Page 144 - RAPTC Year of 2019

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BATUS has the responsibility to deliver battle winning equipment to the current Reaction Force, so that the delivery of the most innovative Combined Arms Live Fire in the world
can take place on a yearly basis. This involves delivering mandated training outputs within an assured safe system of training and continuing to develop improvement, to provide a more flexible training continuum that better assures competency and training to threshold of failure, whilst providing evidence for WARDEV.
BATUS is extremely busy all year round and hosts a plethora of exercises such as Ex PRAIRIE PHONEIX 1&2 and PRAIRIE MENTOR, Ex IRON HORSE, Ex PRAIRIE TRANSPORTER, Ex WAROAINT, Ex DAWN RUN, Ex PRAIRIE TEMPEST, Ex CEREBRUS and of course Ex PRAIRE STORM 1,2,3&4.
Where do I start? I have been out of the ERI cadre for three years and this dual role post looked like a nice way to ease me back in to a clinical role. BATUS is like no other clinical role as I would be potentially, offering advice to British Army spouses and Canadian serving personnel as well as the British forces troops. Due to the nature of a dual role post I am given the ability to switch up work depending on patient load and unit needs.
I arrived in September and the snow was already deep on the ground, pretty I thought, but then realisation hit, this was the BATUS norm until April. Once acclimatised all I needed to do was figure out the following questions; Where does PT place in the scale of importance, and where does physical training fit in to the unit?
Sgt Northolt - BHL
SSgt SSI Price enjoying board life
Organised group Physical Training although still considered essential will often take a back seat over higher priority taskings. The training year is also cut short due to the extremes in weather so we have taken on a seasonal training approach which allows a small window twice a year to get the units fitness testing done. Gym space is extremely limited in the winter, but we are still able to facilitate circuits of 400+ soldiers for Commanders PT. Once all taskings are complete PT starts to take a higher priority for departments with most attending twice a day, this helps make up for the shortfall in attendance over the exercising period. All staff are encouraged to train where possible and use the Lone Soldier PT as a guide for the type of sessions they should be completing.
From a rehabilitation perspective work was initially busy but progressively lightened through the winter. Compliance to rehabilitation has improved in recent months but also comes second to the unit’s productivity during Ex PRAIRIE PHONEIX 1 & 2 as soldiers are needed in the workshops and supporting departments to repair the BATUS fleet ready for the next exercise season. This made me switch rehabilitation tactics and create new relevant programmes to get the soldiers exercising around the workplace. This has allowed soldiers to continually progress back to Level 3 PT.
On arrival at BATUS I quickly realised that winter sports were the foundations of what the BATUS community and social life was based on. These are the only outlets for soldiers based here, unless
BATUS
SSgt (SSI) K Price RAPTC
BATUS Charity Hockey League Black Oilers vs Orange Oilers