As an applicant for RMC Duntroon, are you prepared for the reality?   From personal experience, it is well contrary to Army Recruitment (ADF Careers) and its glorifying officer image marketing.

It reads:

“If you have ambition and commitment, and enjoy taking charge in a team environment, you could make an excellent General Service Officer. On graduation from RMC you’ll be assigned* to one of twelve branches (corps) of the Army.”

Training Outcomes:

“At RMC you’ll undertake 18 months of expert leadership training, or 12 months if you’re an Australian Defence Force Academy graduate.  You’ll finish RMC with the skills and knowledge required to lead a platoon of soldiers in your assigned corps, in one of these roles”:

We’ve duly edited and claused RMC’s promo list, thus:

• [default Infantry Officer]
• [default Infantry Officer]
• Armoured Officer  [but only if you’re recommended from an officer within this Corps]
• Artillery Officer [but only if you’re recommended from an officer within this Corps]
• Helicopter Pilot [but only if you’ve flown helicopters already, and pass the simulation test first go, without crashing]
• [default Infantry Officer]
• Catering Officer  [but only if you’re pre-qualified in cookery from TAFE]
• Electrical and Mechanical Engineer [but only if you’re pre-qualified from Uni]
• [default Infantry Officer]
• Engineering Officer [but only if you’re pre-qualified from Uni]
• [default Infantry Officer]
• [default Infantry Officer]
• Intelligence Officer [but only if you attained a high ATAR ranking in HSC]
• [default Infantry Officer]
• Medical Officer [but only if you’ve got a medical degree already]
• Military Police Officer  [but only if you were Head Bully at high school]
• [default Infantry Officer]
• Ordnance Officer
• Signals Officer  [but only if you have an IT background already]
• Transport Officer [but only if you’ve driven trucks]
• [else by default Infantry Officer]

 

* NOTE:  RMC graduates have no choice of to which corps they get assigned.  The Army is known to renege on its undertakings at the time of recruitment.  The 70% default corps assignment is ‘INFANTRY OFFICER’.

Wise up.  Don’t believe the Army marketing con…

Junior Recruit [3rd Class] arrival from Day 1:

…from a staff cadet’s personal experience…

RMC Army Officer ‘Training’ v ‘Old Duntroon Discipline’

A clear distinction is warranted here between RMC-D Duntroon’s ‘training‘ and ‘discipline‘.

The ‘old’ Duntroon discipline bully-boy culture is unique to RMC.   It’s low-life bullying and modelled upon a recurring cultural regime from this Royal Military College’s inception back in 1911 before The Great War.  In turn, before that, ‘old’ Duntroon discipline bully-boy culture remains to this day a hangover from bastardising ‘toughening-up’ indoctrinating practices drawn from archaic 18th and 19th Century old Army officer cadet schools overseas.  Do your own online research.

[A]     RMC’s (official) Basic Infantry Platoon Commander Training

RMC Duntroon’s headline official Basic Infantry Platoon Commander Training is marketed to potential new recruit applicants into a range of skill-sets grouped into three training progress classes, six months per class over a total of 18 months before graduation:

1. 3rd Class (months 1 to 6):        RMC speak is    “Acquire Foundational Military Skills” [101 ‘grunt’ skills, daily parade march, nightly bogging boots and greens, clean rifle, get fit, do as told ]
2. 2nd Class (months 7 to 12):     RMC speak is:   “Plan operations and command and lead up to 40 (infantry) soldiers at the platoon level” [bullying techniques, fill in forms, 102 FEX stuff]
3. 1st Class (months 13 to 18):     RMC speak is:   “Command and lead an (infantry) platoon in complex warfare environments” [able to radio in an airstrike, t-bones and beer].

(See summary of ‘official’ training listed below)

Command?  Lead an infantry platoon?  Army Leader?

