Page 59 - Mind, Body and Spirit 2016/17

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closed so we could get to and from the stadium where the events were being held. Overall we didn’t place highly in the competition; however, it was a very successful trip for defence engagement and interacting with other nations.
The Pakistan Army had arranged a battle eld tour for all foreign teams, we moved from Lahore to Islamabad. Where we all went to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and visited a military college in Wane and Mira shah, we were shown how they were rebuilding large amounts of infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.
I am excited at the prospect of the next 2 years within 2 Ri es, not only to further my RAPTCI development but as I write this article I am gearing up for a type 3 mountain biking expedition to India in March 17. The last 8 months have been a busy but thoroughly enjoyably time and as the Battalion prepare for future Ops the tempo is only increasing.
A group picture in the FATA with the Chinese, Jordanian, Malaysian, Pakistan Army and Maldives Defence Force
My rst year as the RAPTCI for 5 Regiment Army Air Corps (AAC) in Northern Ireland (NI) has been an absolutely fantastic experience and taking over the reins from a
professional operator like SSgt Craig Morton has made the transition seamless. The rst three months in the Regiment has been a steep learning curve, as the operational tempo is quite high at 5 AAC and getting to grips with all the shift patterns has also been a challenge. Without the support of all the key players and my loyal PTI’s the rst three months in post would have been a massive struggle.
The Gymnasium is located in an old aircraft hangar and is arguably one of the biggest and best equipped gymnasiums in the British Army and plays host to many sporting events in the province. I have a keen interest in anything strength and conditioning and I felt it was the perfect location to host N.I’s very rst weightlifting workshop. The workshop was delivered by two of the best weightlifters in Northern Ireland, the 2014 European Masters Weightlifting Champion, Peter Stewart and United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) Accredited coach and Northern Ireland National Team coach, Timmy Graham. With the introduction of Strength and Conditioning to our training programme we have managed to lower the manual handling injuries by 20%.
We have also been involved in various charity and sporting events such as the Belfast Marathon, 24hrs ABF Charity Squash Challenge, Fancy Dress Fun Run and also a Wives Charity Walk up Slieve Donard, which is the highest peak in Northern Ireland.
To date 5 AAC have raised more than £3200.00 for the Army Benevolent Fund.
We also have a very strong cross country and triathlon team and are the 2017 Cross Country League Runners Up. I am looking forward to my next challenge with 5 AAC, when we embark on a two week trek of the Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand this year.
5 REGIMENT ARMY AIR CORPS
Sgt (SI) B Maileiba RAPTC
Weight lifting workshop
Ascending Slieve Donard