Selection and training in the British Army is the process by which candidates for service are identified, inducted and brought onto the trained strength. The process is the responsibility of the Adjutant General, the personnel director for the Army based at Trenchard Lines in Wiltshire.
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Selection
Candidates for all three of the British Armed Forces are first handled through Armed Forces Career Offices, which are located in major conurbations around the United Kingdom supporting the respective recruitment functions. The selection process involves a number of suitability interviews, an aptitude test to identify training potential, medical and fitness assessments and a residential selection board. For potential soldiers, this will include an opportunity to select a Regiment or Corps, as well as a trade to join. Later training is oriented around this choice. Officer candidates will, during the selection process, become sponsored by a Regiment or Corps to undertake training. This sponsor does not undertake to accept the candidate on completion of officer training.
Training
Candidates for the Army undergo common training to bring all personnel to a similar standard in basic military skills, further specialist training is delivered subject to the Regiment or Corps for which the individual has been identified as a candidate. Completion of Phase 2 training brings the individual onto the trained strength; however, each of the British Armed Forces will continue to deliver specialist and generalist training throughout the individual career.
Much training in the British Armed Forces has been accredited by various awarding bodies, resulting in the opportunity to gain civilian qualifications through service training activities.
The structure of training is different for soldiers and officers:
Soldier Training
There are two phases in the training for recruits into the regular army, phase 1 encompasses the Common Military Syllabus (Recruits) (CMSR) and phase 2 delivered by specialisation. CMSR covers the skills needed to survive and operate in a field environment, fitness and seeks to imbue the ethos and principles of the British Army. The trainee is required to demonstrate competence in thirteen training objectives over the fourteen week course.
Phase 1
The initial phase features the basic training for all new recruits.
Prospective soldiers attend either one of five training establishments:
Phase 1 training is intended to bring all soldiers to a base level of military competency, capable of operating in the field, force protection, operational security and displaying the other characteristics of a member of the British Army. During this period, recruits pass in and receive their regimental berets they then pass out and continue to phase 2 to undergo job training. The training embeds the core values:
Phase 2
The second phase involves the new officer or soldier training for branch of the service they wish to specialise in, and then undergoing the specific training. This is with one of the specialist schools located around the country:
Infantry Training Centre
As of 2001, infantry training is undertaken as a single 26 week course (28 weeks for the parachute regiment, or any of the five guards regiments) at the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick Garrison, as opposed to being divided into Phase 1 and Phase 2 training. The ITC is divided into four separate battalions; these are divided into companies, each of which are responsible for one of the infantry's administrative divisions:
Officer Training
Direct Entry Officers: Prospective officers first attend the Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB) to determine whether they are suited to become officers. Once they pass AOSB they attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where they undergo basic training, not just in the elements of soldiering, but also in command, leadership and management. The Commissioning Course, which is the standard course for new regular officers, lasts 44 weeks.
There is also a shorter course for Professionally Qualified Officers (i.e. doctors, nurses, lawyers and the clergy) that provide basic military training and lasts for ten weeks. These candidates are usually commissioned as Captains.
The Late Entry Officers Course is for serving soldiers who are chosen for officer training and lasts for four weeks for Regulars and two weeks for Army Reserve.
Soldiers
For Army Reserve soldiers, recruit training is structured into two phases: Phase 1, also known as the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) Course, and Phase 2, special-to-arm training.
Phase 1
In Phase 1, recruits cover the Common Military Syllabus 14 (CMS14) Part 'a' is a series of 4 training weekends at Army Training Units (ATUs), formerly known as Regional Training Centres (RTCs). At some ATUs the Phase 1a is also run as a consolidated course. For all Army Reserve soldiers Phase 1 concludes with a two-week training course (Phase 1b) normally held at an Army Training Regiment, Infantry recruits then do their Phase 2 Training at Catterick. Recruits to the 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment and the Honourable Artillery Company complete their equivalent of CMS(R) within their own units.
Phase 2
Phase 1 is followed by Phase 2, a further period of special-to-arm training specific to the type of unit the recruit is joining. This is normally conducted by the Arm or Service that the recruit is joining, for example for infantry units, Phase 2 consists of the two week Combat Infantryman's Course (Reserve) (CIC (Res)) held at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick.
Officers
To gain a commission, Potential Officers have to pass through four modules of training, which together form the Army Reserve Commissioning Course.
Module A consists of basic field training and elementary military skills. This can be completed at either a UOTC over a number of weekends, or over 2 weeks at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS)
Module B covers training in Tactics, Leadership, Doctrine and Navigation, both in theory and in practice, with a focus on the section battle drills and the platoon combat estimate. This training can either be spread over 10 weekends at a UOTC, or 2 weeks at the RMAS.
Module C builds on the Tactics, Leadership, Doctrine and Navigation taught in Module B, with a greater focus on the theory behind these constructs. CBRN training is also added at this point, and Officer Cadets undergo a number of field exercises to test their military and leadership skills. Module C can only be undertaken at the RMAS.
Module D Once the Officer Cadet has completed their Army Officer Selection Board, they can complete this final module, after which they will become commissioned officers in the British Army. Based at the RMAS, this module consists primarily of a prolonged field exercise, followed by drill training in preparation for the passing out parade.
On successful completion of Module D, the Officer Cadets receive their Commission and become Second Lieutenants. Further training that is required prior to them being considered for operational deployment and promotion to Lieutenant includes:
Post Commissioning Training (formerly known as Module 5), again run at an OTC, over 3 weekends.
Special To Arm training is specific to the type of unit the Subaltern is joining, and covers a 2-week period. This is increasingly integrated with the tactics phase of a Regular training course. For example, the Platoon Commander's Battle Course held at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon, which is integrated with Regular training, or the Yeomanry Tactics Course held at the Land Warfare Centre in Warminster, which is not.