Six of eight Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) officer cadets who have completed the local leg of their training leave Malta this morning for seven-month specialised instruction at the Italian Army's School of Infantry in Cesano, Rome.
The other two officer cadets will continue their training at military academies in the UK and Italy later this year.
The officer cadets - Nicholas Grech, Joseph Gatt, Amadeo Busuttil, Simon Titley, Roderick Azzopardi, Matthew Camilleri, Sharon Bellizzi, Maurizio Scicluna - are part of a unique intake as most were prior service soldiers in both the Regular and Reservist forces of the AFM.
It is expected that next year most of the officer cadets will undergo the Infantry Officer Basic Course at the United States Army's Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
AFM Training Wing directing staff from 3rd Regiment led the officer cadets through a military training programme aimed at developing the qualities of leadership, character and intellect demanded of an army officer.
Throughout their training, the officer cadets covered physical training, unarmed combat, drills for rifle, flag-colours and ceremonial sword, army traditions, weapon training, infantry tactics and anti-riot drills, radio voice-procedure, first aid, map reading, defence writing procedures, standing orders and rules of engagement, firing range management and shooting marksmanship, amphibious warfare training, adventure training through rock climbing and abseiling, army sports and Officers' Mess rules.
Their academic studies included Maltese military law, leadership and man-management, basic nuclear-biological-chemical warfare, international humanitarian law, media relations, information technology, methods of instruction, logistics' management, military history and international affairs, army trade regulations, health and hygiene, soldier-welfare and gender-equality/sexual harassment issues, health and safety, and regimental history.
Their attachment and on-job training modules familiarised them with the AFM's roles and its brand new organisational structure, its search and rescue and other maritime commitments as encompassed in maritime and air operations.
The course aim was to foster the essential army values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honour, integrity and personal courage.
The training course was divided in four phases.
The first was aimed at teaching basic military skills of those soldiers the future officers are expected to lead and command - the foundation for all their other training. The cadets underwent long and hard training with very little free time, building on team spirit, individual character and initiative, and including a period of living in barracks.
The second phase, which emphasised leadership skills and initiative, saw the officer cadets training with Royal Artillery territorial army reservists visiting from the UK, before a three-week course led by the Italian Military Mission.
Phase 3 focused on all aspects of "Operations other than war", from counter-insurgency warfare to peacekeeping, and more academic and new subjects were introduced. A three-week bilateral 'Terraferma' exercise included ten days' training in Bari alongside seasoned Maltese and Italian soldiers.
The final phase saw the officer cadets involved in specialised heavy weapons training using the RPG-7 anti-tank rocket-launcher, and the 12.7 mm calibre Browning machine-gun. A five-day training camp was held at the AFM's Qortin Base in Gozo.
Last Wednesday AFM Commander Carmel Vassallo presented all eight cadets with their ten-month course completion certificate. Five were presented with special achievement awards. Ocdt Grech won Best in Physical Training and Best in Academics; Ocdt Camilleri, Best in Extra Mural Activities; Ocdt Titley, Most Improved Cadet; and Ocdt Bellizzi, Best in Journal.
Brigadier Vassallo stressed the importance of the cadets excelling in their overseas training, as good results and course placings reflected not only on the cadets or the AFM but on Malta. He reminded the cadets that these remaining months were still crucial for successful cadetship completion.