OCdts. On Parade

FINAL DAYS OF FYOP

“… the most important lesson we have learned through FYOP is teamwork.”

By: 25922 NCdt Coleman

With FYOP coming to a close, first years are anticipating a weekend of fun with their families and friends. But they are also taking time to reflect on what FYOP has taught them, what it has meant to their development as aspiring officers in the Canadian Forces, and how they have changed from the people who walked into RMC six weeks ago.

FYOP has taught many lessons; many of them were hard to learn. We learned basic military skills such as drill and deportment, but we also learned basic life skills that will apply not only to our careers as members of the Canadian Forces, but also to our lives as members of society as a whole.

Drive is something that is talked about a lot. We’ve learned throughout our six weeks here to put everything we have into everything we do, to always aim for better than our best, to always have the right attitude, to always give 100% no matter what you’re being asked to do. Something that goes along with drive is discipline. Discipline, in terms of self-discipline, is forcing your way through anything, whether you want to do it or not without complaining. It’s holding your tongue if that comment you have maybe isn’t necessary. It’s having integrity and strength of character. Drive and discipline to not often come naturally, it takes lots of work, but FYOP has helped us develop those skills.

Another thing we’ve learned to push through the pain. Physical training can push you to your limits, but we’ve discovered that our perceived limits are imaginary. You always have more left in you than you think you do. When you think you’re done you can always do another push-up or run another lap.

But the most important lesson we have learned through FYOP is teamwork. You succeed as a team or fail as a team. A team is as slow as its slowest member. It’s the team’s responsibility to push each other, encourage each other, and support each other. A fault in any individual team member is a fault in the team, unless the team compensates for it. If we had not learned to function as a cohesive whole we would not have survived this much of FYOP, without teamwork we would not be able to survive the upcoming obstacle course.

FYOP so far has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I’ve never regretted my decision to RMC. We have all grown so much since arriving here. We’ve gotten faster, sharper, smarter. I see improvement in everyone around me and in myself. FYOP has changed us all in incredibly positive ways.

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Two photos above:  Brad Lowe   Click for better viewing

Prizes and Awards  – Longtime spectators for the Saturday “Badging Parade” during Reunion Weekend would have noticed a big difference this year.

A wise decision was made to present a number of the Awards on the Wednesday morning practise preceding the big weekend.  Pictured above are a number of various deserving awards being presented by various college authorities including the Principal, Dr. Joel Sokolsky.

The Saturday parade was shortened a great deal much to the relief and delight of the many in attendance, in particular, those cadets on the parade.! The four speeches on Saturday did drag on a bit but just imagine what it would have been like if the regular number of prizes and awards had also been presented.

We bet there won’t be four speeches next year!

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