Old jobs, new jobs, training and friends

Last week a contact on here shared a post reminding me and some old friends that it was 30 years ago to the day that we all started our professional lives and reported for our first day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Sandhurst is the UK's army world famous officer training centre where we spent a year learning new skills from map reading to shooting, communication, tactics, rules of war as well as lots of running, being shouted and laughing and crying, sometimes at the same time. At the time we just wanted to be soldiers, either infantry, artillery, cavalry, signals, helicopters etc. We were selected on a number of criteria but the army thought we had potential and channeled us and enhanced our strengths and developed our weaknesses into the people we have each become. Some of the skills we learnt there are now, no longer needed but are not forgotten, I use Waze to navigate, mobile to communicate and words rather than a weapon to get the job done.

Once we'd finished our initial training we all went on further specialist courses and on operations, almost all of us fighting wars or terrorism is some shape or form either domestically in Northern Ireland (yes, that was a thing) or the war on terror which this week reached its 20th anniversary, 5 times longer than WW1 and 3 times longer than WW2. Some of my friends and colleagues didn't come back, some are scared mentally or physically and the impact of their families has been immense. I count myself incredibly lucky not to have any mental scars that I am aware of, and also not to have seen some of the sights they will never forget. But it was our job, we loved it and we got on with it.

Looking back now and reconnecting with some of the team from 30 years ago brought back instant memories of camaraderie, fun and opportunities since realised that couldn't imagine at the time. What is amazing now is looking at the roles we have done since we last met and are doing now and how successful they each are in their own way. No one knew 30 years ago that in the main, our current roles would even exist and that one of us would end up as the chief data officer for the army or, you could build up and sell a highly successful security and risk company or, could own and operate hotels, be head of IT for the National Trust or lead security for part of the worlds largest airline. In my case I'm working for PwC an organisation now bigger than the army and have spent 13 years in the UAE. One of our team was from here and I see him occasionally, maybe he was one of the hooks that brought me here subconsciously?

We have each constantly but often subconsciously had to re tool, re skill or change direction, back in 1991 we came from pretty diverse backgrounds (at the time) and I've done exams, a Masters and INSEAD but none of it changes who I am. Now I have got people in my teams who weren't even born when this journey started, one from Serbia where I served, one from Russia who used to be "the enemy", Koreans, Chinese, Saudi's, endlessly cheerful Jordanians and many others. Each and everyone of them has their own skill set, and are a privilege to work with and learn from each of them. Today I had breakfast with someone I recruited, nurtured and has now gone on to greater opportunities, I couldn't be happier for him and the small part I have played in his journey.

We all have worked with difficult people and also made friends for life in the various roles. I wouldn't recognise half of the people in army picture if they walked into my office but I'd trust my life in their hands in a moment and continue our last conversation as if it was yesterday. That is something I think is unique from the army. Since then I have managed and worked with and under some amazing people in small teams and huge teams from The Queen downwards and learnt a small thing from each of them. How to do something, how not to do something. What is good, what is not so good.

What is the morale of the post? Well at Sandhurst the Motto is Serve To Lead but what we have all really done is what you actually do in battle- Improvise, Adapt and Overcome.

30 years ago I would think that I would be spending the day talking to a robot dog that can do back flips and offer me chocolates!

Thanks for the memories No3 Plt, No 1 Coy, SMC913 and the others since.