Page 36 - MERCIAN Eagle 2022

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Battalion Activities
Adventure Training
WO2 Dave Buckley
“Armed Forces personnel require mental and physical robustness to withstand the rigours of military life. Adventurous Training (AT) makes a significant contribution to military effectiveness, fighting spirit and personal development.” JSP 419: Adventurous Training in the UK Armed Forces.
The past year has seen a variety of Adventure Training activities attended and created for the good and benefit of all soldiers and officers within the Battalion. There were numerous offers for individuals to go and explore the French Alps on various trips, one of which was taken up by the former OC HQ Coy Maj Wayne Roberts, who had the pleasure of WO2 Buckley’s instructional abilities and the misfortune of his video skills.
There have been numerous low-level activities organised by individuals from across the Battalion, most notably Cpl Cox (B Coy) and Cpl Masters (A Coy) who have been leading with a range of mountain
bike related events ranging from externally organised Enduro events to sports afternoons getting out with the soldiers for short periods on the local bike trails, all ably supported with some servicing assistance from LCpl Thomas Nisbet (LAD).
September was dedicated as ‘Mercian Month’ to welcome our 2 MERCIAN brethren to Bulford, and what better way than two weeks of Adventure Training within a two-hour drive of camp. Individuals were able to choose one of three activities all delivered to provide the soldiers an opportunity to gain an insight into the potential activities that can be run on our doorstep and integrate them into their new teams. Cpl Cox led with mountain biking
in the Forest of Dean and Swinley Forest, supported by CSgt Martin Goodwin (B Coy WSM (Des)) and Cpl Masters. Maj Jon Coutts (HQ OC) led with rock climbing, supported by LCpl Homes (A Coy) and
the multi-talented Cpl Masters. The third activity was kayaking under Sgt Kajiram Rai
Dragon Coy, ascending, Cheddar Gorge, Sep 22
(LAD) and supported when needed by Cpl Masters (there seems to be a pattern here!).
With the number of instructors and facilities available, we were able to deploy 30 soldiers per day to take part in AT, with some returning for a second and even third day when appropriate. In total 186 individuals had the opportunity to try something new and adventurous, and all thoroughly enjoyed the activities and the chance to explore outside of camp.
November and December saw 80 personnel from the Mercian family both within and outside the 1st Battalion travelling to Tignes in France. There they conducted Ski Foundation 1, 2 and 3, over a two-week period. This enabled some individuals to progress quickly towards Leader qualification levels and provide a sustainable pathway for delivering skiing for the Battalion for years to come. More importantly, it provided soldiers fun, high quality, challenging activity, and a chance to experience being put outside of their comfort zones in a controlled environment.
Capt Adam Keenan (B Coy) led the way with the Nordic Skiing team. Through Initial Military Training for Ex NORDIC SWORD, he delivered the Nordic Foundation 1 qualification. This enabled a number
of keen, motivated individuals to push themselves towards some very impressive competition performances. Such was
the success, the team pushed on to representation in the Army Championships, and the team are firmly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Maj Wayne Roberts, OC HQ Coy, skiing French Alps, Feb 22
Whilst qualifications are delivered as a by-product of the JSAT scheme, and the emphasis
of AT is very clearly on enhancing operational capability, progressing through the various AT syllabi will enable soldiers to become instructors in their chosen discipline. This in turn will enable the Battalion to be self-sufficient in the delivery of exciting AT packages in the future.
At a relatively junior level, personnel can find themselves helping to plan, organise and run deployed activity in challenging environments where genuine responsibility and risk management is called for. This is one of the reasons why AT is both popular and highly professionally beneficial for soldiers.
Looking forwards, there are several courses and expeditions in the early stages of planning for 2023 and the next iteration of the established pre-Christmas ski training programme is in the pipeline.
Technical mountain biking skills Swinley Forest, Sep 22
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Troops taking to kayaking like ducks to water! Hawley Lake, Sep 22