Page 68 - RAPTC Mind, Body & Spirit

66
www.raptcassociation.org.uk
conducted the warm up which saw the soldiers dancing along to the ‘Macarena’ (rather badly) whilst the rain poured in sideways and puzzled onlookers at the beach questioned our actions. “3, 2, 1, GO” with a mass start the soldiers were off, dripping wet the runners became smaller and smaller as they ran up the first hill (aptly named the Steps of Woe), then the second, and third. The 3 mile up-hill struggle through boggy tracks, deep puddles and long grass concludes with a direct 800m run across the sports pitches, then directly into the Gym where they meet Santa. All the hard efforts are paid off when the runners are presented with
a hot beverage and a mince pie (or a lump of coal for a poor effort on fancy dress).
It wasn’t long after the last individual crossed the line when the Commanding Officer (long blonde wig, windswept at this stage and no surf board to be seen) wished the Regiment a Merry Christmas and stood them down for the festive period. It was a strong effort by all of the participants that day, braving terrible conditions and persevering through to the end. A more perfect end to the year could not have been planned.
14th Signal Regiment Running team in Australia’s Northern Territory on Exercise Raven Cyber
MOD ST ATHAN HUMAN PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
SSgt (SSI) G Dove RAPTC
The British Army sees constant competition from other States to remain at the strategic edge, enhancing the human component of the Army is vitally important to remain competitive. Machines and weapons can be purchased at a cost, but if time and effort is concentrated on the human element of a defence force, then the benefits of improving human excellence are endless. Ensuring our people are at this edge of excellence reaffirms the importance of human performance.
The physical component of human performance has been a responsibility bestowed on me from my first day in the ‘seat’. The unit’s human performance programme includes key components such as physical, psychological and physiological. There has been much trial and error from the outset, but great progress has been made to develop this initiative from its infancy. The Operators Performance Centre (OPC) is approaching its second birthday. Since initial set up of the OPC, impact related injuries seen by the rehabilitation chain has greatly reduced due to the injury
Competitors participating in the Fire Team Throwdown Competition
prevention type of training the OPC encourages. The relatively new Combatives Centre is extremely popular and allows for platoon- sized combatives training to take place. Both these facilities have received great attention and funding has been sourced to ensure they are at a level that supports the standards and needs of the unit. Initial setup was through self-help and funded on a minimal budget. More recently a considerable amount of funding has not only supported new physical training equipment, but also bespoke branded flooring that has transformed both facilities.
Four platforms have been set up to drive human performance and educate individuals and groups in key physical components – strength and conditioning platform, nutrition platform, combatives platform, and reconditioning PT platform. The strength and conditioning platform coaches six fundamental movements specific to the role performed by the unit. The nutrition platform sees groups attend a package that informs the importance of a healthy balanced diet. The combatives platform has delivered eight Combatives Level 1 courses. A recent development has seen the newly designed Combatives Level 2 course being run, providing a progression in training. These two train-the-trainer courses have qualified close to 100 unit personnel, allowing combatives skills to be taken back to the Strike Company’s. The reconditioning PT platform is not a revolutionary initiative different to other unit procedures, but a formalised platform emphasising the importance of returning individuals back to training in a timely manner and in the best possible functioning condition. These four platforms are modular, and in time will see additional modules added, creating an effective package available to unit personnel. ‘Marginal gains’ is a theory driven by Team Sky in their pursuit to dominate the cycling world, which no doubt they have. There is still much more required to develop the physical component of human performance within the unit, but I believe the end result will provide the professional soldier of today with the marginal gains