Page 16 - Mind, Body & Spirit Number 104 2020/21

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www.raptcassociation.org.uk
HQ RAPTC
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CELL Capt (MAA) J W Foreshew RAPTC
Iwould not class myself as a natural academic, more so an accidental academic, having come to academic studies late on in my career only starting a BSc in Sports and Exercise Science
with MARJON in 2017, and then straight on to an MSc in Sports Science Coaching. I completed my MSc just days before my handover with Maj Jack Horner, I was well aware of the task in front of me. Armed with an excellent set of HOTO notes and a great team at HQ RAPTC I soon found my rhythm
challenging at times. The team have more than risen to the challenge! QMSI Watson carried out some great work on his placement which saw him get nominated for the best placement award. SSgt Wallace is well on her way to achieving a First-Class Honours and has produced some great research, especially in the mindfulness space. Jade did not get the full military experience for her placement unfortunately as she spent most of the time
getting to work on a plan to deliver the first virtual conference on Mental Resilience training (MRT), what could possibly go wrong?!
This year’s R&D team was comprised of 2 RAPTCIs WO2 (QMSI) Craig Watson studying a full time MSc at St Marys, SSgt (SSI) Kate Wallace studying a BSc in Sports Science also at St Mary’s and Jade Bikard a placement student employed as an Academic Research Assistant from Bath University.
(Left) Capt (MAA) J Foreshew RAPTC SO3 R&D; (Right) Jade Bikard Research Assistant
working remotely, that said she has brought real passion and enthusiasm to the research assistant role and has been a genuine asset to the team.
Future work includes producing an MRT training package for our instructors, giving them a psychological skills toolbox for use during physical training. This will help keep our instructors current and in line with our civilian counterparts, more importantly it will help the Army in producing more resilient soldiers for future operations and tasks.
I emphatically encourage you to consider
As I alluded to earlier the main focus of the
year was to continue and deliver the good work Jack had started, and to research MRT and how it could be incorporated into the delivery of PT and provide a toolbox for our instructors to use. Jade and Kate got to work in producing a comprehensive literature review on MRT and mindfulness techniques which formed the platform of our research work. An MRT working group was set up to develop wider awareness across the Corps, and I would like to thank all in the working group for their contributions as this was vital in keeping our research on track and relevant.
This year has certainly thrown up its challenges and with a team mostly dispersed over the course of the year research has been
participating in a Higher Education course, Higher education opportunities are excellent within the RAPTC; we have excellent links with many universities and the newly formed Armed Forces Strength and Conditioning degree in collaboration with Bucks New university is an exciting step forwards. As highlighted in my case, you do not have to be a natural academic, but I can assure you once you get on that journey it can be a really positive experience, that expands your way of thinking and
working and I guarantee you will not regret it.
If you would like more information on the R&D team including current research and higher education opportunities, please visit the Research and Development page on Defence Connect.
IN-SERVICE MSC, CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT
WO2 (QMSI) C Watson RAPTC
Completing an MSc has been an aspiration of mine since completing my undergraduate Degree a few years ago. The ‘want’ has always been there but I always felt that I
didn’t have the time nor the money to fulfil this ambition. When the opportunity came around to conduct a full time Corps funded MSc, I knew it was an opportunity that I didn’t want to miss. I filled in the application form and hoped for the best. Luckily, I was selected to conduct the MSc and was assigned to HQ RAPTC within the Research & Development team.
The MSc I enrolled on was handpicked by the Corps as the course studies the prevention, assessment and management of Chronic Disease. The course covers an array of different modules and topics from Public Health and prevention of Chronic Disease, Nutrition and Physical Activity for Chronic Disease, Self-care approaches, Behaviour Change as well as Research Methods and Statistics. During my second semester I conducted a placement working with Dr Jo Fallowfield from the Institute of Naval Medicine (INM) and worked closely with the team at Army Health. My research dissertation will also be heavily linked with both the INM and Army Health.
So, what does ‘In-service’ really mean?
It basically means you become a full-time student. In my case, this meant attending University 2 days a week, all be it via Zoom for most of it. The rest of the time is spent working within HQ RAPTC or in my case working from home due to COVID19 restrictions. As an in-service student you are expected to support the R&D team where possible, yet the majority of your time would be deemed as protected time to conduct your studies and course work.
From an assessment perspective, modules normally consist of formative assessments such as essays, literature reviews, evaluation reports, case studies, presentations and a dissertation. Taking on an MSc over a 12-month period is quite the task and requires full dedication. It leaves minimal time for much else, however I would still fully recommend conducting an in-service MSc to those who want to enhance their knowledge on a given topic and improve upon their academic abilities.