Page 40 - RAPTC Year of 2019

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HEADQUARTERS BRITISH FORCES CYPRUS
Maj (MAA) D Douglas RAPTC
HQ British Forces Cyprus (BFC) has 3 main core missions: Protect and enable strategic communication assets, Maintain Sovereignty of territorial airspace, waters and
access to retained sites as well as support to contingent operations bay maintaining a Forward Mounting Base. So, it is not all fun in the sun as some people think.
To ensure Commander British Forces (CBF) is able to meet his mission, I have a very capable team of RAPTCIs, RAF PTIs and AAPTIs who ensure through challenging physical development, sport and adventurous training personnel are physically fit and able to add to our operational capacity.
To date HQ BFC has accommodated circa 40 Overseas Sporting Visits from across all 3 services, 30 external AT expeditions and numerous VVIPs & VIPs, all of which come with their own challenges. This support has firmly put Cyprus on the map as a great location to deliver training in good weather at relatively cheap costs to the military community.
BFC is now our largest overseas location since the drawdown of BF Germany and with such a large number of visits taking place there always seems to be a requirement for SO2 PD to be involved. I have found myself hosting on a number of occasions from, The Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme, Republic of Cyprus VIPs to more recently taking Commander UK Strategic Command on a bike ride as a welcome relief from his daily briefings. CBF is very enthusiastic with regards to all sporting opportunities for on island personnel including dependants, UKBCs and our locally employed personnel, annually unit RAPTCIs host the BFC big 5 events:
• Gym 2 Gym is a run/walk covering a total distance of 21km from Episkopi gymnasium to RAF Akrotiri.
• Mountain 2 Sea is a mountain bike race over a total distance of 60km from Troodos Station to the Military Training Wing located in Happy Valley.
• Cyprus Walkdown is a team orienteering event over a total distance of 40km from Troodos Station to the Happy Valley sports stadium.
• Bay 2 Bay is an individual open water swimming event over a distance of 1.9km (1 nautical mile) from Lemmings Beach to the Military Training Wing on Tunnel beach.
In delivering a One Team approach to BFC outputs we hold the annual CBF sports competition which is a festival of sports for all to participate in; competition is strong, events are not always well mannered, but all sports are well supported. As expected, my unit RAPTCIs deliver top notch events ensuring all participants are safe and the risk is as low as reasonably practical.
This year has been a busy one for all RAPTCIs with changes at Dhekelia with 2 Royal Anglian (SSgt Geoff Bowery) handing over Lions Gym to 1 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (SSgt Noel Yates), Ayia Nicoloas has seen a change with SSgt Shawn Pearey handing over the Joint Service Signals Unit to SSgt J Jallow. J is already understanding the complex nature of a specialist signals unit and rises to the daily challenges.
As I write these notes BFC is in the mist of the COVID 19 pandemic as are the rest of the world, to show our versatility some of us are being re-rolled, I will be SO2 Influence which will see me assisting with changing the Republic of Cyprus mindset of what the British Forces in Cyprus are doing to reduce the spread of this virus, which isn’t stopped by boundaries’ or nationalities. SSgt J Jallow will be OIC Waste Management for Ayia Nicoloas Stn, I’m sure there will be transferable skills for any future employment.
If assignment restrictions are lifted by the time you sit down to read these notes HQ BFC will have said a fond farewell to SSgt Craig (Rambo) Williams 2 MERC as the unit Arms Plot back to the UK and Rambo will hopefully be gainfully employed within HQ RAPTC where he will be sat in a dark room crushing data onto spreadsheets that no one other than himself can understand. SSgt Chris Wood will be starting a new assignment to Southwick Park on promotion to WO2 (QMSI), a role which he will develop into his own and where his golf handicap will no doubt be reduced. I will also be leaving for pastures new as I take up the appointment of OC Trails End Camp in Canada another overseas assignment for the Douglas family and another HQ RAPTC bullet dodged.
It has been a privilege to work with some outstanding RAPTCIs throughout my tenure as SO2 PD BFC, you have all delivered in your own ways, leading from the front with the implementation of the APTS across our Tri-Service community, organising sporting events pan island and for that I am truly thankful.