[quote=“Racing Stick” post=12852]Guys, I’m tired and just come off night duty. So, it maybe I’m not following this fully at present. (Mitigating circumstances )
However, I fail to see how big a problem this appears to be. I’m a SAAI RCO in my Sqn. Every one of my cadets is listed on a board next to my desk. That list replicates a database I hold on computer. I know the current state of every cadet regarding shooting on my Sqn. I sign their 3822 and input details on SMS for every WHT they do. This is then entered accordingly on my board and onto my database.
If and when I arrive at a range and am not the RCO for the day, the RCO will generally ask are all cadets up to date on their WHT’s. My answer, as a WI/SAAI/RCO is regarded as confirmation. If it isn’t then my printed off list is, as is the signature in their 3822. If the WHT is longer to be recorded in the 3822 then maybe SAAI’s will have to record it themselves. Not really that difficult??
I’m unsure whether it was the Army who really caused this problem as some have remarked. And, even if they did, what’s the problem? WHT’s test the safety and competence of the shooters and surely that is a very good thing. Yes, we can moan about having to do it if that is what you want to do. but personally, the safety of everyone on my range is paramount and the over-riding precedence in how I conduct it. Shortcuts with shooting is not an option.[/quote]
The issue isn’t whether we should have the WHTs and the assessments. These are necessary to give shooting that safe framework to work in. One of the reasons why the RCO course is now two weekends is due to an incident outside the ACO where someone got shot and problems were found.
The issue comes down to the fact that is that some people take shortcuts and bypasses already, its just the current system allows the RCO oversight and makes it easier to prevent. SMS cannot be relied on as accurate information and declarations by the OC will likely result in the OC not signing the documents. On my Sqn every uniform member of Staff has at least two jobs (if not three) and there is not the capacity for processing the WHTs of 60+ cadets for three weapon types. Is it that difficult? Not on paper but some people refuse point blank to do anything involving Bader. Others just make it up (e.g. everyone expires either 1st April or 1st October and well just retest people at some point in between those dates).
Then take the cadet who is tested on the Saturday for an off Sqn shoot on Sunday - how can you prove they passed? SMS may not have been updated due to lag in processing time (it happens with our pay claims - why would SMS be any different?).
Finally there’s the idea of printing a declaration off for the group of cadets each time the go shooting. If you have one cadet going to several shoots why not issue them an individual declaration that they can use across the shoots? It saves time and paper - but isn’t that the WHT part of the 3822?
You say above that you have a physical list of Cadets, a computer database, the cadets 3822 and SMS - how do you keep all four in snyc especially if other instructors and doing the training or testing? Please don’t take it this as knocking your system - I’m sure it works for you and you’ve got it running the way it needs but its just that I did try something similar several years ago but it fell apart quite quickly if anyone else did the training or testing and so it soon died.
themajor - I’ve stopped emailing OC & Adj’s with the details of WHTs - too often I got given the reply of “what do we do with these?” and “we don’t use bader for that” etc Giving the WIs permission on Bader would be good step in the right direction but there needs to be an easier way to update the cadets on SMS rather than going into them individually.