Thanks for the informed responses. Do you think that the general level of fitness has improved over the last few years, or are we at the same level as we were prior to the introduction of the RAFFT? (10years?)
RudeKid
It's difficult to say whether we are all fitter than ten years ago, because then we all stopped at the required level, but certainly the numbers failing seems to have dropped, which is what prompted the last raise of standards. Certainly there has been a huge culture change: 20 years ago the mess/ NAAFI bars were full at lunchtimes, and the gym was deserted. Now the bars are closed and the gyms are full. However, there are still a fair proportion as you can see from some of the responses on this thread who think that exercise is a dirty word.
The idea behind two tests a year is to encourage people to exercise regularly throughout the year, rather than just once a year. Raising the standard for a once a year test would just mean more of the latter.
What we need is for someone to have the b^lls to make fitness training part of the primary task. This would mean that existing tasks are cut back not that fitness is shoehorned in.
Wader
Couldn't agree more, and it is what we have been pushing for. It will probably happen, but it will take time. 20 odd years ago there was nothing (see above). Now there is a fitness test, which has had a few increases in, now the AFB is encouraging personnel to have 3 sessions of exercise per week where possible in work time. I know that not everyone can manage that, but the thought is there. They consider this a leadership issue, and as I have said before in this thread: I have seen sections go from doing nothing 'because they are too busy' to being gym regulars when a new Boss is posted in, so I have seen it in action. There is talk of doing the PTL qualification for offices during IOT which might help.
We are moving in the right direction to what you suggest. In time, everyone who is in the RAF will have had the RAFFT their entire career, and the anti-exercise brigade will have faded away. One can only hope that their attitude to it will not have been passed down to those who remain...
MM