Such ‘official’ RMC Army officer training is imparted exclusively by RMC’s Army officers (ex-Duntroon graduated) and by Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs).   The training is imparted either on RMC’s Parade Ground, else around RMC’s dedicated training grounds on the campus site, else out on Field Exercises (FEX) at the Army’s nearby bushland Majura Training Area situated outside Canberra, and Mogo State Forest south of Batemans Bay.

[B]    RMC’s in-barracks (unofficial) Disciplining Culture

Whereas, RMC’s In-barracks (unofficial) Disciplining Culture routinely prescribes military bastardisation techniques remain entrenched historically and characterised as follows:

A.  Such RMC bastardisation techniques remain hatefully bullying, sadistic – physically, psychologically, and in the case of junior female recruits – sexually orientated, so maintaining the compliant male group think status quo culture over decades to control and direct Army protocols/rules

B.  Such RMC bastardisation techniques remain exclusively delegated by ex-Duntroon commanding officers (from the RMC Commandant down), and executed by senior cadets upon junior cadets  (they had it done to them as junior recruits, so the bullying culture pervades)

C.  Such RMC bastardisation techniques take place mostly inside company barracks, so out-of-sight, and often at night (outside schedule training hours)

D.  The supposed purpose of these bastardisation techniques being to serve RMC Duntroon’s acculturation policy for new recruits, being for senior cadets to:

(1) Indoctrinate junior cadets to being blindly obedient, like-minded, and lackie subservient to Army command group-think, thus indoctrinated for future wars that they never disclose immoral acts in the field/battle, rather hold paramount the Army’s reputation and traditions; so be career rewarded by senior officer Brass ranks for ongoing promotion for loyalty

(2) Weeding out junior recruit non-conformers and any identified displays of individualism

(3) Perpetuate RMCs inter-generational sadistic and intimidating bullying culture, since 1911, and to pass this culture on to incoming recruits who make the grade.

From personal experience as an RMC Duntroon recruit, firstly don’t expect what the Army tells you from their Recruitment Office, nor at any time during the RMC Selection Board (testing and interview) process.  They’re desperate for new recruits and so will tell you anything to convince you that RMC-D is the top institution for leadership training.

That is, if at your youthful naïve age (18-23) you presume that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) can only be the best way to go to excel in leadership training and experience to get to the leadership top.  The fact is that hardly any ex-military officers fit into Civvy leadership roles after they leave the Military – such as in corporate management, business entrepreneurs, small business management.   Try applying Army parade order shouting skills in a corporate workplace and you’ll be quickly be confronting a law suit against bullying and harassment of an employee in the workplace, and expose your employer negatively in media headlines.

---

 

So why risk RMC-Duntroon and tolerating and succumbing to its notorious bullying reputation?  Why undertake an Army career for say a few years, before thinking you can then readily transition straight away into an equivalent corporate leadership career in Civvy life?   Such is Army recruitment myth and PR lure to recruits (from one’s own experience).

Instead, wise up young, seek quality independent career counselling and conceptually consider a Plan B…

Such as taking a gap year to travel INDEPENDENTLY, take risks and mature, then here’s a few Plan B options BEFORE you turn 20:

Try before you buy:

• Undertake a comprehensive professional medical, health, and fitness tests
• Do a professional psychometric test with follow up analysis
• If fit enough, explore local commercial boot camps fitness training course options, then choose and do the best certified one
• Research joining the ADF Reserve part-time (Army/Navy/Air Force)  – chat freely with Reservist members first
• Re-consider Civvy management/leadership academic course alternatives in Australia – an example below:

In Australia, currently a lead manager of a corporation of say 200 employees or so, being a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), one can typically earn an annual salary of between $185K and $225K, and the median age bracket is  statistically between 45 – 54 years of age.  However, capable and dedicated individuals gaining targeted industry management experience and expertise, complemented with smartly acquiring relevant recognised academic credentials (such as an approved MBA) plus dedicated targeted self-improvement, can reduce that age back to one’s mid-30’s.

Consider in Civvy life:

SOURCE:  https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/role/chief-executive-officer/salary

 

 

Back to Army…what does an equivalent leader at age 30 something expect to earn?

