Page 50 - RAPTC Year of 2019

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4th BATTALION THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF SCOTLAND (THE HIGHLANDERS)
SSgt (SSI) C Pennington RAPTC
Hldr O’Donnell showing his worth at ‘Throw the Hammer’
What a year it’s been! From the implementation of the SCR and the RFT(S), to the upscaling of the gym equipment through the PES uplift or the gym improvement pack, to being fortunate enough to have a Forward ERI, it has been a varied yet very rewarding challenge.
The Battalion have completely bought into the APTS and is driven from the very top downwards. The ‘Jocks’ are always keen to learn new movement patterns and have fully embraced what the PT staff are trying to deliver. The Jocks have also embraced the huge PTE uplift that we worked tirelessly towards. It is extremely humbling to see the gym so busy throughout the day and after hours, with people wanting to develop the new skills that they have been taught.
The highlight of the year is the annual Highland Games. This is an Inter Coy competition that is a mixture of classic highland events such as ‘Toss the Caber’ and ‘Throw the Hammer’ mixed in with some bespoke races such as ‘The CoC Kilt Relay!’ This is a great day for both the Battalion and all the families and friends of and a fantastic tradition to uphold.
Due to PDT, sporting achievements and events this year have been less than usual. That said, the Battalion managed to retain their Infantry Nordic Ski Championship and achieved runners up in UK North Triathlon series.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the past year, working with an awesome Battalion and awesome people! It’s been an incredible journey bringing the Battalion into the new era of testing and watching them progress and deploy on Op TORAL 10.
THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY REGIMENT
SSgt (SSI) G Loader RAPTC
Ihave now been with the Household Calvary regiment (HCR) for just over one year and it has been a real pleasure to work with such a professional unit. On taking up the post the Unit were
based in Windsor but have since rebased to Bulford as part of the 1 Strike brigade ORBAT change. Predominately armoured reconnaissance for many years, but with the unit’s change of role to strike operations and a changeover of vehicles it was important for me to think about this when designing and delivering the Unit Physical Training Programme (PTP).
The training programme for 2020 has been implemented with positive feedback by the Unit. The programme, as most should now be, is based around the Army Physical Training System (APTS) and seems to be producing tangible results. Running and tabbing are still part of the training but without the ‘junk miles’ many soldiers have experienced in the past. A high priority has been set to ‘build a strong foundation’ before progressing onto the resilience and specific phases of training. The Unit are now fully embedded with the ‘new’ physical employment standards (PES) encompassing the Soldier Conditioning Review (SCR) and the Role Fitness Test Soldier (RFT(S)). The Regiment has excelled in this training and testing phase throughout delivery.
The CO and RSM are extremely supportive to both me, my staff and the new training regime. A great deal of influence has been
SSgt Loader attending the Wiltshire Re-membrance parade.