Sandhurst

I just heard on the radio news that Wills starts Sandhurst tomorrow.

So how military is Sandhurst? Is it like our West Point here in the USA?

Joseph McMillan...

Very military. It is the equivalent of West Point, although with a
somewhat different training philosophy (congruent with the differing
cultures and traditions of the two armies), a course that lasts only
one year instead of four, and no bachelor's degree at the end. (A
portion of the cadets already have university degrees before attending
Sandhurst.)

Joseph McMillan

Hal S....

The Point and Sandurst are entirely different types of institutions, and
they are not equivalent institutions nor intended to be. The Point is a
four-year degree granting institution. Only a fraction of U.S. Army officers
graduate from West Point. A much greater number gain their commissions
through ROTC or other officer training programs. Sandhurst, a requirement
for all British Army officers, is much more akin to the U.S. Army War
College.

Joseph McMillan...

Oh really? This makes me wonder if you could possibly have a clue what
the U.S. Army War College is: an advanced (master's-level) course in
military strategy for officers in the grades of lieutenant colonel and
colonel with 15-20 or more years of service, not a pre-commissionining
course. It is not remotely comparable to Sandhurst. (And, no, neither
is Command and General Staff College.)

only one year instead of four, and no bachelor's degree at the end"?
One might argue that Sandhurst is the British equivalent of the U.S.
Army Officer Candidate School at Ft Benning, but that course lasts only
3 1/2 months (compared to a 9-month academic "year" at Sandhurst) and
presupposes previous completion of a college degree. I repeat: West
Point is the nearest counterpart in the U.S. Army to what Sandhurst is
in the British Army, and vice versa, the differences in their relative
prominence as sources of commissioned officers and in the duration of
their programs notwithstanding.

cj.buyers...

No, the Sandhust student is only an officer cadet. If he passes the
course, he then receives his commission.

As I have stated elsewhere, 85 % of those who arrive at Sandhurst as
officer cadets have already graduated and received degrees.

The system is different in the two countries. The UK does not have a
system of military degree granting institutions. The system here is
still based on the idea of a university providing a "universal"
education where everyone, whatever their speciality, is expected to be
exposed to those of other callings.

A similar principle pertains to those training for the Church, the vast
majority of whom read theology in ordinary universities. Lawyers,
accountants, actuaries, all go on to train for their professions in
specialist institutions after gratuation from a university.

Hal S.

cj.buyers...

According to the Ministry of Defence website 85% of officer cadets
arrive at Sandhurst as graduades. Many of them, having spent some time
with the University Officers' Training Corps, or in the equivalent
corps run by the other services.

cj.buyers...

According to the Ministry of Defence, 85% of officer cadets who arrive
at Sandhurst are graduates. Many of them also having served in the
Officers' Training Corps at university, or the sister forces run by the
other services.

Have other royals gone there? I think both Alphonso XII and Napoleon IV
attended.

Sacha...

Is this a serious question? It can't possibly be, surely? "How military is
Sandhurst?"! Had you thought of looking at the web site of Sandhurst?

When King Hussein of Jordan was at Sandhurst he was put on report for some
very minor misdemeanour and was addressed by the Sergeant as "Mr King sir,
you are a 'orrible lazy little King"......

george.w.russell...

There are various versions, it seems. One has the sergeant-major
shouting on the parade ground: "King Hussein, sir, you're the most
horrible king I've ever come across. Get off my square." I thought I
read that Hussein alluded to it in a biography but I don't have the
text. Nice story, either way. The king may reign, but the
sergeant-major rules.

Sacha...

By coincidence, the story is repeated in today's Daily Telegraph. Of
course, Sandhurst's sergeants are famous for their ferocity and when Prince
Harry joined, his sergeant was quoted as saying "I will call him 'sir' and
he will call me 'sir' but only one of us will mean it." ;-)

george.w.russell...

And to add to the confusion, Country Life magazine ran a book review
last month which offered yet another version:

Sacha...

There were, indeed, newspaper reports that the prince was chewed out for
'lounging'!

Cheers,

George W. Russell
Bangalore

From the BBC web site:
"Last Updated: Sunday, 8 January 2006, 15:29 GMT

Prince set for battle

Prince William has arrived at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in
Surrey where he will begin his army career.

The 23-year-old, who is second in line to the throne, is the most senior
royal in recent history to train there.

Prince Charles accompanied his son to the elite military academy, where
William's younger brother Harry is half-way through officer training.

Prince William passed his Regular Commissions Board (RCB) to gain entry to
the college, last October.

At the time he said: "I am absolutely delighted to have got over the first
hurdle, but I am only too well aware, having spoken so much to Harry, that
this is just the beginning.

"I am really looking forward to taking my place alongside all the other
cadets at Sandhurst."

They have been used to working for four hours a day and sleeping for 20,
and we reverse that.

On Sunday the academy's commandant, Gen Andrew Ritchie, told BBC News that
William's decision to attend was a "great privilege for Sandhurst and the
Army".

As a 23-year-old recent graduate, the prince was "very typical of the young
men and women joining today", Gen Ritchie added.

"They have been used to working for four hours a day and sleeping for 20,
and we reverse that," he joked.

William would be woken at 0600 GMT on Monday and issued with his kit, Gen
Ritchie told BBC News.

And, despite sporting a relatively short-back-and-sides on his arrival, the
prince "may well receive another haircut" the commandant added.

Senior officers and palace officials will have to decide where the
King-in-waiting can be deployed.

In an interview in 2004, Prince William - who will eventually become the
head of Britain's armed forces - said he did not want to be protected from
military life.

"I'd want to go where my men went and I'd want to do what they did," he
said.

Prince Harry has said he is looking forward to the fact that as a new
recruit his older brother will have to salute him when he arrives.

mrelliottca...

I've always heard the anecdote as the Sergeant saying "King Hussein,
sir! You're a lazy monarch, Sir!"