So after graduating from Duntroon Army officer training and bastardisation indoctrination at typically age 22, expect after 10 years service at age 32 to may be considered for the Army rank of Major.   What is typical the job of a Major in the Australian Army?

Should one manage to cut the Duntroon training regime to learn to kill and at night-time succumb to its indoctrination mustard, graduate and then commit to appeasing those bullies ranked above you, at the end of the day the Army pay is way substandard to that earned by a Civvy corporate leader.   The only perks in the Army are that they dress, house and feed you, but just as is a prisoner serving time.

In the military, you will get adrenaline, field and Third World adventures, injuries, PTSD but rewarded by service medals gifted your way whilst in ‘service’.  Upon eventual resignation from Army don’t expect a golden handshake, or CEO-scale compensation payout – they typically pre-arrange such financial compensation bonuses and exit payouts with their employer in advance with clever law firms.  Try that in Army!

And in Army, no matter how much rank you seek, you’ll never attain the deserved family lifestyle of a Civvy CEO – mansion, luxury cars, yacht, first class travel, etc:

In comparison to a flexible, independent and indulgent corporate life, in which one’s family is respected and one is not shot at, Army pays squat.

The current 2023 salaries payable to an Army Major (without law firm negotiation options) – well, try $123K (in peacetime) to $173K (in wartime , but at least you get to adorn more left chest medals).

Consider that whilst serving one’s country is of course a noble profession, putting one’s life and sanity on the line in wartime, which after all is the sole training purpose of RMC Duntroon.  But consider being forever housed in Army flat housing, regularly relocated anywhere at the Army’s beck and call, and a work life often distant from family so BYO sheets of postal stamps to write home.

Frankly, if you’re a hardcore macho killer type, look the military part (rock-up shaven with short haircut, bright eyed bushy tailed, keen, be a ‘yes man’), then play the Army recruitment game and answer a multi-guess test to what you reckon they wanna hear, and are half fit, then you’re almost a cert!   Then practice making a foot bridge across a fake watercourse using limited kit – like a supplied rope, some planks, old car tyre, and other eclectic stuff from the tip.

Secondly, as a junior recruit (first six months) best not to bring anything of value to Duntroon unless you are prepared to have it found during a cultural late night ‘bishing’ (a room raid mess up and property search) on your quarters by several senior cadets – “no-one expects the Spanish Inquisition!”   Then anything of value and special paraded on show by the senior cadets to the company, never see it again – think photos of your loved ones, credit cards, certificates or awards (original or copies), your private car, cash, any jewellery, Vaseline, high-end luxury clothing items, etc.   Absolutely nothing of personal value – it will get paraded/trashed/stolen!

Thirdly, upon arrival at Duntroon don’t expect any congratulations for being specially accepted into the Royal Military College Duntroon, nor any formal welcome.

Once inside Duntroon’s military-only gates and ordered off the mandatory Army bus transport, recruits upon arrival are quickly herded to the pre-assigned staff cadet training company barracks (named after historic battles by the Australian Army – in chronological order:

1. Gallipoli
2. Romani
3. Kokoda
4. Alamein 
5. Kapyong
6. Long Tan

[NOTE:  ‘Romani’ is named after the little known Battle of Romani  [3-5 Aug 1916] involving the ANZAC Mounted Division troops defending the Suez Canal during The Great War]

No!  Day One at Duntroon, new recruits (starting Third Class) are disrespectfully treated presumably all as being default undeserving Civvy scum!

Duntroon Drill Sergeant:

“Listen here! Look here!  Now you lot, line up on this line, look only to the front, stand still, arms down, don’t move!”  (Drill sergeant Army text-book regurgitated spiel, spiel, spiel…)   Are you “YOU FUCKING LOW-LIFE FOURTHIE STAFF CADET SCUMBAG MAGGOT!” really ready for disappointment, persecution, bastardisation and much worse in this man’s Army?   Haven’t you got anything better to do with your miserable civvy life?  No?”

