Defence Instructions and Notices (Not to be communicated to anyone outside HM Service without authority)

Transcription

1 Defence Instructions and Notices (Not to be communicated to anyone outside HM Service without authority) Title: Royal Air Force 2-Day March 2016 Audience: All Service, Cadet and University Service organization personnel Applies: Immediately Expires: 1 August 2016 Replaces: 2014DIN Reference: 2015DIN Status: Current Released: This Section is completed by DMC Internal Communications Channel: 07 Training and Education Content: Information and application instructions regarding the Royal Air Force 2- Day March 2016 Sponsor: Royal Air Force Walking and Road Marching Association Contact: Flt Lt W S Howell: or howellw771@mod.uk Keywords: RAF Walking and Road Marching Association; RAFWARMA; road marching, Nijmegen March, long distance walking, First Time Team Leader, FTTL, Marshals Walk, qualification march Local RAF WARMA, FTTL, endurance, BMC qualification march, Keywords: Supplements: (Please click Annex A: Support Staff Application Form RAF 2-Day March 2016 on the links to access >>>> ) Related Info: RAFWARMA (www) Classification: OFFICIAL GENERAL 1. Introduction. With the kind permission of the Station Commander, the 35th Annual Royal Air Force 2-Day March, will be held at RAF Cosford over the weekend Apr 16. The RAF Walking and Road Marching Association (RAFWARMA) will administer the exercise. Two distances are available for military entrants (20 km and 40 km) on each of the 2 days. It is expected that 1400 marchers will participate. 2. Objectives. The RAF 2-Day March is an excellent training exercise through which teams and individuals have to exhibit a variety of military competences, including leadership, personnel management and teamwork, together with physical and mental ability and robustness. The RAF 2-Day March is also one of the qualifying events that satisfies the British Military Contingent (BMC) compulsory qualification criteria for teams and individuals wishing to participate in the Nijmegen Marches Eligibility. The exercise is open to individuals and teams from all regular and reserve military Services and the Cadet Organisations. Foreign military teams and individuals are also eligible to take part. 4. Duty status. Marching is recognised by all 3 Services as a core military activity and as such the RAF 2-Day March is a military training exercise for regular and reserve personnel; it is not a sporting or adventurous training activity. The exercise is also an approved cadet activity for members of the Air Training Corps, Army Cadet Force, 1

2 Combined Cadet Force and Sea Cadet Corps. RAFWARMA organizes the RAF 2-Day March at RAF Cosford with the kind permission of the Station Commander and personnel participating in and supporting the RAF 2-Day March exercise are recognised as being on duty. 5. Funding. The exercise is self funding through participant entry fees which are to be paid from non-public sources. However where appropriate, some regular forces participants may be eligible to claim back some elements of the entry fee from public funds; see paragraph 17. Subject to budget manager approval, participants are eligible to use publicly funded MT to travel to the event. 6. Nijmegen First Time Team Leaders and Marshals Weekend. In addition to the RAF 2-Day March, RAFWARMA also run a Nijmegen First Time Team Leaders (FTTL) and Marshals weekend, aimed at properly preparing Team Leaders who will be leading teams at Nijmegen for the first time. The Nijmegen FTTL and Marshals Weekend consists of briefings and training marches in the company of experienced marchers and will take place at RAF Cosford on Mar 16. The aim of the weekend is to allow team leaders the opportunity to experience the RAF 2-Day March routes without their teams, train with other first time leaders and to learn from experienced marchers the range of duties likely to be encountered when leading a team. The weekend also allows the RAFWARMA Committee and Route Marshals to prove the routes to be used at the RAF 2-Day March and qualify for the Nijmegen Marches if necessary. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS 7. Teams. The maximum permitted team size is 18, including the Team Leader. The minimum team size to qualify for a team award is 10, including the Team Leader. Only those participants registered as military will be permitted to march in uniform. Cadets registered as military participants may only march as part of an official team, led by cadet forces adult staff. The normal cadet forces rules on staff supervision ratios are to be applied at all times, both whilst on the marching routes and at RAF Cosford. 8. Individuals. Military applicants to march as individuals at the RAF 2-Day March are to hold the minimum substantive rank of Sgt. Individuals with proven experience of long distance marching may be tasked as route-sweepers by OC Route Support, for certain legs of the March between rest areas or the finish. However, individuals wishing to enter the Nijmegen March as part of the British Military Contingent (BMC) and intend using the RAF 2-Day March as their qualification event should contact OC BMC beforehand, in order to manage expectations. Participation as an individual marcher within the BMC at Nijmegen is a privilege and not a right. 9. Dress regulations. All military marchers are on duty for the period and the March is a uniformed exercise. All marchers within a team are to be similarly dressed; marching dress is to comprise of temperate issue Combat Uniform (either PCS, MTP or CS95) shirt and trousers, beret or Regimental headdress and hi-leg military boots. Combat smocks/jackets may be worn with a T-shirt. Under Body Armour Combat Shirts (UBACS) and unit polo/sweatshirts are not to be worn on the March. Male marchers born between 1 Jan 67 and 31 Dec 97 who wish to use the RAF 2-Day March as a qualifier for the Nijmegen Marches are to carry British military-style webbing/bergens ballasted with 10 kgs dead-weight. This weight is not to include water, food or other consumables, but will include the weight of the webbing/bergen. All personnel are to be prepared for varying weather conditions and MUST carry full wet weather clothing to include both waterproof jacket and trousers. 2

