Page 14 - Mind, Body and Spirit 2015-16

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www.raptcassociation.org.uk
best elements of the Army’s approach to tness and provides an excellent opportunity for Army personnel to train and compete as a team in a physically demanding competition. None of the exercises are unique to BAWF, however the format of the competition has now been formalised and rolled out across the Army with appropriate direction, governance and assurance. The long term plan is to expand BAWF further with more teams competing in 2017 culminating in an Armed Forces Event.
Future plans include investing in Deployable Fitness Equipment having more agile options available for short term deployments either in the UK or overseas. This will involve pooling most of the current container style gyms so they can be shared by all Army units on a regular basis.
Last year I wrote about my rst thoughts on working in Army HQ, 12 months on and so much has changed! The Army Command Review (ACR) has
restructured the higher echelons of the Army and the HQ has undergone signi cant restructuring in order to reorganise so we can deliver the newly developed Army Operating Model (AOM). Much is still to be done and the way we work in the HQ is under constant re nement. The future role of the PD Branch is under review and we anticipate that the next 12 months will witness more changes.... yet to be fully de ned.
Enough of the blurb; despite the signi cant amount
of change taking place in Andover, it is reassuring to know that Sport and Adventurous Training are as important here as they are in any unit. My appointment as SO2 AT & Sport makes me the automatic choice to be Army HQ’s UATO; despite being a secondary responsibility it is a role which I take very seriously and I ensure that Expedition Leaders are provided with the right level of advice and scrutiny to ensure that AT activities are conducted safely. Over the last 12 months Army HQ has participated in 20 expeditions involving 424 personnel and visiting 10 different countries. One of the pinnacle events was a High Risk and Remote (HR&R) Expedition to attempt a summit of the world’s
highest active volcano, Ojos del Salado (6893 metres) located in the Andes of Chile.
It’s not just AT that we participate in; sport too is an important element of life in the HQ, where one of the principles of work is that individuals are to be afforded the opportunity to participate in sport. The HQ’s Orienteering Team are the Military League (South) Major Unit Champions and Army Major Unit Runners Up – results I am pleased to have been part of. The HQ’s Rugby Team (The Grif ns) have just returned from an overseas sports visit to Singapore and Colonel Sheff Appleby will have mentioned the cycling tour to the French Alps, which he
won’t forget in a hurry. In addition, we compete annually for the General’s Cup (a bit like a CO’s Cup) in which the various 2 Star ‘Pillars’ within the HQ compete against each other throughout the year in a number of sporting events – all of which are overseen and co-ordinated by the HQ’s RAPTC Instructor, previously SSI Jon Siracusano and currently SSI Lee Kinsley.
So, what I hope I’ve been able to demonstrate is that although the working day can be unpredictable and often frustrating, the old adage of ‘work hard, play hard’ is certainly alive and available to those in Army HQ that have the appetite for sport and AT.
THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE
Major (MAA) Steve Collinson – SO2 AT & Sport
Having now been in this job for a year, I can say with much conviction that time really does y when you’re running around like a lunatic trying to meet
deadlines. That said, I’m really enjoying the challenges
and the working environment is brilliant which is primarily
due to the PD team (Sheff Appleby, Steve Collinson,
Tom Scarr and his successor Ian Phillips) who are
always on hand to provide timely advice in their speci c
areas of expertise. I’ve been particularly impressed
by their ability to remember nite detail, which is often demonstrated during the weekly diary checks, where
they enthusiastically and unanimously inform me that it’s
my turn (again) to buy the brews! Initially I thought this
was just a wind up until Ian Phillips produced his little black book, which had my name rmly etched in for ‘brew duty’ every week! #conspiracy.
Joking aside, since taking on the Assurance of Physical Development post last year, several changes have taken place with many more to follow. The initial impetus for change came about when the Chief of General Staff directed the Army
Inspectorate to review all inspections and audits within the Army. The end result will be a new inspection and audit regime across the Army, which will include the Physical Development Inspection (PDI). Once the policy has been amended, staff training will take place for all RAPTC personnel involved in the PDI process. In addition, the Army Reporting Management System (ARMS) programme used to capture all PDI data will also receive a much needed upgrade and should be ready by December 2016.
Although Army Headquarters is a busy environment, the
chain of command has a ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos and if an opportunity to get away presents itself, then we are advised to take it. This year I managed to get away on a battle eld tour to Poland, a day y shing with mentors and a trip to Chamonix coaching mountain biking as part of a Multi Activity expedition, which was fantastic fun and keeps my coaching logbook in-date. Planning for next year’s events are well underway and I’ll update you all in next year’s edition of the MBS.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT ASSURANCE
Lt Col (MAA) Sulle Alhaji - SO1 PD Assurance