 

So, this is your initial shock induction indoctrination to RMC Duntroon.  It sets the culture of junior staff cadet training for the next six months plus.  Enjoy!

[NOTE:  A “fourthie” is a junior staff cadet labelled by RMC senior cadets, that harks to the ‘old’ Duntroon days (1911-1985) in which Army officer training extended over four years and included a university degree along with the military training.  Since then all training is abbreviated and rushed because the Army is desperate for recruits both at basic enlistment ranks as well as officer recruits.   During ‘old’ RMC Duntroon [1911-1985] a ‘fourthie’ was the derogratory term applied to junior (freshmen) cadets by senior cadets (that is 1st Class, 2nd Class, 3rd Class senior cadets) towards freshmen 4th Class junior cadets.

A “fourthie was considered by default a civilian, incompetent, naive, and unworthy of being a future Army officer until proven otherwise.  It was a bullying tactic to weed out the perceived weak and non-conformist ‘fourthies’.  Senior were then (and still are) delegated by Duntroon Brass to have free reign to indoctrinate ‘fourthies’ after-hours by dispatching gang ritual sadistic bastardisation practices at whim, invariably within company barracks out of sight, and informally allowed to get away with such practices.]

A prospective recruit to join the military, may be young (aged 18-23), medically perfectly healthy, supremely fit and athletic, and achiever with a high IQ, keen to join up, dedicated to serving one’s nation, have built up military-focused skill-set since childhood, have become a good team player, a recognised natural leader, be smart, empathetic with others, have perhaps already briefly trained in a reserve branch of the military, and even have a college or university qualification.

So presenting as a perfect candidate for military leadership training, like for the Royal Military College at Duntroon in Canberra?

From such experience are you at such a self-confident capacity with an almost limitless choice of career options at your feet, so prepared at RMC to:

• Be constantly shouted at
• Be bullied
• Be belittled
• Be psychologically conditioned
• Be bastardised
• Be physically tortured
• Surrender your self worth
• Submit to sadistic acts against others to retain gang/tribal membership
• Cop censoring
• Pretend that such indoctrination to attain ‘officer’ class is justifiable
• Live up to your family and friends expectations of ‘officer’ class irrespective
• Go on to serve in combat – witness and experience trauma
• Engage in murder
• Return with permanent disability
• Become emotionally damaged
• Be diagnosed with PTSD
• Become an alcoholic
• Have lifetime depression and feelings of suicide

Army Recruitment’s outline of the 18-month Army officer course at RMC Duntroon reads thus [comments in brackets]:

First 6 Months [‘Third Class’ Junior Cadet]

DUNTROON QUOTE:  “Acquire foundational military skills and learn to command and lead at the section level.”   [this session is easier to cope without underpants]

“Initial cadet training at Majura, Canberra, is the first part of what’s called ‘third class’.   You will be taught the foundational military skills to perform as a team member in a rifle section, receiving training in:

• • The basics of being a member of the Army [indoctrinated to obey to do anything a senior cadet /officer tells you to do, no matter how ludicrous, depraved, bastardising, sadistic]
  • Leadership and military ethics [negative leadership bullying and gang immorality] 
  • First aid  [rushed and useless]
  • Communication including radio use [obsolete equipment used]
  • Navigation  [rushed and useless] 
  • Basic field tactics [80% time spent in barracks bogging, ironing, practising nurses corners and ironing sheets when making bed]
  • Service rifle operation [rushed and useless]
  • Light support weapon operation [by watching others]
  • Grenade launcher operation [never happened]
  • Combat fitness [legs only, so you can run and shoot]

On completion of initial cadet training you’ll learn to command and lead at the section level.  By the end of third class you will be able to command and lead a section of up to 10 soldiers in the field environment.”

 

The Reality:

But that’s the ‘on-paper’ outcomes.  In reality, such training is superficial, substandard, rushed, dealt with on very few occasions just top check a box completion – like: “yep, that’ll do”.

