[@Brocktree][@Andreyich]  Brock is correct -- perhaps I haven't explained this well. Cornets don't necessarily have to have previous military experience, they only need to be able to pay the commission (and preferably be nobility, of course). Training for cornets is taken care of at the Imperial Dragoons "academy", aka the Duke's holdings in Nikomedia. Most military units in the Imperial army don't teach cornets anything besides basic competence with their equipment, but the Dragoons are an exception in that they teach the fundamentals for leadership, logistics, etc.