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  • Unit fitness

    We all (well most of us anyway) know that it is important to be fit, and for most of us, RDF at least, getting fit is an individual thing. But an army is not made up of individuals, but team members.

    So why not have a Unit fitness league where each unit / sub-unit can compare fitness levels. This could be done at Coy & Pln level as well.

    For example, my Pln last year had an average fitness level of 3.41 - the total of the fitness levels of each soldier in the platoon: (82), divided by the numbers in the platoon (24), = Platoon Fitness level of 3.41.

    It could be done by section also: make what we do just a little more competitive & fun.

    What do all you super-fit, team playing non-individualistic types think?

  • #2
    Don't understand what this fitness level number represents, Steyr Fan.... :confused:
    "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

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    • #3
      It represents the average fitness level of the platoon. Or a section. Or a coy.

      A section (or whatever unit of troops) is as useful as a choclate teapot if the Sect cdr, or a few of the bods in the unit are superfit, but the rest are super slob. Remember: a team is only as strong as its weakest link.

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      • #4
        We had had a fantastic recruit pln last year that we made clear to from the onset that it was up to them to get physically and mentally fit, we only had time to teach military skills.

        A goal of running the An Cosantoir 10 K as a block was put to them as a milestone in their training. It did wonders for retention and interest in the pln as well as forming into a real team.
        Worked out great.
        "The Question is not: how far you will take this? The Question is do you possess the constitution to go as far as is needed?"

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Steyr Fan View Post
          It represents the average fitness level of the platoon. Or a section. Or a coy.

          A section (or whatever unit of troops) is as useful as a choclate teapot if the Sect cdr, or a few of the bods in the unit are superfit, but the rest are super slob. Remember: a team is only as strong as its weakest link.
          I got that much, but what I meant was HOW is it worked out ?
          "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by ZULU View Post
            We had had a fantastic recruit pln last year that we made clear to from the onset that it was up to them to get physically and mentally fit, we only had time to teach military skills.

            A goal of running the An Cosantoir 10 K as a block was put to them as a milestone in their training. It did wonders for retention and interest in the pln as well as forming into a real team.
            Worked out great.
            Nice one Zulu.

            Are they all still parading ?

            Or is it the usual departures:

            - enlistment in the PDF/Gardai
            - left due to lack of interest
            - left due to college elsewhere

            Ye are well minted if they are all still knocking about
            "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

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            • #7
              I myself haven't been parading in a while due to being overseas with work.

              We went from approx 32 rec from start of training to 23 ish who completed 3*. Most of these ran the 10k block. Again - Some got cadets others went to uni etc. Dont know the figures now but it was a good model that showed promise
              "The Question is not: how far you will take this? The Question is do you possess the constitution to go as far as is needed?"

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              • #8
                Originally posted by ZULU View Post
                We went from approx 32 rec from start of training to 23 ish who completed 3*...
                If that's numbers for one Coy, that's pretty good going.....
                "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

                Comment


                • #9
                  Add up the fitness grades achieved by everyone, then divide by the numbers of people in the platoon. Not a bad idea at all for general assessment,.
                  "Are they trying to shoot down the other drone? "

                  "No, they're trying to fly the tank"

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                  • #10
                    It could be part of the unit assessments!?

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                    • #11
                      A new low in levels of pissed-off-ness reached today.

                      Troops telling me over the past 12 months that a form of structured PT would be a good thing to do, so for the last 6 months or so I and a couple of others have been in Barracks early on a Parade evening for a few laps of the barrcaks (lots of expresed interest, only 2 takers!!!).
                      So this week the Coy announced that there would be PT this morning, but no-one (not ONE) turned up. Me like a plank, so ran a few laps anyway to run off the rage.

                      Troops have been saying that they want to do 'real' soldiering all year - there were numerous exercises at Coy, Bn, Bde, DFTC level to organise these 'real' soldiering opportunitites.

                      At the Easteer Commeration last April, many were saying they preferd real soldiering. 3 weeks later Ex Leitrim, and not one of those were on it. We have fired the HMG on 2 occasions this year (blank & live) and yet the attendance is poor.

                      Only 3 3 stars qualified for grat. 5 oppotrunities to fire ARP, only 5 3 Stars fired. 3 chances to attend FTT this year, only 4 did. There is a Bn training weekend coming up, and so far none have committed to it (I cannot go due to anniversary mass).
                      Troops were going on about not haveing enough clothing and kit - our Q organised complete clothing for any who needed, issued CEMO to any who need it, and still the attendance is poor.

                      I am runnig out of ways to incentivise the troops, and as i said a new level of pissed-off-ness reached today. There was a time not so long ago that we couldn't get anything, do anything or go anywhere. But not this year. I am finding it difficult to keep going with this, anyone else in the same (sinking?) boat?

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                      • #12
                        Give em enough rope....
                        Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier - Samuel Johnson

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                        • #13
                          Sounds bad Steyr Fan.
                          Fitness would be at varying levels in my unit, we have gym bunnies and salad dodgers alike.
                          I tend to float in the middle myself, jumping between a good food binge and sporadic periods of heading out for runs, never really getting the happy medium though.

                          I made a suggestion in my unit recently to get the PTL's (or NCO's) to collate on each weekly parade what personal training the troops are doing. The idea is that the unit gets an idea of who's training and who's not; and for those not training, they'll know who to focus their motivation on.

                          Realistically, people just aren't going to turn up to organised PT, you could make it as accessible as possible, but everyone will have an excuse not to do it if they just can't be bothered or don't want to break from their routine. My unit were doing some structured PT sessions, but it was about 20 miles from me, and I couldn't justify wasting fuel when I could just step outside my house and go for a run. The same went for most of the unit.

                          By declaring their training weekly, it MIGHT incentivise people to get training just to have something to report, even if it's just a run a week or a game of football, it's a start. And for those blagging it, they'll show themselves up come the day they need to prove their fitness on PT or tactics. It's not a bulletproof solution to the problem, but it's simple enough to initiate.

                          Time will tell if my unit try something like this though, at the moment we're just busy trying to get the troops on parade.

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                          • #14
                            I feel your frustration but more than than that I feel a sense a sorrow for yourself that you no longer have enough unit pride to stop yourself dissing your own unit on the internet.

                            Motivating your troops can be difficult for any number of reasons but the solution to that problem can only come from within your unit. Sobbing won't help.
                            Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Steyr Fan View Post

                              I am runnig out of ways to incentivise the troops, and as i said a new level of pissed-off-ness reached today. There was a time not so long ago that we couldn't get anything, do anything or go anywhere. But not this year. I am finding it difficult to keep going with this, anyone else in the same (sinking?) boat?
                              You tried the nice approach, you made sure they were looked after when it came to kit, got them out doing a bit of soldiering and they've thrown it back in your face. So obviously, playing ball with them isn't working.

                              Next chance you get where you've got decent numbers from the Bn down in the Glen, destroy them. The kind of thing where you tell them all they're going out to practice patrol's with the Pln Sgt and Pln Commander, patrol up to the tank tracks and have the Cpl's waiting for them. Few smoke grenade's thrown, everyone down and start crawling, a quick shout of "Follow the whistle blasts" followed by "Rally on me" from the Pln Commander and take them through a proper Scratch session.

                              At the end of it, where they're sure to be absolute ****ed explain to them in the simplest terms, that you've just shown them why the need to be fit. That if they want to do the cool guy shit, they need to be physically able to carry out the tasks. If they're not willing to put in the work, it's easy enough to get discharged.

                              At some stage, they need to be brought back to reality.

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