More so, most of your time at Duntroon is spent ‘bogging’ and marching around like toy soldiers until you’re senseless.

Second 6 Months  [‘Second Class’ Senior Cadet]

DUNTROON QUOTE:  “Second class’ training will teach you to plan operations and command and lead up to 40 soldiers at the platoon level.  [under sufferance with no mutual respect]

You will act as commander in a variety of field exercises and combat simulations designed to reflect conventional war fighting environments, leading both offensive and defensive operations.  [getting the fourthies to shout at the Bin]

This phase has a strong focus on military tactics and learning the theory of employing different types of Army capability. Other areas of focus will include:

• • Writing and presenting verbal briefs   [they still use PowerPoint slides and butcher paper]
  • Learning how to write military documents   [with extreme prejudice]
  • Continuing to learn to use military technology   [tribal slang – ‘bish’, ‘bearded clam’, ‘BIN rat’, ‘drillie ambush’, ‘fourthy teller’, ‘squid’, ‘suck the zeds”, etc ]
  • Conducting more complex range practices   [clusterfuck confusion, but still a tick-a-box pass]
  • Supervising equality and diversity in the workplace  [tokenistic tick-a-box training akin to religious instruction of yore]
  • Conducting risk assessments in a Defence environment   [‘Fourthie’ room inspections in barracks]
  • Operating communication systems and equipment   [just use your app, up the back]
  • Learning more about each specialist area (Army corps) [wish-list assignments]  [‘suck the zeds’ tick-a-box pass for fronting up to the lectures]

Third 6 Months  [‘First Class’ Senior Cadet]

[Hey, Army loans you a parade sword]

QUOTE:  “First class training will prepare you to command and lead a platoon in complex warfare environments, and includes working with combined arms (different military capability sharing the battle space).

Your knowledge of military tactics and leadership will be further developed in complex urban operations and larger scale exercises, which may involve equipment such as tanks and helicopters. These are designed to challenge any physical and mental barriers, and mark your final preparation for being commissioned as a Lieutenant.

During this final stage you will learn to:

• Command a platoon in a complex environment  [‘complex’ = clusterfuck, but at least you get checked off as ‘participated’ on paper]
• Gather and analyse information under pressure  [directed by senior cadets on the turps, best undertaken after caffeinated TOC]
• Apply leadership and people management skills  [aka bastardisation, as long practised on fourthies]
• Conduct urban operations training using Army techniques and procedures  [Regular Bin sessions in Civic including boat racing, – “now here’s the manual and answers, so read it and then we’ll ask some multi-guess questions”]
• Work with and assist culturally diverse people in simulated operational environments  [You get to wear purple at LGBT+ Morning Teas, and participate in Wear It Purple Day (WIPD) ‘activities’ back in the barracks – depravity only limited by your imagination!  HEP-B vaccination advised.]
• Use resources effectively to achieve optimal results  [bish the fourthies again]
• Operate weapon systems such as the hand grenade and rocket propelled grenade  [aimed at senior cadets]
• Lead basic range practices  [a day off on the firing range – you choose – from paintball to 50 cal.]
• Manage soldier welfare issues in a simulated work environment [bishing the fourthies]
• Command a parade and use a ceremonial sword”  [practise looking like a dapper toy soldier for graduation passing out parade in front of adoring parents.  Mandatory three cans of spray starch]

 

By the time you graduate from RMC, you will have acquired the skills, knowledge and values to enjoy a fulfilling and highly-respected role as an officer in the Army. You will be assigned to a specific ‘branch’ of the Army known as a corps, where you’ll put into practice all that you’ve learned at RMC.  Exactly which corps will depend on your preference, your performance, and competition for roles.”   

