Page 50 - Mind, Body and Spirit No. 105 2021/22

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www.raptcassociation.org.uk
The last year as SSI at 5RA has had its challenges, but ultimately been very rewarding. Briefly coming out of lockdown before going back into a semi-lockdown saw service personnel return to work in various states of physical fitness. I feel the unit had been stretched between multiple taskings both at home and abroad.
PD saw a total reset and the Regiment entered a foundation stage of Physical training for approximately six weeks. Towards the end of this period, working routine developed into the norm that we recognised pre-pandemic. At the heart of the PT programme was preparation for the new Role Fitness Test (Soldier) (RFT(S)) to be undertaken and successfully completed.
During this period the Regiment was able to undertake various sporting activities with success in Cross country, where both the men’s and women’s teams won a plethora of UK North and Army Championships, UK North league champions and Inter Unit Half Marathon Champions.
There has been limited Adventurous Training undertaken thus far due to deployments and exercises. There are however firm plans in
5RA Cross Country Female Winners
5RA SP conducting PD on Exercise
place to undertake several expeditions across multiple disciplines of AT this coming year.
The future looks bright here with the new CoC putting PD, Sport and AT at the heart of the FOE for the coming year. This promises to deliver multiple opportunities to the next RAPTCI in the seat.
5RA Cross Country Male Winners
5TH REGIMENT ROYAL ARTILLERY
SSgt (SSI) C Brand RAPTC
21 Engineer Regiment are situated just outside the city centre of Ripon, North Yorkshire
in Claro Barracks. Since 1977, Deverell Barracks, the home of JSMTW(R) has been co-located on the same site. After 4 decades, 2021 saw the closure of Deverell Barracks and the relocation of JSMTW(R) to Halton, with 21 Engineer Regiment remaining on site at Claro Barracks until 2026.
efforts to achieve; effort 1 was to conduct a collective 4-week return to work reconditioning PT programme that involved a Soldier Conditioning Review (SCR) and Body Composition Measurement (BCM) within the first week to provide a baseline for effort 2 & 3. Effort 2 was to commence the units delayed transition across from the AFT and implementation of the new PES and RFT(S) Non-GCC. Using effort 1 & 2 as building blocks, effort 3 saw the unit also commence their pre-deployment training for their up-and-coming UN tour in Cyprus on Op Tosca 36.
21 ENGINEER REGIMENT
SSgt (SSI) P Welch RAPTC
2021 saw another fragmented year
for the unit, with virtual events,
Skype meetings and Zoom training
sessions continuing as a matter
of routine. Providing our service
personnel with weekly, prescribed
virtual PT sessions, utilising the bodyweight version of the Lone Soldier Training Programme (LSTP) to maintain their personal physical fitness. On their collective return to work from lockdown 3.0, post summer stand down in September, the unit had 3 main
SSgt (SSI) P Welch RAPTC
Whilst trying to achieve all 3 of their main efforts, the unit also wanted to preserve the findings of the study of Acute vs Chronic injuries conducted by my predecessor SSgt (SSI) Laker RAPTC and the PCRF Dishforth, which presented
a 10-year reduction in MSKI referral rates for the unit.