Page 115 - RAPTC Mind, Body & Spirit

Joint Services Mountain Training Centre conducts Concentrations for all AT courses with Joint Services Adventurous Training scheme, the students on Ex Spanrock had 10 days to complete a course normally run over 5 days giving the instructors opportunity to complete the course and then prepare the students for the next course with essential log book experience.
As an ATI based at JSMTW Ripon the opportunity to teach on Rock Climbing Multi Pitch Leader Training (RMT), Rock Climbing Multi Pitch Leader (RML) and Rock Climbing Instructor (RCI) in the Costa Blanca region of southern Spain is without doubt a fantastic and rewarding experience.
Costa Blanca means White Coast due to it being predominately limestone and there’s 35 crags, spread over hundreds of kilometres, with over 2,500 routes to explore. In a two-week trip we barely started to scratch the surface at any individual crag and only visited a handful in total.
The crags range from single pitch sport routes and alpine sized mountain routes with natural gear. Students were given the opportunity to tick off routes on climbs such as Via Valencianos on the Penon D’Ifach, a thousand-foot solid lump of rock sticks straight up out of the sea and towers over Calpe.
In summary, if you’re looking for a phenomenal climbing area with a vast variety of climbing styles and grades then Costa Blanca is a great option.
REHABILITATION
EXERCISE SPANROCK 17
SSgt (SSI) W Houston RAPTC
JOINT SERVICES SCHOOL OF EXERCISE REHABILITATION INSTRUCTORS OFFICER COMMANDING JSSERI RAPTC ERI SERVICE OVERVIEW
ERI Head of Cadre overview
Heading up the Army ERI Cadre on behalf of the SMAA has been rewarding, testing and frustrating. Rewarding because of the outstanding work that the Cadre does across Defence. The Cadre is one of the most talked about capabilities across the Army and it is almost daily that I receive notable accolades for the outstanding works ERIs do in support of maintaining the Force, alongside the rest of their Corps counterparts.
The single Service focus on ERIs has increased significantly since I took post in Apr 17, as OC JSSERI and single Service ERI manning advisor to HQ RAPTC. ERIs are an integral part of Programme THOR which has been endorsed by CGS. Project 3 of the Programme sees employment of Army ERIs forward within Infantry units. The first tranche of three ERIs selected in support of Programme THOR take up their posts in Jul 18. This is quickly followed by a second wave of these high profile posts being filled in Jan 18. This has only been achievable by having a fully manned Army ERI capability across units and Defence Primary Health Care.
It is the first time the Cadre has been at a 100% manning in over 10 years. This has been achieved through a combination of hard
work by HQ RAPTC/ASPT, a step change in the way in which the ERI Aptitude Assessment is delivered, ensuring recruiting to fill each JSERI course, to 10 RAPTC students is more streamlined, resourced and delivered more effectively and efficiently. Notwithstanding, The outstanding work carried out by the Trade Specialist Advisor (Army), WO1 (SMI) Gaz Till RAPTC.
It has definitely been testing on the manning front, as trying to please everyone is never easy and I think the commitment of SMI Till in conjunction with Mrs Jane Bolye, our longest serving and trusted friend at APC, has been pivotal in support of the management process for the Cadre. SMI Gaz leaves the Service later this year on completion of his Colour Service and I would like to publicly thank him for the work he has done on behalf the ERIs and Defence Rehabilitation in general. Without his unwavering support, dedication and commitment, we (the Cadre) would not be in such a strong position.
The frustrating part of my tenure has been the drive towards professional recognition for ERIs within the healthcare domain. However, the future is bright; it is coming; so watch this space!
Maj (MAA) J Hughes MSc BSc RAPTC
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