Page 78 - Mind, Body & Spirit Number 104 2020/21

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1Royal Welsh 2020 started off as any other year with a busy FOE and lots of planned activities and taskings for the PD Department. This began with a short deployment overseas
to Germany on Ex Gothic Dragon. Our time on exercise was jam packed with quality training for all ranks and gave a great variety to the normal routine of battalion life. Little did we know that the rumours of a pandemic and borders becoming shut would quickly turn into a hard extract for the unit and returning them to the UK as quickly as possible.
On arrival back to UK the call was made for minimal manning in barracks and remainder to return home in line with GOVT direction, which began the new way operating and new way of living for the battalion. The busy FOE quickly became quiet, as planned tasks where cancelled and events postponed, which left a confusing and grey year ahead. As more direction came out during the first lockdown it came apparent that dramatic changes where needed to get the Welsh Warrior Gym back up and running. Myself and my team worked hard to get many changes and new procedures in place including revamping the gym layout in order to allow safe training in line with the current FHPI. The gym now includes a one-way system, Perspex dividers, sanitising stations, individual training pods, virtual booking in systems and limited personnel within the gym at one time.
With such a large unit and vital training needed in preparation for UKSB, Sub-unit PT had to be restructured in order to allow APTS to progress. With the restrictions of keeping every session as safe and as COVID complaint as possible, there was overwhelming times that seen the AAPTIs splitting their companies into 3 groups
SSgt Smith and LCpl Rees-Davies passing out their Dragons SP
LCpl Kane AAPTI educating the young soldier on supplements and nutrition
over a single day and taking up to 12 sessions a week. This was a massive organisational and management task in itself; as well as ensuring area bookings and routes where not in the same vicinity or crossing paths.
Whilst many used this time to cancel and reschedule events and courses, 1 R Welsh pushed on with drive so that we would not let the pandemic stop us. We were on the front line aiding the NHS with the nightingale hospitals and MTU’s, deployed to Dover COVID testing lorry drivers, ran a reduced 4-week Dragons (Rehab) Course, successfully upgraded 8 individuals back to MFD, organised and ran the first PTL trail course successfully qualifying 8 PTLs within the unit and finally conducted a moral component’s week targeting the mental resilience and reinvigorating team ethos back into our troops. As part of this week the PD department laid on an inter sub-unit section competition which consisted of navigating and completing various command tasks followed by a health and wellbeing fair; educating our younger soldiers on living a healthier and better wellbeing lifestyle. This has all been alongside preparing our soldier ready for UKSB whilst being on as little as 6 hours’ notice to move.
Even through these dark and lonely times, a new working environment has been created, resulting in distance working becoming the new working conditions. The Royal Welsh have continued to operate extremely well throughout which is testimony to the hard work and dedication of proud welsh soldiers and what it means to be a Welsh Warrior.
1ST BATTALION THE ROYAL WELSH
SSgt (SSI) S Smith RAPTC
LCpl Gentlemen PTL delivering a zoom PTL Body Weighted Circuit as part of the trail