SubscribeOman has had another success with the completion by Staff Sergeant Khalid Al Farsi on the Foreman of Signals course at the Royal School of Signals.
Oman has had another success with the completion by Staff Sergeant Khalid Al Farsi on the Foreman of Signals course at the Royal School of Signals. Completion of this course also enabled him to be awarded a BSc Degree in Telecommunications Systems Engineering by Bournemouth University. This is another successful outcome from the ongoing Omani/UK training programme at the Royal School of Signals which is the military signal school within the Defence College of Communications and Information Systems at Blandford Forum in Dorset, dealing primarily with the Army and Land Operations.
Foreman of Signals Training for Oman
The Foreman of Signals is the British Army’s professional military telecommunications systems engineer and this qualification is only awarded to those who have completed this extensive course at the Royal School of Signals. This international programme has been running for five years and is aimed at using British operational experience in communications to develop the telecommunication technicians of the Sultan of Oman’s Armed Forces Signal Corps into supervisory engineers. These intelligent, enthusiastic and well motivated young Omani potential supervisors complete their trade training in Oman and then come to Blandford to attend their two part Supervisor course; Part 1 involves attending the Royal Signals Systems Engineering Technician Upgrader course to perfect their professional knowledge and to improve their colloquial English language abilities and then progress to Part 2, attendance on the Foreman of Signals course itself.
Staff Sergeant Khalid Al Farsi arrived at Blandford in July 2004 following some previous English language training in UK. He then progressed through both parts of the training programme completing them at the end of 2007. This has been a sterling effort on his part for someone who has completed not only what is widely accepted as being one of the most challenging and difficult courses in the British Army, but also in his second language. The course syllabus has been subject to rigorous academic evaluation by Bournemouth University who have deemed that it meets the criteria for the award of a BSc degree as well as any military training requirements.
On his departure Staff Sergeant Khalid was very grateful and quite profuse in his thanks to the staff of Royal School of Signals, particularly the help and encouragement of the Information and Communications Faculty and the Engineering Wing, in helping him achieve his goal. He also readily showed his appreciation to the Royal Signals Loan Service staff stationed in Oman who helped him prepare for the course.
For most of the time he was in Blandford he was accompanied by his family who were given language training arranged through the Camp families welfare focus called The Hive, a voluntary welfare organisation who assists military families. His children also attended Downlands Primary School located in Blandford Camp. Staff Sergeant Khalid Al Farsi was formally presented with his degree at the Graduation Ceremony at Bournemouth University and as can be seen from the photograph, he likes the idea of an Omani soldier wearing a mortar board and gown. The international training programme continues and there are two more Omani technicians already at Blandford on Part 1 of their course and are scheduled to progress to joining the Foreman of Signals course starting in September 2009.
Omani Staff Sergeant Khalid Al Farsi’s success is another prime example of the way the Ministry of Defence is achieving its aims in Defence Diplomacy. This success also has a significant impact at a military working level as it achieves improved cooperation and goes a long way to developing greater understanding and more efficient working amongst Coalition partners.
