Page 18 - Mind, Body & Spirit Number 104 2020/21

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www.raptcassociation.org.uk
SO2 PHYSICAL EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS (PES)
The old MBS opening cliché.... ‘Is it that time again’ – Yes, it is Saunders, so put pen to paper and get scribing! Like most I’m unsure where the year has gone however this always provides an excellent opportunity to sit and take time to look back and remind oneself what exactly it is, we have been up to and how much has been achieved!
Well, Non-GCC PES is about to be our new official employment test and standard, I’m already eager to know how it will be received and what the general opinion is from the coal face.
The project would not have been as enjoyable or as educational without the input from the University of Chichester team, unbelievably professional and far too clever and knowledgeable. Thanks to all the team for your invaluable input and also for stripping back all the science so I could understand it! GCC and Non-GCC PES has been completed after several years of analysis, reviews, trails and far more MJPs than I ever want to organise again!
Outside of mainstream Non-GCC PES research there have been a plethora of work strands to get my teeth in to. PES is one of several work strands that form Programme Optimising Physical Performance (Prog OPP). Prog OPP is the umbrella programme that governs a number of high-profile projects/work strands such as WGCC, Female Integration and more recently Projects 3, 4 & 5 of Prog THOR. OPP reports through a series of AH Working Groups through a 1* Steering Group direct to D Pers as the 2* Programme Manager. A great deal of critical OPP work is conducted with key stakeholders within Field Army and Home Command to improve Army capability.
Since my arrival in Jun 19 the PES team has seen several arrivals but mainly departures with a definite theme of no replacements! WO1 (Now Capt) Gaz Bowen RRF vacated the PES WO role for life back at Regimental Duty, Lt Col Anne Fieldhouse RAMC (SO1 Occ Med) was selected for attendance on the Army Command Staff Course at Shrivenham. I wish them both the best of fortunes and thank them for all the support. The long vacant SO2 PES (a)
WO1 (now Capt) Gaz Bowen and Maj Sid Saunders adding the final touches to the PES MJPs
post has been finally filled by Maj Barry Alexander QARANC who will fly the PES flag from here on in – again thanks to Barry for his support, when I was drowning a little under the PES workload!
Employment at E2 within Army Headquarters has been at times challenging (regularly surviving rather than thriving!), at times rewarding but throughout, an education. The virtual challenges of working from home have undoubtedly added to the sometimes- disorientating nature of Army HQ business but have proved business functions can work irrespective of location! I write this with 6 weeks left in post before I escape to HQ RAPTC in my new assignment as SO2 Trg Dev, I think my 2 years working within a 4* Headquarters may be a period in my life that right now I’m a little unsure what just happened but in 6 months I’m likely to reflect and it will all make sense!. Thanks to what have been a fantastic team of RAPTC SO2s, Majors Mark Field, Sean Semple and Russ Reid, thank you for the laughs when there really wasn’t much to laugh about, your friendship, your counselling and best of luck with your forthcoming endeavours – I hope good things happen!
Maj (MAA) P Saunders RAPTC
SO2 ADVENTUROUS TRAINING & SPORT POLICY
Maj (MAA) S Semple RAPTC
Iarrived fresh(ish) faced into post at the start of Oct 20 to replace Maj Russ Reid who was returning to JSMTC, North Wales after his turn in the hot chair, the very same week the plug was pulled
on all Winter Sports and AT Expeds as a result of Coronavirus uncertainty. You can therefore imagine my first few days following HO/TO were full-on, attempting to develop Army direction in an environment which was very unfamiliar to me. Not long after this the PM announced a National Lockdown which again required Army Briefing Notes and Army Command Orders to be issued by yours truly. You may have heard the quote from the American writer, Peter McWilliams - “Get comfortable being uncomfortable” – No truer word has been said as I started this assignment and I was far from comfortable.
Implementing manageable Sport and AT policy during a Pandemic has been a challenge, not only can Government direction be awkward to decipher at the best of times, but the added complexity of the Devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has meant that one cap most certainly doesn’t fit all when it comes to issuing direction. Writing Army policy is most definitely
an art and getting the correct information across in a succinct and legible manner is a challenge not to be underestimated.
Adventurous Training (AT)
You could be guilty of thinking that because AT and Sport have been significantly affected by the Pandemic, these areas would be quiet, this is unfortunately not the case and there are many complex and protracted issues which continue to dominate the AT Policy landscape. Despite this being the single Service (sS) policy desk, before most decisions can be made, they require circulation far and wide, including across the other 2 services for consultation and consideration. Not only does this extend the time it takes to make changes to policy or governance, it requires compromise and a good understanding of the other sSs requirements,’ both of which are very different to the Army’s aims from AT.
Army policy updates are frequent; at times it is challenging to simply maintain sight of all the policies which cross the arcs of the AT and Sport domain. I for one used to criticise policy makers in Army HQ for continual change, and now I find myself sitting