Page 94 - Mind, Body and Spirit 2015-16

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ADVENTUROUS TRAINING GROUP (ARMY)(ATG (A))
Maj (MAA) R Gilbey RAPTC Group Training Of cer (GTO)
Some of you will be pleased to know (others less so perhaps) that as per my notes last year, I made reference to the wise words of the previous two
GTOs (Collinson and Lewis) “ success as the GTO was to survive” well as I approach my 2 year point I am still here (having not been sacked (yet)) I suppose I could say I have “survived” but as normal thing’s change and I am about to become the longest serving GTO in history (as I embark on an additional 14 months in post, I am a long way from survival so I suppose an equally long way from achieving success.
You may also recall from last years notes that I referenced
Mark Lewis comments that ATG (A) were about to undertake numerous changes and those changes and the subsequent challenges that comes with change were being faced head on by all at ATG(A). Well, change has been a continuing focus with ATG (A) undergoing a total transformation which has included the re-naming and re-location of one of it’s sub unit HQs, as Headquarters Adventurous Training Foundation Delivery (ATFD) has become HQ Adventurous Training Foundation Centre (ATFC) (that change from D to C had 2* engagement, which goes to show no decision is ever taken lightly), re-subordination of three centres as Joint Service Parachute Wing, Netheravon JSPC (N), Cyprus Joint Service Adventurous Training Centre (CJSATC) and Adventurous Training Centre, Castle Martin ATC (CM) all re-subordinated under the newly named Adventurous Training
Foundation Centre (HQ ATFC). These changes brought about additional name changes as the centres became wings and as a result, the new structure of ATG (A) is shown in the graphic below.
Another fundamental change taking place is the move out of Capel Curig and into Llanwrst (JSMTW (L) in the structure above (many of you will be familiar with and have fond memories of your time at Llanwrst during the old advance and Probationers courses and more recently during Class 1 Training).
There will always be challenges and I am in no doubt that AT will always face the brunt of some of those challenges, as savings measures are imposed on us all. ARTD are constantly under pressure to save money and with many of the Op Gps within ARTD under delivering against their Statement of Training Task (SOTT) schedule there is constant pressure to reduce the scheduled output to correlate with the actual uptake. AT however, is most de nitely a growth industry with T3 expeditions higher than recent years and the throughput of students at ATG (A) T4 and T2 Centres exceeding the SOTT and demand still far exceeding capability. I will leave the centres to talk about what they have been doing over the past 12 months and the opportunities that exist within the various centres for you as individuals and/or your units and unit personnel.
HQ JSMTC
HQ ATG (A)
HQ ATFC
JSMTW (R)
JSMTW (L)
JSMTW (Bal)
JSMTW (Bav)
JSATW (NI)
JSATW (C)
ATFW (I)
ATFW (C)
JSMTW (H)
JSMTW (NI)
JSASTC (Gosport)
JSMTW (I)
JOINT SERVICE MOUNTAIN TRAINING CENTRE (JSMTC)
Since the last publication of MBS, Lt Col Alan Wylie R Anglian has assumed the appointment of
Commanding Of cer at JSMTC and I have taken over as the OC Training vice Maj Steve Higgins (now a Mr). Further to this we now have an established Training Assurance Manager, Mr Frazer Marr, who many of you will know from his previous days in the Corps. Finally the last edition to the training piece within the HQ is the arrival of the Training Warrant Of cer; WO2 (QMSI) Pete Fort who took over from WO2 (QMSI) Mellor, Q Mellor is now in the Oman lling the RAPTC ATI WO2 post. There has been some great progress this year at JSMTC which commenced with the move
OC Training - Maj (MAA) R Reid RAPTC
of our RAPTC staff from JSATI Llanrwst to JSMTC in Sep 14. This transition has without doubt been an absolute resounding success for the Corps. Not only do we have our future RAPTCIs being trained on the Class 1 Course by the best AT experts in the Services, and in some cases the Country, we also have those individuals who are training to become ATIs, assigned to JSMTC on a Resilience Margin (ReM), to conduct bespoke AT training and development in order to ll their next appointment. So what does this change of location really mean? Well the RAPTC are embedded within JSMTC, the RAPTC has its own development cell, it delivers the best possible AT training to
the Class 1 Course while identifying future AT talent for the Corps. We then direct this talent on to the ReM and train them speci cally for an AT post which results in the trained and quali ed personnel arriving at an RAPTC liability ready to start work; it’s almost perfect. For the other elements of JSMTC, the training programme remains varied and contains plenty of opportunity, not only for the wider Service students attending our courses, but for our staff to travel to all areas of the globe whilst delivering a plethora of JSAT disciplines. I hope you enjoy reading the articles written by our JSMTC Wings at Ballachulish, Indefatigable, Ripon, Capel Curig and Bavaria.