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www.raptcassociation.org.uk
SO1 Individual Training Policy
Lt Col (MAA) N O’Shea RAPTC
At the time of writing, I’m in the process of handing over to Maj Will Pacter, after over 3 years at Army HQ I will start resettlement. Will has handed over the PT policy desk to Maj Russ Roberts, a great addition to the PD Team; Maj Mark Galley continues to deliver excellent AT and Sport policy output, a difficult desk with many diverse aspects. Mark and Will have crafted their notes below so I will offer more of a holistic overview from my perspective.
Work Force. Compared to the last 2 years, Prof Dev workforce churn has been far less, SO2 Ind Trg, Maj Chandra Pun has left the Army and his post has been taken as a saving under an Army HQ review. Lt Col Julie Draper, as the Physical Employment Standards (PES) and Occ Med lead, has been assigned and not replaced. Therefore, their responsibilities now sit with other Prof Dev owners to deliver the same output, a smaller Army seeking efficiencies and optimisation, a current theme across Defence. After a gap, our new Assistant Head (AH), Col Alex Willman arrived and within a month was trawled for Op LAZURITE for 3 months. Wider, we have had several new SO2s and a new FTRS Trg Analyst, all delivering effect across Prof Dev’s diverse portfolio.
Finally, Brigadier Jim Taylor MBE arrived in Sep 23 as the new Head Pers Pol(A), an excellent 1* who has kindly taken on the RAPTC Commandant role; his sage guidance will continue the excellent support and work provided by Brigadier Edward Chamberlain. 1* mentorship in shaping Corps business and effect has been, and will continue to be, critical as the Army optimises and becomes smaller, with Brigadier Jim in Army HQ he is well placed to understand the Army’s modernisation, how we can support our people and influence support for RAPTC business at the Army executive level.
Health, Performance and Wellbeing.
Project (Pj) EDGE (Enhancing Deployability & Generating Excellence) teams are now embedded in various units to analyse and make recommendations for innovation opportunities. The project sits and reports directly to Director Personnel (D Pers), despite its direct line to the 4* HQ, I would offer influencing better adherence to PD policy must be Chain of Command (CoC) led through culture and behaviour change. Army Health are the Pj PHIT (Physical Health for Individuals
The Prof Dev PD Team. From L-R: Maj Mark Galley, Lt Col Nick O’Shea, Brig Jim Taylor, Col Alex Willman, Maj Will Pacter.
ARMY HEADQUARTERS
PERSONNEL POLICY (ARMY) – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PROF DEV)
and Teams) leads within the Army People Plan (APP), with Prof Dev and the Corps providing a supporting function. Due to resourcing issues, PHIT outcomes have been minimal this year, currently the final report to close the Optimising Physical Performance (OPP) programme has been delivered with 70+ recommendations to be implemented under core business.
Research and Development (R&D) = Effect? An observation from my tenure is the holistic high number of R&D threads. Whilst I recognise the need for research and evidence-based recommendations, I’m not sure the Army exploits these into practical solutions for tactical level effect. Maybe Will Pacter will be better placed to comment on this next year. From the human performance and health research perspective, behaviour change will be key to having a positive effect, I suspect from experience the Army CoC will need firm encouragement and resources to seek improvement in MusculoSkeletal Injury (MSkI) reduction (still stubbornly high), and holistic health and wellbeing improvements across the population to remain credible as a professional Army.
Other Business. To support recruiting and retention other individual training business has been focussed on this Pers priority. There have been a number of initiatives; under Physical Employment Standards (PES), scientific research to establish the correct Multi Stage Fitness
Test (MSFT) levels against the 2km run, a predictor against several Role Fitness Test (Soldier) (RFT(S)) Representative Military Tasks (RMTs) has been completed. The original PES RFT(S) levels have not changed but the MSFT is now the default test (not the 2km run) at assessment centres and the start of Basic Training (BT). There have been RFT (Entry) refinements to allow candidates into the training pipeline to complete a Soldier Development Course (SDC) (recently redesigned by Prof Dev) to build various physical and personal attributes to start BT. Sickle Cell Trait positive candidates also complete the SDC, educating this population in the management of their condition; a key risk mitigation, ready for sub and maximal exertion activities during BT. The Army Reserve now have generic entry standards, once selected they build up to their chosen Career Emplyment Group (CEG) PES during training. Along with other Health and Wellbeing initiatives Prof Dev delivered a number of Substance Misuse (SM) packages for the BT domain and wider Army units to improve soldier SM awareness.
Wider, a new Work Induction Programme, Appointment Trg and Mandatory Ed & Trg policy have been published, all will support and improve CoC business. PES R&D continues to deliver on new role standards and refinements against changes to in role tasks, also evidence- based physical risk reduction activities