Is Hard Work Paying Off For Lower Ranks In The Army?

Nearly one in three officers in the Armed Forces have come from lower military ranks, according to latest figures from the Defence Secretary.

Across the military, a third of Army officers, a quarter of RAF officers and a fifth of Royal Navy officers have been commissioned having not joined at that level.

Sir Michael Fallon has championed the figures; 

“The Armed Forces offer opportunities for everyone to reach their full potential, whatever their background. We are encouraging people to aim higher and teaching them valuable skills and become tomorrow’s officers.”

The Defence Secretary will later meet students in the Potential Officer Development Programme which encourages young people from diverse backgrounds to aim for officer rank.

More than 1800 serving officers over a five-year period have taken the development opportunities to rise to officer level.

The intensive 12-week PODP course runs three times a year and is designed to spring-board soldiers from diverse backgrounds into officer ranks within the armed services.

One Tottenham-born programme graduate and serving Second Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery, Kidane Cousland, 25, said the programme had been "crucial" to his promotion. He said:

"The Potential Officer Development Programme gave me confidence in my ability and was crucial to my success. Without a high level of performance in the academic aspects at Sandhurst I would not have been a contender for the Sword of Honour. It's an achievement that I thought would be impossible before the Potential Officer Development Programme."