Aberdeen UOTC

🥇FLEET HALF MARATHON🥇
Our Officer Cadets took the drive down to compete at the Annual Inter-Unit and Inter-Service Fleet Half Marathon Championships. Nine had never tackled the distance before. Well done to our female Officer Cadets who came 2nd in their U23 team and OCdt Parker, who came 3rd in the U23 race. Well done to everyone for their hard work and best efforts!  

After a year's hiatus, AUOTC are excited to be returning with a team to the Aberdeen University Rugby Sevens tournament hosted by .

We look forward to seeing everyone on King's pitches on the 16th. Perhaps we will even win a game this time around...

One of the highlights of the AUOTC training year is the inter-UOTC competition, Exercise Northern Lights. Comprising a mixture of sporting and military skills events, it is both an excellent opportunity for OCdts to push themselves as a part of the regimental team, and to meet people from the other OTCs across Scotland and Northern Ireland. This year, AUOTC proudly represented the Highland OTR for the drill and traditional dance events, whilst also contributing greatly to the other activities alongside Tayforth UOTC

Highland OTR came 3rd overall, winning the following events:

Football
Orienteering
Traditional Dance

It has long been customary for the Scottish elements of the British Army to celebrate the life and works of Robert Burns, the national poet, with an annual supper. Aberdeen UOTC is always proud to host their own, as we did again this past Saturday.

Accompanying the hearty meal throughout the evening were an excellent variety of performances, both of Burns' poems and songs, and other traditional Scottish arts with a pipe-set, a rendition of the sword dance, and some light-hearted accusations and retorts between the genders in opposing "Tae the Lassies" and "Tae the Laddies" poems.
This was all of course finished off with a very jovial ceilidh. Truly the highlight of AUOTC's social calendar.

Many thanks to the Honorary Colonel and the CO Highland OTR for sharing the evening with us, and congratulations to OCdt Woodburn for her award of "Best Crony" for her rendition of Tam O' Shanter (Pictured her trusty steed)

Take your first step in your journey with the OTC!

We have a January Intake for those who missed out at the start of the year...

Fill in the form through the link in our bio if keen. We have an open night on Friday the 23rd of January where you can find out more about what we do and what's in it for you.

When? 1900 Friday 23rd of January

Where? Gordon Barracks, just off King's Street at Bridge of Don, short walk from Hillhead and accessible by the 1 & 2 bus routes

What? An opportunity to find out more about what could be in it for you

See you there!

Earlier this month, Officer Cadets were treated to a Christmas dinner by the staff, formally marking the end of training for the semester.
After the dinner, each year participated in Secret Santa, followed by a Nativity play expertly written and performed by the Junior Officer Cadets.
It was a great time for AUOTC members to connect and share in the holiday spirit before heading off for winter break.

Last week, Aberdeen UOTC was privileged to welcome two PhD Candidates, who discussed both their theses. A presentation on the depictions of combat stress in medieval Icelandic literature was particularly poignant, reminding us that the issues that soldiers face today have been present throughout the whole of history.

Academia and the pursuit of knowledge is key to a healthy society, and by extension the military. The Universities Officer Training Corps, by its existence, demonstrates the commitment of the British Army to these values.



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This Movember, Aberdeen UOTC is proud to be raising money to raise awareness for men's mental health and su***de prevention, and prostate and testicular cancer.
Watch this space for the efforts to this end; moustache growing, continual runs, and more!

Please donate to team AUOTC through the linktree in bio; the top Movember link with the boar's head is ours.

This week, Aberdeen UOTC held the second drill night of the new training year.

To kick-start their experience, some of our brand new juniors had their first introduction to drill, an important base skill for them to have for our important ceremonial events such as remembrance and end of year parades.

Concurrently, the returning intermediate and senior Officer Cadets got the amazing opportunity to practice job interviews. Putting into practice techniques learnt last week, they rotated through a diverse panel of industry professionals, receiving feedback throughout, something rare to get from an interview, and very valuable for future job-seekers.

Meanwhile, our new band members were inducted into the Drums and Pipes, ready to begin practice together.

Many thanks to all the organisations who very kindly agreed to take part in the interview practice:

Sports Grampian
National Health Service
Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership
Dana Petroleum
Marlink
OEUK