Editing Sandhurst Royal Military College

{{Update Needed|[[The Fall of Terra (scenario pack)]]|[[Field Manual: 3085]]}}
{{InfoBoxAcademicInstitute
| name = Sandhurst Military College
| image = Sandhurst Royal Military College.jpg
| imagewidth = 150px
| caption = Sandhurst Royal Military College Logo
| type = Academy
| Previous Names = Sandhurst Royal Military College
| Location = [[Terra]]
| Founded = 1947
| MilCourse01 = [[BattleMech]]
| MilCourse01Dates = 
| MilCourse02 = [[aerospace fighter|Aerospace]]
| MilCourse02Dates = 
| MilCourse03 = 
| MilCourse03Dates = 
}}

Located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England on [[Terra]], '''Sandhurst Royal Military College''' (also referred to as the '''Royal Sandhurst Military Academy''', '''Sandhurst Royal Military Academy''' and the '''Holy Order of Sandhurst''')‎ is the oldest continually-active military academy in human history. Originally founded to be the initial officer training school for the British Army, Sandhurst has evolved to become one of the most esteemed and famous military colleges in the [[Inner Sphere]], and post-[[Jihad]] has provided training to officers and MechWarriors of the [[Republic of the Sphere]]'s Armed Forces.

==History==
The history of the Sandhurst Royal Military College dates back to its founding as the initial infantry and cavalry officer training school of the British Army in 1801, 160 years before the beginning of manned spaceflight in 1961. In 1947, Sandhurst merged with the Royal Military Academy Woolwich, which had prepared officers for the Royal Engineers, Royal Army Medical Corps, and Royal Artillery to create one all-purpose officer training school for the British Army. Out of these comparatively ancient times and into the era of mankind's expansion and conflict among the stars, Sandhurst has survived wars and the passage of centuries, and has endured in its role as a military college for over 1,000 years. Sandhurst came to greater prominence after [[Michael Cameron]] graduated from the college, leading it to become considered the best and most prestigious military academy in the [[Terran Hegemony]] and later the [[Star League]], the pinnacle of the [[Star League Defense Force]]s so-called "War Triad" with the [[War Academy of Mars]] and the [[Military Academy of Aphros]]. <ref name=SL-108>''Star League'', p. 108 "Military Academies on Terra"</ref>

Falling into [[ComStar]] hands after [[Operation SILVER SHIELD]] in [[2788]], the college was converted into a training school for the Order's newly founded intelligence agency [[ROM]] in [[2811]] and served as such until the reign of [[Primus of ComStar|Primus]] [[Hollings York (ComStar)|Hollings York]]. Forming the [[Com Guards|ComStar Guards and Militia]] in response to the [[Necess Kurita]] Affair, York convinced the [[First Circuit]] to relocate the ROM training center and approve a million [[C-bill]] revitalization to transform it into modern military complex in [[2933]] as the Holy Order of Sandhurst. <ref name=FMCS-12>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. 12 "The New Dawn"</ref> <ref name=CS-42>''ComStar (sourcebook)'', p. 42 "Age of Enlightenment"</ref> <ref name=20YU-67>''20 Year Update'', p. 67 "Holy Order of Sandhurst"</ref> Championing its reconstruction, York would be later assassinated during the cornerstone laying ceremony for the rebuilt Sandhurst <ref name=CS-42>''ComStar (sourcebook)'', p. 42 "Age of Enlightenment"</ref>, with his successor [[Adrienne Sims]] ordering him buried in the church floor of his beloved pet project. <ref name=CS-44>''ComStar (sourcebook)'', p. 44 "Calm Before the Storm - The Explorer Primus"</ref>

The revitalized Sandhurst served as the primary training facility and command headquarters for ComStar's military forces until Terra fell to the [[Word of Blake]] during [[Battle of Terra (3058)|Operation ODYSSEUS]] in [[3058]]. Sandhurst was a primary target of the Blakist forces and its cadets would prove to among the strongest resistance to the invading forces. Save for reinstating the indoctrination classes the Secular ComStar halted and more stringent security precautions, the Blakists operated Sandhurst almost identically.

Much like the Blakist takeover of Terra, Sandhurst would also be the site of intense fighting during [[Battle of Terra (3078)|Operation SCOUR]] in [[3078]]. The [[Alys Rousset-Marik]] led task force of the [[12th Atrean Dragoons]], [[7th Donegal Guards]]. the [[Devil's Brigade]] and the [[5th Army (ComStar)|Com Guard Fifth Army]] <ref name=JHST-96>''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 96</ref> would finally defeat more than a dozen different Blakist formations after a month of bitter fighting. <ref name=JHST-108>''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 108: "Sandhurst Falls"</ref>

As with many Terran based facilities, the control of Sandhurst would fall to the [[Republic of the Sphere]] at the conclusion of the [[Jihad]], the rebuilt facility serving to train troops for the [[Republic Armed Forces]]. <ref>''Inn Profile'', ''Republic of the Sphere PDF'', Aaron Sandoval (II).</ref>

===Dark Age===
Sandhurst Military College (formerly Sandhurst Royal Military College) is located on planet Terra. Once used for training ComStar and Word of Blake militaries, policy changed drastically after the Jihad and the rise of The Republic. Sandhurst still accepts students from across the Inner Sphere for combined-arms training, but Word of Blake courses are no longer taught. Rumors currently indicate that Sandhurst may be closing its doors to all outsiders in the very near future.<ref name=MWDA_Uniquesp340>''MechWarrior Dark Ages Uniques'', p. 340 "Sandhurst Military College"</ref>

==Atmosphere==
While Sandhurst taught a wide range of combat skills like many academies, originally at the instigation of [[Precentor Martial of ComStar|Precentor Martial]] [[Anastasius Focht]] the ComStar and Blakist controlled college also taught cooperation and interdependence between service arms to try to break interbranch rivalries, ultimately instilling in the Com Guards and [[Word of Blake Militia]] a thoroughly combined-arms method of operation. <ref name=FMCS-17>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. 17 "Training"</ref>

Under pre-Reformation ComStar and the Word of Blake, the school also included an indoctrination course to teach students the philosophies of the [[Jerome Blake|Blessed Blake]]. No matter the student's skills, failure in this course resulted in ejection from the college. <ref name=FMCS-48>''Field Manual: ComStar'', p. 48 "Academies and Training"</ref> This aspect of cadet life ended with the expulsion of the Word of Blake from Terra.

==Graduation==
The ComStar and Blakist controlled Sandhurst graduated its cadets as [[Acolyte]] to be assigned to a Com Guard or Blakist Militia unit. Officer trainees were promoted to Acolyte after two years of study before eventually graduating at the rank of [[Adept]] a year after that. <ref name=FMCS-48/>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[ComStar (sourcebook)]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: ComStar]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: Terra]]''
* ''[[The Star League]]''


[[Category:Military Academies|Sandhurst Royal Military College]]