Page 14 - RAPTC Year of 2019

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HQ RAPTC RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CELL
Capt (MAA) M Horner RAPTC
The Research & Development (R&D) Cell has again seen numerous changes as part of developing a more collaborative working environment with the Training Development Team within HQ RAPTC. We bid farewell to WO2 (QMSI) Gaz Lewis and in his place welcomed SSgt (SSI) Kate Wallace and this year’s Loughborough University placement student, Mr Anthony Assadourian.
Despite being relatively new to the HQ RAPTC structure, the capability the R&D cell now offers through its own research and collaboration with research bodies across Defence should not be underestimated. The work strands have continued to remain diverse yet provide steps to supporting the Corps in moving forward both now and in the future. The RAPTC Higher Education Programme (HEP) has developed further with wider engagement with universities across the country in order to provide opportunities for RAPTCIs to expand their knowledge and long-term investment to Corps interests.
A primary focus for this year has been how we as a Corps can best develop mental resilience within each of the three different specialisations. With a growing bed of research in this area due to the increasing number of mental health issues and continual drive to enhance performance, it has attracted much attention. Rather than mental resilience being a biproduct of what we do, the aim has been to make it more prescribed, and an intrinsic element of any overarching aim. I expect this will continue to be a growing area of our work in the coming years so that soldiers have the skills to adjust to the growing mental demands at home, work and the everchanging operational landscape.
Wearable technology also continues to be a hot topic, with research currently being conducted across the Army to identify how it can aid the reduction of MSKI and improve exercise adherence. Whilst there are a number of platforms now available, each capable of a variety of functions, they also bring numerous issues, from data security through to how they can motivate or demotivate individuals. Some of this research has been conducted within Fox Lines, with the R&D cell actively engaged as part of this process. As technology develops and demands grow, this too will continue to remain an area of focus over the coming years, so we remain current and our instructors are able to advise accordingly.
Attendance at conferences and symposiums is a regular feature for the R&D cell, with the International Congress for Soldier Physical Performance (ICSPP) being one of the most prestigious. Held biennially, this year’s congress was hosted by the Canadian Directorate of Fitness in Quebec, Canada. Attended by Lt Col (SMAA) Collinson and myself as HQ RAPTC representatives it provided a useful insight to the research currently being conducted by other nations to develop their soldiers’ physical performance. Reassuringly many of the research topics being presented had already been identified as possible future work strands or investigated by the R&D cell in collaboration with other Defence research bodies.
With most nations now employing a scientific approach to identify how they can best develop the performance of their personnel, much of the research centred around optimising mental and physical resilience. It highlighted the importance of the interactions between physical and cognitive workload and their influence upon performance. As we look ahead it will be crucial that we continually review how we as a Corps can support development in these areas. We need to embrace emerging technology as it evolves and adapt with it, so we can be ready for concepts like integrated exoskeleton human-systems, that will no longer be fiction but reality. As nations boundaries start to shift due to global warming, understanding the impacts that different
Lt Col (SMAA) Collinson & Capt (MAA) Horner attending the ICSPP
future operational environments could have not only physically but mentally, and being adaptable to them has never been so important. It also highlighted the importance of innovation within physical training and the impacts poor sleep has on health, safety, readiness to perform, decision making and even its influence on the perception of pain. Whilst thought provoking all link directly to our outputs in some way or another, regardless of specialism.
Elsewhere within the cell the team have been busy conducting research and supporting additional HQ outputs across a host of areas. SSgt (SSI) Wallace has been heavily engaged with the prenatal and postnatal work that has continued to develop so that RAPTCIs are able to provide sound advice, in line with the proposed policy amendments. Sgt (SI) Horrix has been working closely with the Army Cadet Force (ACF) supporting them in developing their Physical Achievement Tests and the protocols for their Adult Volunteer Instructors as they adjust since the introduction of PES. All in addition to their attendance at St Mary’s University, Twickenham whilst they undertake a fulltime BSc (Hons) in Health & Exercise Science.
A key function of the R&D cell is looking ahead, identifying where we can focus our effort not only over the next year, but over the next decade and beyond. As science and technology continue to develop rapidly across all disciplines of our Corps business, remaining at the forefront of what we do has never been so crucial. As I soon prepare to hand over the R&D baton to Capt (MAA) Joe Foreshew, I leave feeling confident that this is a capability we can only expand on in the future, adjusting to the demands of what is to come, and the Corps evolving to meet future challenges.
Château Frontenac – Venue for the 2020 ICSPP