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Imjin Platoon is made up of a Platoon Commander, Platoon Sergeant and three Section Commanders. All staff are selected having already worked in the college for a year and have exactly the right empathy and discipline balance. A very difficult line to tread with the most vulnerable JS in the College.
This is without doubt right up there with the best jobs I have had in my military career and I would strongly recommend it but there are additional responsibilities such as Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) lead (another worthwhile role). Do not think it is a walk in the park. On a personal level, as you read this I will most likely be very close to being or in fact already in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and sick to death of eating dried rations and rowing, that’s another story that will be in the next edition!
the JS psychologically and psycho-socially. The Para JS (Joes) train together with an increase of sophisticated and science led training sessions. The ‘Joes’ eat together, with an increase in calories to accommodate the calorific deficit caused by the extra exertion. This has had a direct correlation to an improved pass rate when they pass through Catterick.
The pass rate for PARA Ph 2 Trg for AFC JS stood at 20.4%, the lowest across all cap badges. Since OP ACHILLES has come to fruition, and a full 12 week ‘OP ACHILLES course’ has been completed, the pass rate has risen to 38%. Out of those that made it to Pre-Para Selection, (P Company) test week, 88% where successful in passing. This highlights the need to get more JS to test week in order to maximise success. 1 in 6 JS at the Army Foundation College now want to become Paratroopers, creating a new challenge to accommodate, but a fantastic achievement from all involved.
Boxing
Sgt (SI) M Chadwick RAPTC
On 14 Feb 19, an incredible culmination of training and preparation over months of hard work saw Fox Company of the AFC showcase an excellent night of boxing. The Junior Soldiers stole the show with their desire and courage to step into the ring in front of thousands, including a former World Middleweight Champion, Steve Collins. After months of training, boxers of all weight categories were excellently matched and put on an amazing show of technically sound boxing with humbling amounts of courage and discipline. The spectacle perfectly encapsulated the core purpose of the College which sees young men and woman developing and enhancing a set of personal values, standards and behaviours that will drive them through the rest of their military lives.
Maj Hendrickson bumping into Steve Collins!
AFC Harrogate RAPTCIs – Team Handsome
SSgt (SSI) Leach – Skin Rubber & Army Triathlete
Common Military Syllabus (CMS) 18
SSgt (SSI) B Leach RAPTC
CMS 18 is the package of all Phase 1 training that is delivered across the British Army. It incorporates all the facets of training, including Physical Development (PD). In Jan 18, ITG G7 PD Branch visited AFC(H) to get a feel of what PD is like at AFC (H) from the delivery team. The result of this visit generated A LOT of work for Sgt Chadwick & I.
AFC Harrogate is a unique training
establishment due to the cohort of trainees (adolescents) that we deliver military training to. Previous, PD training systems that have been delivered have worked well but have never been specific to our population. For example, how you train a 16-year-old should be different to how you train a 30-year- old. They both have different requirements and are at different
physiological stages in life.
It was agreed that AFC(H) would have the autonomy to develop the programme that would best relate to the Army Physical Training System that has been rolled out across the British Army. Consequently, the programme was then reverse engineered with the help of ITG. An agreed model was eventually created, followed by the development of a macro cycle for both the long course and the short course by Sgt Chadwick and I. Once the tedious task of re-writing every lesson plan to be delivered was completed, the end stage of the cycle was for ITG to finalise the Learning Specifications (LSPECs).
Overall, this was absolutely a step in the right direction. Common terminology will now be used from day 1. Additionally, a shift from endurance training to movement pattern correction & strength training is instilled from the very first PT Session. There is still a long way to go but there is already an evident cultural shift happening at the AFC regarding PD.
Op ACHILLES
Sgt (SI) M Chadwick RAPTC
OP ACHILLES was developed in line with the Army Physical Training System and embeds a culture of holistic physical training to contribute to optimal human performance and enhanced resilience in preparation for Parachute Regiment Phase 2 Training (Para Ph 2 Trg). This is achieved through the utilization of a periodical training regime, which takes into consideration each Junior Soldiers (JS) individual requirements and the hectic AFC Battle Rhythm. Quantitative data, from the Max Aerobic Speed (MAS) and 1 repetition maximum testing help formulate the level and intensity of the myriad of exercises prescribed throughout the 12-week course.
Op ACHILLES not only aims to produce positive physical adaptations (primarily in strength), but also focusses on adapting