PMA's toy have you not heard the terms "Investors in people" or "Duty of care"? The RAF does care that you are fit enough to do your job but as stated can't differentiate between trades except for RAF Reg (BFT) or whatever they call it nowadays, so they expect their men (and women!) to attain a certain basic level of fitness, not a high level mind! just a level that indicates that you aren't a total biff, imagine for one second in todays litigious society if Sqn Ldr fatty falls and breaks his leg doing some physical exercise! off to court he could go saying "well I haven't been cleared for this or that and haven't been tested to say I am fit enough" you may laugh but this could easily happen.
The Armed Services in which we serve require us to be phsically fit FACT, Those levels are in my opinion not nearly high enough, but my opinion unfortunately counts for nothing, however The RAF
IS raising it levels and the penalties for failiure are going to be harsher and more stringently enforced, to succesfully and fairly enforce the higher levels before action can be taken subjects must be given reasonable opportunity to attain the new levels, and like your supposedly mandatory mid term appraisal for you assesments an extra fitness test may well be the way to do this!
The extra test if in fact it ever happens (probably not) could be a good performance indicator to the subject and P'ed staff to tailor their training before the real annual pass or fail test, personally I see no need and would happily be tested any time of the year but in todays caring, sharing, tree hugger world the powers that be have to be seen to do everything they can to ensure that they are not in any way neglegent.
Get used to it extra test or not the RAF has finally realised that it's people aren't fit enough and by hook or by crook they seem determined to change it
