Page 96 - MBS 2022/23

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What a hectic year it has been for 3 RANGER and the Army Special Operations Brigade (ASOB). The Battalion has been extremely active, having deployed more than 80 times to various locations across the world, including Kosovo, Albania, Canada, Norway and the United States, to name a few. The RAPTCIs and AAPTIs have provided support for all deployments, whether delivering pre-training or executing in-country acclimatisation packages; additionally, the majority of them have deployed to many destinations whilst embedding within a team.
Alongside the busy but rewarding job of co-ordinating the Physical Development (PD) of such a unique and demanding Battalion, I have had many responsibilities, one of which is the design and delivery of Physical Training Assessments utilised during the Ranger Assessment Cadre (RAC). The two-week assessment for prospective Ranger, which broadly outlines an initial period of conceptual assessments including logical and verbal reasoning, international affairs and cultural awareness, as well as the usual barrage of military tests. This was followed by Ex BREAKOUT - a four-day exercise consisting of individual day and night navigation exercises, a team 36-hour standing patrol phase and a 36-hour patrols phase. On return to Elizabeth Barracks, candidates delivered a team back-brief on the events they had witnessed, and the information collected throughout the previous four days. The final assessment of each candidate’s suitability for a future career within the Ranger Regiment was an interview covering personal motivation and character, professional experience and
D Coy Winter Deployment
SSgt (SSI) K Bowling RAPTC
3RD BATTALION THE RANGER REGIMENT
understanding of the role. Once individuals have successfully passed the RAC, they will be offered a place onto the All-Arms Ranger Course, which again is delivered from the Land Special Operations Training Centre in Elizabeth Barracks.
In the Spring of 2022, I was given the chance to deploy to Kosovo as a member of a two-man team to assist in the training of the elite units of the Albanian Armed Forces and the Kosovo Security Force for the most challenging marching exercise in the world, Ex CAMBRIAN PATROL. In addition to my deployment, the Canadian Winter Warfare Course in Nanuvut and the Arctic Warfare Instructors Course in Skjold, Norway, are two further examples of the difficult and rigorous training that a number of AAPTIs have deployed on during operations and overseas exercises.
Thursday Battalion PT Session
Sport has again developed within the Battalion, giving people the chance to try out new activities when they are away from their hectic schedules. Additionally, the more well-known athletes have excelled in Corps and Army level competitions in sports including British Army Warrior Fitness (BAWF), triathlon, running, combat sports and Nordic skiing.
At the most recent Army Athletics Association Awards evening, I was proud to receive the Army Athlete of the Year Award in recognition of my accomplishments in numerous running disciplines and achievements at Corps, Army, and UK Armed Forces (UKAF) level.
‘BY ALL MEANS’
– THE RANGER REGIMENT
SSgt Bowling at the Inter-Services Cross-Country Championships
AAPTI in Nanuvut, Canada