Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Cap Badge of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Active	1947 to present (forerunner on site dates to 1812)
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Training
Role	Army Officer Training
Size	Seven companies
Part of	Home Command
Garrison/HQ	Sandhurst, Berkshire
Motto(s)	Serve to Lead
Colours	Red, Yellow & Blue
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	The Queen
Commandant	Major General Paul Nanson CBE

The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is the British Army's initial officer training centre and is located in the town of Camberley, near the village of Sandhurst, Berkshire, about 55 kilometres (34 mi) southwest of London. The Academy's stated aim is to be "the national centre of excellence for leadership." All British Army officers, including late-entry officers who were previously Warrant Officers, as well as other men and women from overseas, are trained at Sandhurst. The Academy is the British Army equivalent of the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, Royal Air Force College Cranwell, and the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines.

Despite its name, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is located in Camberley; the boundaries of the academy straddle the counties of Berkshire and Surrey. The county border is marked by a small stream known as the Wish Stream, after which the Academy journal is named. The main entrance is located on the east of the Academy, leading to Camberley town centre. The nearest railway station is Camberley.

The present Royal Military Academy Sandhurst was founded in 1947 with the merger of two institutions: the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

The first Military Academy had been established in 1720 at Woolwich, a town later absorbed into south-east London, to train cadets for commissions in the Royal Artillery. Known as the "Shop", this academy moved to a permanent site at Woolwich Common in 1806 and was granted royal status in 1841. In 1806, the Military Academy took on the training of Royal Engineers officer cadets and, later, Royal Signals cadets.