Post by aghart on Oct 3, 2012 19:11:08 GMT
15 members were present for the October 2012 meeting. The loyal toast and toast to the regiment were made. Green fields was a nil return and the minutes of the September meeting were available to view. Members were informed that they would receive all details regarding the January Ladies lunch by post. The cost of the ladies lunch will be subsidised to the tune of £3.00 per person. Names of volunteers were taken for the 6 vacancies offered to us for the Bournemouth Christmas lunch with entertainment at the Marriott hotel organized by the "Not Forgotten Association". It was agreed to provide a buffet for the November meeting as we are hoping for a number of guests. It was agreed to donate £25.00 to the Bere Regis Scouts following their presentation as guest speakers in September.
The Chairman then closed the meeting and introduced the guest speaker, Capt Matt Bonner RTR, Adjutant of the RAC Training Regiment at Bovington. Matt explained that the role of the unit is to train phase 2 recruits, phase 3 soldiers, crew commanders and Troop Leaders. We had learned from Captain Larkin & Cpl Slade last year the programme for recruits and this month we learned of the changes since last year. The 22 week phase II Syllabus remains largely the same, Signals, D&M (including getting your car licence) still dominate but the aim is to provide relevent and robust field training which is constantly updated to ensure the recruits arrive at their regiments facing a smaller learning curve as possible. Matt was shocked and amused to discover that in the dark ages (1960's 70's 80's) soldiers could learn to drive a main battle tank before learning to drive a car. So what's new? The main difference is that a ground mounted GPMG segment has been added which includes a range period, this means that (with Afghanistan in mind) all recruits arrive at their regiments competent in this weapon system in the infantry role. Urban clearing, casualty drills, section attacks and night operating are given a fair amount of time. New officers now go straight to Bovington from Sandhurst, rather than spending time at regimental duty before going on their "young officers" course as was the case in the old days.
The future!
You heard it here first folks, the RAC is introducing height restrictions. Although 99% of recruits will be unaffected, you now have to be between 5'2 inches and 6'2 inches tall otherwise you will be rejected for the RAC. No reason was given for the minimum height but the maximum height is due to IED's, where someone squashed inside an AFV with little or no headroom will have a much greater chance of serious injury. Phase 1 training may be going full circle and return to Catterick. It went from Catterick to Winchester, to Bassingbourne, then to Winchester (again) and now consideration is being given to do it with the infantry at Catterick. This is because the RAC are doing more and more dismounted operations which are likely to continue even when Afghanistan comes to an end. Matt explained that this is likely to mean an RAC Wing at the Infantry Training Regiment at Catterick, staffed by RAC instructors, and not having our young men thrown to the mercy (or lack of it) of the Black Watch! The ethos is now the combat ethos rather than infantry or RAC, like it or not the RAC and Infantry may not be getting married, but an affair has begun!!.
Lots of questions followed and Matt did not get away till late, but that's the price of a successful presentation. Matt did enjoy meeting our WWII veterans Maurice who was at Alamein, Mac who was at Normandy and Bert who joined the RTC in 1938.
The only down side was that I failed to win a prize in the raffle, I was going to complain to the secretary, but that's no use, I AM the secretary.
Fear Naught
The Chairman then closed the meeting and introduced the guest speaker, Capt Matt Bonner RTR, Adjutant of the RAC Training Regiment at Bovington. Matt explained that the role of the unit is to train phase 2 recruits, phase 3 soldiers, crew commanders and Troop Leaders. We had learned from Captain Larkin & Cpl Slade last year the programme for recruits and this month we learned of the changes since last year. The 22 week phase II Syllabus remains largely the same, Signals, D&M (including getting your car licence) still dominate but the aim is to provide relevent and robust field training which is constantly updated to ensure the recruits arrive at their regiments facing a smaller learning curve as possible. Matt was shocked and amused to discover that in the dark ages (1960's 70's 80's) soldiers could learn to drive a main battle tank before learning to drive a car. So what's new? The main difference is that a ground mounted GPMG segment has been added which includes a range period, this means that (with Afghanistan in mind) all recruits arrive at their regiments competent in this weapon system in the infantry role. Urban clearing, casualty drills, section attacks and night operating are given a fair amount of time. New officers now go straight to Bovington from Sandhurst, rather than spending time at regimental duty before going on their "young officers" course as was the case in the old days.
The future!
You heard it here first folks, the RAC is introducing height restrictions. Although 99% of recruits will be unaffected, you now have to be between 5'2 inches and 6'2 inches tall otherwise you will be rejected for the RAC. No reason was given for the minimum height but the maximum height is due to IED's, where someone squashed inside an AFV with little or no headroom will have a much greater chance of serious injury. Phase 1 training may be going full circle and return to Catterick. It went from Catterick to Winchester, to Bassingbourne, then to Winchester (again) and now consideration is being given to do it with the infantry at Catterick. This is because the RAC are doing more and more dismounted operations which are likely to continue even when Afghanistan comes to an end. Matt explained that this is likely to mean an RAC Wing at the Infantry Training Regiment at Catterick, staffed by RAC instructors, and not having our young men thrown to the mercy (or lack of it) of the Black Watch! The ethos is now the combat ethos rather than infantry or RAC, like it or not the RAC and Infantry may not be getting married, but an affair has begun!!.
Lots of questions followed and Matt did not get away till late, but that's the price of a successful presentation. Matt did enjoy meeting our WWII veterans Maurice who was at Alamein, Mac who was at Normandy and Bert who joined the RTC in 1938.
The only down side was that I failed to win a prize in the raffle, I was going to complain to the secretary, but that's no use, I AM the secretary.
Fear Naught