10 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2010
Grit expectations as
Lusty gets stuck in
IT’S almost Christmas,
it’s been a busy year with a
punishing schedule. How do
you reward your hard-working
team?
Yup, that’s right, chuck ’em in
icy water.
Seventy sailors from flagship
HMS Illustrious headed across
Portsmouth Harbour to HMS
Collingwood and its (in)famous
assault course.
The Fareham establishment
is home to the RN Leadership
Academy, which aims to instil and
foster the art of, er, leadership in
sailors.
Aside from practical leadership
tasks, the academy features
various team-building activities,
a ‘low ropes’ challenge, plus that
assault course.
The Illustrious men and women
were split into six groups before
spending the day tackling all the
various challenges such as guiding
blindfolded shipmates around an
obstacle course and building a
makeshift bridge using a couple of
barrels and planks. ● (Above and right) Sailors from HMS Illustrious rise to the challenge of HMS Collingwood’s assault
And although the day was about course during a team-building and leadership training session Illustrious pictures: PO(Phot) Paul A’Barrow
fostering closer co-operation
between Lusty’s sailors, there’s “On the coach on the way there achieved something, got to know
nothing wrong with a little everyone was moaning that it was themselves better – and got to
healthy competition: completing going to be cold and wet, but know their mates better,” said
the assault course became a race everyone came away enthused AB(Sea) Lee Fallows.
between the ship’s departments. and feeling like they had really When asked about how useful
the day was, PO(AWT) Gary
Chenery said: “It was very useful
for some of the quieter young lads
and lasses – it brought them out
of their shell.
“For some of the ABs it gave
them an insight to what will be
required of them on Leading
Rates Command Course.
“It was particularly good,
because although I don’t work
with the people in the team I
was in every day, it showed that
we could still work together to
achieve a common goal.
“I’d do it again, definitely – but
not in the winter. It was pretty
cold.”
● Two ratings from HMS
Illustrious attempt to build a
bridge using planks and ropes
(left) while a team of colleagues
tackles another element of the
leadership training programme
(right)
Water, water everywhere…
NEW year, new decade, new
assault course.
Yes, after years of wheezing and
puffing their way over the taxing
obstacle course at HMS Raleigh,
trainees are facing up to a new
challenge in 2010.
Senior physical training
instructors decided the existing
course needed a makeover – but
the changes are far from cosmetic.
The new course features
more tunnels, balance beams, a
rope bridge and a zip wire, plus
pyramid steps at the finish. It’s
also about one third longer than
the old course.
“We uncovered some old
drainage tunnels,” says WO1
Wayne Okell, Raleigh’s physical
training officer with a hint of
glee. “Now trainees are up to
their knees and elbows pulling
themselves through.
● Members of the Royal Marines teams leave the tunnel (left) and on the leopard crawl (right)
“You’re up and down the whole
time. And there’s a lot of water.”
Pictures: Dave Sherfield
Key to the revamp has been
introduction to life in the RN. very good,” said RM recruit Adam want. We’re sailors. We have to
introducing an element of
To ‘celebrate’ the introduction of Taylor. “There are about three take risks,” says Wayne.
teamwork; sailors must work
the new course, Raleigh organised points which take your breath And, oh yes, there’s a lot of
together to get to the end.
a little competition, inviting away, but you are able to recover water (hmmm, there’s a recurring
Wayne adds: “The recruits are
trainee officers from Dartmouth in a couple of places. Overall, not theme here…).
in charge of their own destiny
and trainee Royal Marines from a bad assault course.” The aim is to make the
– instructors are only there for
CTCRM in Lympstone to race And if Raleigh trainees are not bike course an integral part of
safety. The rest is down to the against home-grown talent. worn out after their exertions basic training – the Torpoint
recruits to push themselves on. The Royals’ A team, perhaps on foot, well there will soon be establishment has acquired
“The feedback we’ve had is understandably, posted the fastest another challenge to complete: a 50 bikes for personnel to use
excellent. A lot of sailors want to time (9m 20s), 14 seconds quicker mountain bike course (apparently on the course. It’s also the new
run it for Help for Heroes and than their C team, who in turn the only one in the Forces). home of the RN mountain bike
local firms have shown an interest were five seconds ahead of BRNC “Instead of sending people out championships.
in it for team-building days.” B. The quickest Raleigh team was on to the local roads, we’ve set up “We wanted something different,
Basic entry trainees must Hawke Division, 9m 58s. a top-class course: ramps, loads of something challenging, something
complete the revamped course “It’s not as difficult as the technical sections where you really that sailors would enjoy,” Wayne
three times during their nine-week course at Lympstone, but it’s still have to think – but that’s what we adds.
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