That's exactly what I'm arguing against Ron, if people get off their bum and train then the compulsory PT route doesn't have to be gone down but that requires acting like an adult and taking responsibility. If more and more people take that responsibility it negates the needs for compulsory PT, if people fail and then bitch and moan then the RAF will "help" you by supervising your training regime and it's only a matter of time before that mutates into compulsory PT for all before or after work.
Odie, this doesn't mean that all fitness test failures and downgrades do these things, nearly every fitness test failure I've ever seen was fat, you can't work as well in high temps as slim people if you're fat, that's a fact. Most of our current deployments are hot, therefore the fit people in your Section are having to do extra to carry you if you are to unfit to pass the RAFFT through being a pie eater. You will require extra breaks and will be more prone to heat injury if you don't get those breaks, in extreme heat you can die, it has happened to RAF personnel. It wasn't noticed how bad they were because they were working at the same rate as their colleagues at the time.
Everyone is different and passing the RAFFT is not a guarantee you are going to be okay but it is a good indicator. There are always exceptions and there always will be and it's up to med boards to decide on individual cases and I'm well aware of that, but as a military Service it is not unreasonable to expect our employer to set minimum fitness standards that they expect us to pass if we have no underlying medical problems.
The point I'm really trying to make is that it's as much part of peoples jobs to stay fit as it is to fix aeroplanes, fly aeroplanes, stack duvets or burn beans and to try and convince yourself and your subordinates otherwise does no-one any favours.
Odie, this doesn't mean that all fitness test failures and downgrades do these things, nearly every fitness test failure I've ever seen was fat, you can't work as well in high temps as slim people if you're fat, that's a fact. Most of our current deployments are hot, therefore the fit people in your Section are having to do extra to carry you if you are to unfit to pass the RAFFT through being a pie eater. You will require extra breaks and will be more prone to heat injury if you don't get those breaks, in extreme heat you can die, it has happened to RAF personnel. It wasn't noticed how bad they were because they were working at the same rate as their colleagues at the time.
Everyone is different and passing the RAFFT is not a guarantee you are going to be okay but it is a good indicator. There are always exceptions and there always will be and it's up to med boards to decide on individual cases and I'm well aware of that, but as a military Service it is not unreasonable to expect our employer to set minimum fitness standards that they expect us to pass if we have no underlying medical problems.
The point I'm really trying to make is that it's as much part of peoples jobs to stay fit as it is to fix aeroplanes, fly aeroplanes, stack duvets or burn beans and to try and convince yourself and your subordinates otherwise does no-one any favours.
DT_Xtremez_14: