“My first step to becoming the leader that I aspire to be & what an experience….It’s a rock & roll ride but in the end, it is all worth it. It was a moment of great pride when I first saluted the national flag having passed the Drill Test & realised how precious it is to be a part of this wonderful army, responsible for the protection of the nation. Within one month, I have become the envy of my friends back home & the pride of my parents. I never thought that such would be the transformation in me; training has made me not only confront my fears but also overcome them. The training made me confident, gave me great experiences & friends for a lifetime. It’s a great feeling to know you have a buddy who is there for you & you can count on him.
The friendships you make during training are unlike anything I experienced in my school. The kind of challenges you face and successes you have created a bond that people who weren’t there just can’t understand. Training at Officers Training Academy Gaya showed me what I am truly capable of doing when I put my mind to it and drive on. The tasks we had to do gave me confidence and a feeling of accomplishment that made it all worthwhile.
Initial training is like any sport, it will wear you down after a while, especially if you start taking everything as seriously as they want you to. The secret is to keep your sense of humour and remember that you are bound to mess up – they’ll make sure of that – but as long as you give it your best, you will look back on this someday, as the leader that you come to be, and laugh.”