Read on…

What to Expect at Duntroon:

 

• From Day 1, personal disrespect toward you as a junior recruit [Third Class staff cadet] . Each Duntroon ‘Class’ training duration last six months, there being three classes, because Duntroon is classist like the Army.  Old Duntroon had four training classes, one per year over four years and provided a university degree as well.  Since 1987, RMC has been fast-tracked, rushed, and a  watered down infantry officer focused institution. None of the other Army Corps options are ever introduced during training.
• Your enthusiasm and hopes to be undermined by ‘negative leadership’  (research this term)
• You’ll learn how to iron better than your mother – any extraneous creases will score your a penalty show parade, especially a crease parallel to the stitchline across the back top of a shirt!

• You’ll learn how to restore and polish old hack Army boots so that in your toe top is a mirror to see your teeth

• You’ll learn how to fold your socks – Duntroon ‘Sad Face’ style only! (see above)
• An Army haircut, issue of uniforms, kit.  Assault rifles without ammunition feature weeks later
• Hateful attitude to towards you, by (1) Senior Cadets (mainly within your assigned training company, and (2) by envious NCO trainers  (who know you will be their boss in 18 months time , should you graduate as a Second Lieutenant (Army officer)
• Repeated shouting in your face while looking to a spot in front of you, and cop ringing in the ears, and to thank the bully for the experience
• Belittling and aggressive put-downs – mostly within the hallways of the training company barracks
• Intimidation:  despite being Army Selection Board qualified, such status is on Day 1 on arrival at Duntroon – “your arse is ours now scumbag”
• Compulsory conformism – if you stand out, or are non-conformist or question in anyway, expect to quickly be targeted for bully mistreatment.  Dear wear flouro Nike branded runners and you’re just asking for it – midnight room ‘bishing’ then violent gang extraction into the bear pit of the nearby assault course, copping a fire hose dousing, with joking laughs by the surrounding senior cadets celebrating this bastardising performance watching on then victim left to escape out of the 8 foot deep bear pit solo at 2am
• Bullying daily
• Indoctrination by punishment, sleep deprivation, threats, parade preparatory chores (bogging, ironing, polishing one’s uniform to the nth degree daily into the wee hours ), candle burning before reveille at 6:15am mandating junior cadets that within 30 seconds to be awake, our of bed and standing at attention outside one’s room in the barracks hallway with the bed-sheet over your left shoulder and usually not wearing much, denial of your privacy in quarters 24/7, penalty additional ‘Show Parades’, meal times rigorously restricted in the Mess Hall to 10 minutes, supervised drunken binges (boat races) off campus at weekends, restricted college access areas 24/7, bullying censorship of senior cadets bastardisation and threat of worse mistreatment, should any complaint be made to Duntroon Command – thereafter you instantly become senior cadet bastardation target Number One!  [Duntroon Brass Command and Senior Cadets are informally (nudge-nudge wink-wink) in cahoots to weed out junior recruit deemed non-conformist].  This is irrespective of the Selection Panel’s testing, approval and recommendation of the said recruit to be accepted into Duntroon.  Upon arrival at Duntroon all that means nothing.
• Sadistic bastardisation mistreatment as an ‘unworthy’  junior staff cadet in barracks by senior staff cadets on a daily/nightly routine ritual – institutionally sanctioned by Duntroon’s Brass management upon every six monthly intake of recruits since Duntroon’s since back in 1911
• Civil society rules are now out the door, “we own you”. “If you get through this next six months you’ll be lucky because you’re our patsy”.  Many resign after realising that the Army system is biased and all-powerful against any individual and shall be throughout their Army career after graduation – some individuals just take longer to realise this than others.

 

 

 

What not to expect at Duntroon:

