Portsmouth Students visit RAF Halton
Uniformed Public Service Students from Portsmouth College visited RAF Halton recently to gain an insight in to what Phase One Basic Military Training looks like in the Royal Air Force. The aim of the visit was to familiarise the students and give them a greater understanding of what to expect should they apply to join the RAF.
Aged between 17 and 19, 45 students came, spending the first half of the day at Initial Force Protection Training, IFPT, where they split into groups and got to grips with basic first aid training and CBRN, where they were ale to try on the full dress category including respirators, trying on uniform and a gas mask, and learning the rudiments of marching. After lunch they they were put through their paces in circuit training at the Burnett Gym. Finally they went to Recruit Training Squadron where they were given a brief and walk round to get a feeling for the life of a recruit.
The event was the idea of Cpl Perry Sturgess, whose partner is an administrator at the College. He discovered that the students were given a basic insight into Army and Naval training and decided to go one better and give them a hands on experience. He said: With my partner, Danielle, working at the Portsmouth University, I saw a fantastic engagement opportunity and as we are approaching RAF100 any engagement will be positive. I decided that as they come from a naval town it would be good to put a Royal Air Force snapshot as a career option and a perfect opportunity to show what the Royal Air Force do.
