Berkshire Get Active at RAF Halton
On a sun blessed training area, the Training Wing at RAF Halton delivered a bespoke training and development package to 10 employees from ‘Get Berkshire Active’. This was part of RAF Halton’s ongoing commitment to engage with and develop professional relationships with local civilian organisations.
The day started at 08:30 prompt and the tone was set with the issuing of denims and green tape name badges. Following a brief presentation of the day’s events, it was time to hit the training area for some ‘military training’ so off to the gym for an introduction to military fitness conducted by the RAF physical training instructors. The Get Berkshire Active team were exposed to the formal approach to training experienced by every basic recruit joining the Royal Air Force. There was no time for joviality or even to catch a breath as the commands from the physical training instructor on the stage came thick and fast. Precision was the key, and even the observers had trouble keeping up.
Following a two minute water break it was on to the next exercise, a battle physical training experience that encompassed fire and manoeuvre drills coupled with basic search and rescue techniques, and of course the inevitable casualty (in this case a 35kg dummy) all within limited time constraints. Needless to say, by the end of the 90 gruelling minutes, Get Berkshire Active were literally closer to nature!
The afternoon was a less energetic affair as the Airmen’s Command Squadron (ACS) introduced command leadership tasks in the form of low ropes. Criss-Cross is a tricky course where four platforms are arranged in a square separated by wire suspended two feet above the ground, with only ropes to assist balance and the teams had a simple objective, swap platforms with the group opposite. It didn’t take the team long to discover that the ropes didn’t reach to the opposite platform so some creative thinking was required. Nearly an hour later and Get Berkshire Active were starting to understand how the RAF implements a ‘Do-Review-Apply’ mentality into their training environment.
The day concluded with a leadership task that was conducted back on terra firma and involved the members of the group negotiating their way through a tricky swamp with only two planks of wood and two tyres. ACS Instructor Dave Iliffe said: “This unique event gave the Get Berkshire Active team a day in the life of an airman, allowing them to experience leadership and management through a multitude of levels and ranks. This was also a great opportunity for RAF Halton instructors to demonstrate their skills to the civilian training sector and it was evident following the end of day de-brief, that everyone involved had found it thoroughly beneficial.”