• Positive leadership
• Don’t expect to be welcomed or treated as a potential Army leader
• Don’t expect any personal respect from Day 1 toward you as a junior recruit.
• Senior cadets in your assigned training company are the enemy to be wisely wary and feared, despite them being of similar age and only 6-12 months ahead of you at RMC Duntroon
• Don’t expect most of what you might have expected before and upon application by ADF Recruitment
• Don’t expect to realise your expectations of any perceived best practice standards of the Duntroon Staff Cadet Corps  ‘Officer and Gentleman’ idealism is  anathema to RMC Duntroon – it is an institution for bully boys to weed out anyone the lead First Class bullies take a disliking to  [Recommended reading of British author  Nobel laureate William Golding’s classic book ‘Lord of the Flies’ before applying]
• Don’t expect to graduate from Duntroon, as if that is a worthy goal
• Don’t expect to improving one’s capability in basic Infantry skills – the training is rushed and substandard  – it’s just a rushed ‘tick-a-box’ job theory session – weapons, field skills, field patrols, section attack, first aid triage, orienteering, you name it!
• Don’t expect to become a competent infantry soldier with any clue in combat proficiency, more likely a liability to your assigned platoon
• Don’t expect to improving one’s capability in basic communication and interpersonal skills – eg: notions of motivation, adaptability, perseverance, setting an example to others (it will only meet a tall poppy fate)
• Don’t expect to improving one’s capability in basic supervisory and field leadership skills, nor competent first aid skills (ours was untrained, then rushed in the field in a combat infantry field scenario over just an hour, poorly supervised, not assessed, and not repeated  (one prior having 10 years Surf Life Saving experience with advanced resuscitation training – I showed the Army trainers how to do CPR – 1-man and 2-man, but with no access to oxygen, let alone to an AED – the Army first aid instructors didn’t even know what that was)
• Don’t expect to entrust any senior cadet at Duntroon (2nd Class, 1st Class) or a seconded Army Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) during your training
• Don’t expect integrity of senior cadets or Command brass or the so-called mentors that you are supposed to entrust with any personal issues you may have – your assigned ‘mentor’ (an Army Officer) is charged to report everything you say back to the Command Brass, so betraying any trust you might have expected – (from personal experience)
• Don’t expect to be encouraged to display initiative
• Don’t expect any mateship across class structure within one’s training company . You have better chance within the same Third Class cadets in the other companies
• Don’t expect positive motivational leadership – RMC Duntroon does not know what that means, its all negative leadership on the pre-WWI philosophy of weeding out the weak (1911)
• Don’t expect a college gymnasium training regime to build your aerobic stamina and muscular strength.   There’s a tiny one there like one finds at a retirement village (fit for just four users at a time), yet is off the training programme and only accessible in private time on weekends – (says one as a previous school gym instructor).   Duntroon’s only PT (physical training) exercise regime consists of daily jogs, periodic cross-country runs, an irrelevant assault course (except for its marketing photos) and the odd overnight route march; but zilch in building upper bodily strength, swimming skills nor combat nutrition.

 

Should your ambition and trust in the Army still remain unfaltered, despite having read below and across this website; then after you arrive at RMC Duntroon, we shall wholly understand your subsequent decision to reflect, change your mind and decide to resign.  The timing could be:

1. In (Junior) 3rd Class – within the first six months at RMC – we respect your right to change your mind once you cop the sadistic reality of RMC Duntroon ‘indoctrination and in The Army;
2. In (Senior) 2nd Class – within the next six months at RMC (and ditto);
3. In (Senior) 1st Class – within the next (final) six months at RMC ( and ditto);
4. Upon graduation an the Army’s assignment to a corps not of your choice (and ditto);
5. Upon some years hence, you want out (and ditto);
6. Upon/after war mission deployment you want out (and ditto);
7. After your resignation from The Army, that you wish to constructively contribute to prospective recruits for RMC Duntroon (and ditto).

Read an actual Duntroon recruit’s Hellish experience from Day 1:

[WARNING:  This is a detailed factual account of a recruit attending the Royal Military College at Duntroon in Canberra.  This recruit documents his training experiences as a junior [Third Class] Officer Staff Cadet over a period of the first six months of the military course.  This account has been obtained from privilege exclusively with permission from the Duntroon recruit himself.   Prospective recruits to RMC Duntroon are encouraged to read this factual account and as you do consider have you done as much preparation as this recruit?

Click link on this website:

‘A former junior Staff Cadet’s complaint of copping institutionalised abuse at RMC Duntroon by senior cadets’