For the remaining few they now face the toughest challenge yet, putting everything they have learned into practice.
The Maritime Leadership Exercise sees the cadets living and working on picket boats on the River Dart for three and a half days. As with ABLE, they are sleep deprived and their ability to lead under pressure in adverse and unpredictable circumstances is assessed night and day. The cadets are thrown into situations where they have to think on their feet, role-playing in Defence Diplomacy, disaster relief and combat scenarios. Elaborate staged situations are set up all along the river, refugee rescues, ambushes and night time stealth missions are thrown at the cadets, and every decision they make is minutely scrutinised and could mean a pass or fail. The cadets are then assessed on how they cope with these alarming and unexpected situations.
At the end of their time on the river, exhausted, zombified, cold and wet, the cadets are put through a demanding Fred run; where they haul 16 stone dummy casualties on makeshift stretchers up the 187 steps between the college and its dock and around the college grounds.
The series culminates in the passing out parade. A huge ceremony with a flamboyant sword drill presided over by top naval officers and watched by their loved ones, it is the crowning glory of our young cadets’ lives.
Who will make it through triumphant to pass out of BRNC as Royal Navy officers, ready to take on leadership roles with the Fleet? And who will fall at the last hurdle, give in to the pressure and have to start the whole process again?
