Uhh, it is ridiculous. We aren’t in the military and we aren’t training soldiers.
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There’s an investigation into any possible causal factors and whether or not any additional steps would or could have prevented it, and would or could prevent it from happening again.
Deaths on SAS selection - temporary measures put in place, investigation, permanent measures put in place.
Death of a cadet on FT, temporary measures put in place, investigation, permanent measures put in place.
This is how the world works.
Hundreds of thousands of troops were killed during WWI, walking across the battlefield towards the enemy… until someone said “we should find another way”.
These days improvements are far more marginal, but it’s exactly the same root cause analysis and risk assessment principles.
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… and yet someone signed off on that risk assessment…
If only they had the knowledge a RAFAC risk assessors course provides! We would of won the war in weeks not years.
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My only beef with this process is that often the investigation shows that existing measures were not properly implemented, yet the results is new measures. This is wrong and is strangling opportunities for our cadets. This isn’t a specifically RAFAC problem; indeed a Regt Sgt and I had that exact conversation on Monday about his FP training.
A few years ago near me, a councillor’s daughter was killed by a speeding driver.
Councils reaction was to lower the speed limit.
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There is some merit to that argument. There have been studies that show most people are willing to do a certain amount over a speed limit. Therefore if you want people to go no faster than 30 you should really consider a 20 limit. It doesn’t stop the idiots who will drive at 60 down a residential street but it does reduce the numbers of people going above your target speed.
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There is nothing wrong with cadets doing physical fitness assessments, especially when cadet Bloggs wants to join the armed forces it’s good practice.
What this does do, and rightly so, is stop staff thinking they can supervise the activity thinking they know best because they are CFAV and it’s only a bleep test.
When you go for selection all fitness assessments are carried out under the close supervision of a fully qualified PT/David Lloyd Gym Instructor all who are trained to spot the signs and symptoms of a their candidate entering a spot of bother
I’ll need to have a dig around, but I think another study showed there was reduced focus and care (possibly on the part of pedestrians?) in 20 zones compared to 30s, because of an increased sense of safety.
Main one that springs to mind is FT, where it was correctly found that ACP 16 was woeful. The measures not properly implemented in that case (aside from basic sense, logic, and professional standards) were the widely accepted but unwritten “best practices” - which were essentially most of what was then released as the original ACFTIs. I read them thinking, “yep, do that, do that too, do extra to that…”.
Our wing received the following comms from our WEXO in Jan
Questions were raised in particular for DofE, additional clarity provided by RC
I’d suggest contacting your WEXO / OC Wg as you’ve heard a rumour etc. to get confirmation of the position of your DDH
Yep, not seen anything like that in W&W (to my knowledge at least).
Not seen anything like that in sunny South Wales.
The problem is more with cadets who are not in the slightest bit interested in say Athletics, X Country or Swimming but over zealous staff and cadet NCOs ‘cajoling’ them into events “to get points for the squadron”, that when they go along they stop or take ages. Or in the case of swimming get into difficulties and lifeguards have to get them out. The cadets who enjoy these events and are capable fine.
DofE “fitness” is not competitive as per the ethos of the DofE, ergo it like all aspects of DofE it is purely about self-improvement. If it’s being done by anyone as a competitive activity or pushing cadets “to improve” they need to reconsider.
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If we don’t test for fitness before ACLC/JL, we increase the risk to cadets taking part in the activity…
Bloody hell, you ATC lot sure like to go over the top.
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I think we just dislike exercise.
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Indeed. This isn’t the RMC
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We mirror our parent service. The peak profession in which sit down for a living.
We don’t do running, we’ve got jet engines.
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The army TAB
The marines YOMP
The air force call MT
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I didn’t just mean on this occasion!
Is this not suitable evidence that sometimes comms should be pushed from HQAC direct to Sqn OC’s to ensure all (so much as is possible) are on message rather than rely on CoC cascade which seems to be variable at best?