Page 39 - RAPTC Mind, Body & Spirit

Ihave now been in post for a year and it is a very unique job. The first question I got as I arrived in post was “Can we
1ST MILITARY WORKING DOG REGIMENT
get Dogs on PT?” this is a question that is
posed to me on nearly a daily basis. The
answer has always been I am open to
the option but my first priority is always a
Human Athletic performance enhancement
from the session not a canine. This unit has
3 working Sqns and anywhere from 30 –
50 Military Working Dogs (MWD) per Sqn.
With one Sqn permanently on standby for
MACP duties and the other two on yearly
rotation for contingency ops, this unit is
exceptionally busy and always has elements deployed supporting current Ops and training worldwide.
This unit was spread between 3 different countries and had 2 gyms in different countries and I had to provide cover for both. Having the option to work in Germany one week every month was good to begin with but then came the time to rebase back to the UK and bring the Regiment together; this was the first time in their history this had been done. Although there is still a troop in Cyprus but I haven’t “managed” to complete an assurance check yet.
During this year, I have learnt a lot about dog handling and rules around working dogs. The handlers are often bitten by their dogs
SSgt (SSI) JR Masters RAPTC
37
Well I have now been in post with 3 Regt Army Air Corp for over 12 months and have settled into the rhythm of the unit which consists of 3 flying squadrons, a large REME contingent and a HQ squadron. The autumn and winter periods have seen the Regiment spread across 2 continents on 2 exciting exercises. 662 Squadron have been aboard HMS Ocean sailing through the Mediterranean before joining 663 Squadron in America to conclude our biggest live firing exercise of the year. Exercise CRIMSON EAGLE based out of Arizona close to the Mexican boarder was the culmination of
training for our new batch of pilots who are now fully embedded in to the Regiment after completing their conversion to role.
Going back to talk about HMS Ocean, picture in you mind the French Riviera and you are more likely thinking of a cruise ship not a warship. Embarked onboard as part of the Tailored Air Group and providing the Task Group with STRIKE capability was 662 Squadron 3 Regt AAC. The process of rerolling an attack helicopter squadron
who recently returned from the final Apache HERRICK tour to fulfil a maritime role is no small achievement. Add into that the requirement to gain enough experience to fulfil a quick reaction role from May this year it was clear there was a lot to do in a short space of time. Exercise COUGAR presented man and machine alike an opportunity to develop further.
Alongside all the military training the soldiers have been provided numerous opportunities to attend both adventurous training (AT) and sporting events. We have hosted the AAC Inter unit Corps basketball event and took the winners trophy and had a very good representation across all levels of sport holding regular inter Sqn events. The main focus of AT for the Regiment is skiing and sailing, however, this year it was decided that it was high time for some summer AT activities. So a package was put together to take 70 soldiers on a multi activity week to Serre Chevalier in Southern France. A good time was had by all and this
1MWD 7s Rugby Team
CPL Simpson Competing in the Dutch International Canine Biathlon
3 REGIMENT ARMY AIR CORPS
SSgt (SSI) N P Speariett RAPTC
if they do not keep their concentration levels at max all the time; this isn’t a good recipe for trying to get them on PT. There is a sporting event that 1 MWD enter that is unique to the unit, this is the Canine Biathlon. This is not what I expected; it is a team and individual race with the dog to complete a non-specific distance race with many tasks and skills to complete. This is to showcase not just the ability of the dog but the skills of the handler and their teamwork. This was new to me and although it only applies to a very small group of individuals there are a lot of international competitions that the unit attend. The unit has also entered many Rugby competitions and have fared very well, including coming second in the AMS 12’s and 7’s championships.
Via Ferrata
event will feature in next year’s calendar.