. One of us even renamed a character. NIGHTMARE. What i would do if i could re do that!!
Then 5. THE INTERVIEW
- Why do you want to join the army?
- Why do you think you will be a good leader?
- Why have you never been an Army Cadet?
- Tell me about your real dad?
- Tell me about your relationship with your sisters?
- How fit are you?
- What would you have to do when you get out of Sandhurst?
- How is it going?
- What would you do if you failed? 'Try again' No failed completely Zoe you only get two chances...
- You can leave.
All with a straight face, no sign of personality, no sign of hope, NOTHING. What am i supposed to take from that.
I wanted to cry...
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