Page 63 - Mind, Body and Spirit No. 105 2021/22

The PD team at MCTC consists of WO2 (QMSI) D Hagan RAPTC, POPT L Carrie (RN), Sgt T Gelder (RAF), SIO PT M Door and SIO PT J Browne. The team deliver PD for the detainees held at MCTC and the permanent MPS Regt and augmentee staff from RN and RAF. This year has seen no turnovers in staffing for the Gym, which in turn has led to a consistently excellent output. COVID-19 has of course had an element to play in providing challenges for the daily running of the Gym, however a combination of robust risk assessments and experienced staff has meant that the output has never reduced.
While significant events have been thin on the ground over the last year the transformation of the Army fitness testing policy from the AFT to the new Role Fitness Test (Soldier) (RFT(S)) has required increased training for MPS staff. The proof has been in the pudding, as they say, because there has been a 100% pass rate so far, thus demonstrating the effectiveness of the build-up training provided.
This year has seen the return of some organised sports events, such as the MPS Regt Football Tour to Weymouth. The team played two games over four days losing 1-0 to RAB FC and 3-2 to ARMCEN. Considering the MPS Regt Team was a scratch team and they were playing against well-established teams who train together regularly, they acquitted themselves very well. The MPS Regt has also had individuals participating in the Army Indoor Rowing and British Army Warrior Fitness had online events this year with varied success.
The important thing to take away from this is that normality has, more or less, returned to the Gym over the last year.
After a two-year hiatus Exercise Custodial Charge returned for MPS Regt with version 21.2. This year the exercise was located at Swynnerton Training Camp in Staffordshire, within touching distance of the Peak District. Exercise Dragon Custodial Charge was a three-day Type 2 AT package consisting of Summer Mountaineering, Indoor Climbing and Mountain Biking over the period 18-20 Oct.
Maj Keenan and WO2 Batterham flipping tyres in a RFT(S) Circuit
Sgt T Gelder
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MPS REGIMENT AND MILITARY CORRECTIVE TRAINING CENTRE
Every day two groups of participants were taken out on the hills around the villages of Castleton, Hathersage and Hayfield in the Peak District on a separate rotation so that they would not cover the same routes again. These routes took in some of the most famous sites in the Peak district, such as Kinder Scout, Mam Tor and Stanage Edge. Concurrently, each day six participants were chosen to go Mountain Biking at Cannock Chase Forest in Staffordshire and six more were chosen to go Indoor Climbing at Kilnworx climbing wall in Stoke. Over the course of the three days most of the 27 participants had the opportunity to do two hill walks and one alternate activity.
The Exercise was fortunate enough to not run into terrible weather conditions, surprising for October, although there was some inclement weather on two of the days, which meant that the participants weren’t able to make the most of the picturesque views.
Stanage Edge on Ex Dragon Custodial Charge