Page 127 - RAPTC 23/24

Awarm hello from HQ Warminster Garrison and finally a new challenge for me! The Garrison manages multiple units across its AOR including HQ Land Warfare Centre (HQ LWC), a 2* HQ, Infantry Training and Development Unit (ITDU), a Field Army Regiment, The Royal Dragoon Guards (RDG), and Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB); so, as you can imagine, the hardest part of my induction has been to learn all the new acronyms! We have six RAPTC personnel within the Garrison, which includes: Maj (MAA) Murdoch, Maj (MAA) Lundie, WO1 (SMI) Pyburn, SSgt (SSI) Shaw, Sgt (SI) Montacute and myself. Additionally, a permanent gym staff supports us to deliver all aspects of PD across the Garrison.
Not only have I changed locations, I have also been given the privilege of changing roles; on 9 Oct 23, I had the honour of assuming the role of Garrison Sergeant Major (GSM) for Warminster at the request of the Garrison Commander. As I am sure you can imagine, the learning curve was extremely steep, but I’m now a guru of the security JSP 440! My tenure as GSM finishes on 1 Jun 24 and although it has been the busiest time of my career, I have enjoyed the experience and exposure, I would recommend it to any other RAPTCI should the opportunity arise.
In more PD related matters, it has been a busy 12 months as the Garrison QMSI. Whilst observing the PD Programme, facilities and culture, it was clear I had my work cut out to improve the relationship between Garrison Staff and fitness. The first step was to improve the facilities; this saw a £70k upgrade to a functional training space to enhance lesson delivery. Next, a full re-write of the PD programme that was centred on a “Something for Everyone” theme including a monthly Garrison Park Run, circuits and a weight management course. The improved
WO1 (GSM) C Armstrong RAPTC
SSgt (SSI) Shaw RAPTC on the JNCO Development Day
Warminster Garrison Gym Staff
access to the facilities has seen a vast improvement in the physical training culture but we still have a long way to go.
Warminster hosted the inaugural Defence Perinatal Festival on 21 Sep 23 which coincided with National Fitness Day. The aim of the event was to inform expecting parents of the positive impacts of staying physically active throughout pregnancy. The 2024 iteration will be held at the ASPT. Additionally, within the Garrison we held
WO1 (GSM) C Armstrong RAPTC
the first LWC JNCO Development Day. The event hosted 18 JNCOs and focused on leadership and communication skills to help prepare them for the challenges of being a SNCO. This pilot was met with laudatory praise from the students and as such, we are making it a bi-annual event, with the next iteration planned for Sep 24.
Despite being an extremely busy period, we still managed to deliver Adventurous Training regardless of the current financial constraints. Three RAPTCIs delivered an Ski Foundation 1 (SF1) Syllabus to 2 PARA in Val Thorens, which enabled twenty-six soldiers to gain a skiing qualification.
I look forward to the challenges of the next 12 months and hope to see you all at Fox Lines soon.
HEADQUARTERS WARMINSTER GARRISON
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SIO Watt, SSgt Ashton, WO1 Armstrong delivering SF1