I beg to differ, they should be integrated completely and are going that way from a HQ/RHQ level.
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Yes please. To me, Silver seems the most suitable level to introduce weapons, potentially with blanks.
Generally for PTS, Blue at Sqn, Bronze at Sector, Silver at Wing etc. Fieldcraft currently requires more staff skills for Bronze than many Wings, let along Sectors can easily generate.
With FTIs requiring L98 IWT, SAAIs to renew WHTs and teach BFA, DG for movements, even SA(M) if blanks are involved. All this just to deliver a Bronze course for 10-20 cadets. Bronze (without weapons) should be a simple course for several Sqns to deliver together on their ‘local’ DTE.
At the moment, the enthusiasm for fieldcraft, from cadets and staff is being blocked by the syllabus, not enabled by it.
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Only if the courses being run don’t involve weapons. They also can’t get the badge, which defeats the purpose of having a PTS.
Surely that can’t be a surprise. It’s what the cadets want, and the amount of effort involved in making it happen means that to do it twice isn’t worth it. What’s the point of having a PTS if that’s not what we’re supposed to focus on?
I can see that might be the case, but where we are IWT happens monthly and still can’t compete with demand.
A slightly different, but related issues. I imagine what most units would like is to be able to run exercises themselves, without extraneous requirements that they shouldn’t have to meet (e.g. instructors needing weapons quals when they’ll never be using them locally).
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This isn’t being passed up through the regions to HQ as being an issue.
Pre Covid we ran weekends on DTE that were more ‘Aggressive Camping’ than fieldcraft and the cadets loved it!
Basha out, Rat Packs, a Navex patrol type exercise, maybe set up a OP somewhere and watch the staff ‘prat about’, a night time bimble with an ‘exercise’ objective, move across ground unobserved - all fairly simple and not too strnuous on the staff to run.
Now that my FCA is a FTI(R), DTE require no private vehicles, therefore fleet plus at least 2 FMT600/MyDrive drivers (I have none) to cover rest periods, plus other staff, it has fallen into the ‘Too Difficult’ box and the cadets miss out.
And that is before we get to the Wg FCO needed to see that we meet ACP16 objectives to get it through CASE/WG/RG approvals…
Throw in the fact that even for PTS courses I have 2 out of 60 cadets who have done IWT and Fieldcraft has become a one day cooking and cam cream event in the Sqn garden once a year.
TBH the cadets still have fun but because they don’t know better - But are we really delivering a meaningful cadet experience?
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As a shooter of 20 years & experienced fieldcraft in a number of guises I included blank firing you can beg but I wouldn’t grant it.
It’s a different mindset & philosophy required on shooting & the principles of marksmanship. It’s about the elimination of the error & ensure that continued repeatability using small adjustments.
Fieldcraft is about field living, with minimised resources & when you get into the military skills aspects denying the use of an area to the enemy by closing towards them & killing them.
The topics should or can mutually support in the same way radio & leadership also form part of fieldcraft but each has its different mindset Philosophy & application. Fieldcraft should help bring this together & consolidate.
Are they going that way as that’s their assumption or what they are being advised? (And are you the one doing the advising?)
It’s a cop out to say “well this is what HQ thinks so you can’t do anything about it” - if you are combine the two & insisting they be integrated then what you are doing is training children to kill -
the advise /intent is then at best misguided & flawed & at worse just evil & ethically wrong.
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I don’t know why Regions aren’t sharing this. I suspect the data would support it though.
How many cadets are achieving Blue and Bronze fieldcraft compared to leadership, first aid, radio etc? From my Sqn perspective, the skills required to deliver fieldcraft are the biggest challenge to delivery.
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It’s actually more so based on the way Regions are leading the way. Laser for example have a military skills officer that oversees planning of both fieldcraft and shooting activities, ensuring that there is an integrated training plan.
I’m not saying shooting and fieldcraft are the same skills but the integration and management of them should be the same people working together to promote the syllabus as the 2 are so entwined.
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Fieldcraft has become PTS JL - fine for the steely Ninja Call of Duty cadets that want to go that route
We need to get back to a more inclusive ‘themed’ military event that is more towards the ‘Aggressive Camping’ that can be delivered easily and give the cadets an experience rather than trying to run basic Infantry Skills training
If they are that keen on this full on Green stuff then there is another organisation that specialises in it - I think its called something like ACF?
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There’s not really anything stopping this from happening other than those who are authorising the activities.
Cough - CASE
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If the policy allows it, what staff quals would be required?
Well yes, everybody loves completing one of those.
Those suitable for the type of activity being delivered, draw a comparison across from the lessons in the PTS.
So if I wanted to run an activity on my local DTE involving anything included in the bronze syllabus I’d need to be a full FTI?
That would make sense.
Thats where you have to get creative in the paperwork - CASE in point and for approvals
Its not Bronze PTS - its a NAVEX (paperwork) but on the ground you conduct it as a patrol! - etc
So long as you are not trying to make it Badge worthy
If that’s the case, can you not see the issue? The staff training requirements are disproportionate to the risk of the activity being run. It takes up a significant amount of time and resources to jump through unnecessary hoops.
If that works then great, but we shouldn’t need a dishonest workaround. It could also cause issues should anything go wrong.
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Absolutely, the qualification is based around being able to teach the syllabus.
Ideally we would have a ECO style only qualification which we used to have so you could effectively supervise training on DTE but without being able to teach. I’m sure this is something that has been mentioned a few times but not sure where it is as far as review/approval.
Feel free to open a mil skills change request so as it is in the list of things to be discussed. Also make sure your Wing and Region fieldcraft officers are aware of the need, that way it gets pushed in the meetings we hold with the RFCOs on a regular basis.
We’ve considered an ECO bolt on to FTI(R) as well as some units simply don’t have room to deliver FTI(R) but at the moment that’s not available.