Graduation - Becoming an Officer

Graduating from the basic training was probably one of the highlights of my military career. We all shared an extremely high sense of accomplishment after 3 months of harsh training. We were also promoted to a higher rank. It was interesting how all of a sudden the instructors had to salut us (as their NCM ranks are below any officer rank). It was actually quite awkward for everyone. In some ways it didn't make any sense. Why does a Sargent with 20 years of military experience have to salute me? Just because I've got higher education?

The ceremony itself was a little stressful, at least for me. They picked those with better drill skills to be in the front (and I ended up one of those). However, we all did our best and everything worked out smoothly. To the untrained eye of the spectators (family and friends) we looked highly skilled and precise in our drill movements. Following the ceremony there was a reception with food and drinks. It was very interesting to meet some of my friends' families and other guests like the military veterans.

Now it was time to go home and relax, enjoy the Christmas and get ready for 8 months of French training.


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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you think that it's a good idea to go to the RMC.

Martin M said...

I think so. I met a lot of good guys who went through RMC and they had many positive comments on their experiences going through the college. But I'm pretty sure you can choose any other post-secondary institution and forces will pay for your tuition. The advantage of this is that you can choose other locations and programs. Think what you really wanna study and check if RMC offers it.