3 10. Entry forms. Entry forms for the RAF 2-Day March and the Nijmegen FTTL Weekend can be obtained by going to the RAFWARMA website at and following the instructions listed there. Alternatively the Events Secretary at 11. Team/Individual contact details. It is imperative that all applicants provide a civilian address and telephone number for administration purposes. All administration for the RAF 2-Day March is carried out by Regular and Reserve personnel after normal working hours and at weekends using civilian addresses and contact telephones. For this reason RAFWARMA staff cannot respond to military internal intranet accounts or military network telephone numbers. 12. Registration closing dates. The closing dates for registrations are: a. Nijmegen FTTL Weekend 1700 on 19 Feb 16. b. RAF 2- Day March: Teams: (1) 26 Feb 16 Form A Team Application ( 100 deposit per team). (2) 16 Mar 16 - Form B Team Participant Details (Balance of payment). (3) 8 Apr 16 - Final team member changes. (After 8 Apr 16, only deletions from the list of participants will be permitted.) Individuals: (4) 26 Feb 16 Form A and B and full payment. 13. Late entry. Accommodation and messing will be provided for up to 1400 military participants meeting the 16 Mar 16 date. Participants may be able to register after this date, subject to availability of places, but a flat charge of per team will be levied, in addition to the normal entry fees. The organizers cannot guarantee medal awards, messing or accommodation for late entrants. In the event of a late application the Team Leader or individual is to contact the RAFWARMA Event Secretary (events@rafwarma.co.uk) to ascertain availability. ENTRY FEES 14. RAF 2-Day March entry fees. All marchers, irrespective of rank, will be charged an event entry fee as the exercise is self funding. The entry fee covers the provision of all of the logistics support required to host the exercise at RAF Cosford (marquee accommodation, showers and toilet facilities etc), the rest area support along the route, messing and the participant s RAF 2-Day March Medal. Entry fees are not to be paid before 10 Dec 15. For each team a non-refundable deposit is required when the team is registered. Entry fees per participant are as follows: a. Non-RAFWARMA Member

4 b. RAFWARMA Affiliate Club Members 38.00* (Max 15 per club) c. RAFWARMA Individual Member 30.00* d. Non-Marching Drivers (* RAFWARMA membership number to be quoted on entry forms) 15. FTTL & Marshals Weekend entry fees. The entry fee for the FTTL & Marshals Weekend is 30 per person. This covers accommodation, messing and refreshments. 16. Refunds. Unfortunately, refunds cannot be given once entry fees have been paid. 17. Regular Participants. Personnel who pay messing and accommodation charges at their home unit may be eligible to claim back the messing and accommodation element of the entry fee from public funds via their home unit subject to budget manager approval. Contact your home unit's HR for eligibility and method of claim. The messing and accommodation element of the entry fee is per person. ACCOMMODATION AND MESSING 18. Messing. Messing will be guaranteed for the first 1400 pre-registered marchers accommodated at RAF Cosford. Messing cannot be provided for any personnel not accommodated at RAF Cosford. Messing charges are included in the March entry fee. 19. Accommodation. Accommodation will only be available for the nights of 22 and 23 Apr 16 and will ONLY be allocated by the organisers and NOT by RAF Cosford. All attendees, irrespective of rank, will be accommodated in marquees or barrack blocks depending on availability, at RAF Cosford. Accommodation is not available for one-day marchers. Under no circumstances are participants to contact RAF Cosford for accommodation. EVENT CATEGORIES AND START TIMES 20. The event categories listed below are open to all teams and individuals. Participants aiming to qualify for the Nijmegen Marches British Military Contingent are to enter for the 40 km event on both Sat and Sun and are to indicate so on the entry form. Event start times are strictly controlled. The start times for each distance are as follows: a. Saturday 40 km b. Sunday 40 km c. Saturday and Sunday 20 km AWARDS AND PRIZES 21. The RAF 2-Day March Medal, or pin as appropriate, will be awarded to each participant completing the exercise. In addition, teams completing with 90% or more of the team remaining will also qualify for a team award. A VIP will present RAF WARMA trophies to the best marching teams at the exercise. The highest standards of leadership, determination, team spirit, general behaviour on and off the marching routes, plus team administration will all be taken into account in determining the winners. The decision of the 4

5 RAFWARMA Committee is final in the award of these trophies. The awards presentation will commence at 1600 on Sunday 24 Apr 16 at the Parade Square. VOLUNTEER SUPPORT STAFF 22. Military personnel (regular or reserve) may volunteer to be part of the Support Staff for the exercise. Any personnel who wish to volunteer will be required from 22 Apr to 25 Apr 16 inclusive. Support Staff volunteers are to first seek permission from their respective OC or line manager before submitting an application. Applications should be sent to the Secretary of RAF WARMA, Sgt Allan Reid at using the application form at Annex A. Volunteers should submit Annex A nlt 7 Mar To comply with the JSP 815 requirement for personnel to have appropriate competence and training, volunteers filling key positions on the support staff will be provided training for their role on the Saturday of the Nijmegen FTTL weekend, 19 Mar 16, at RAF Cosford. The RAF WARMA Organizing Committee will notify personnel if they are required to attend. This training will consist of rehearsal of concept drills for emergencies etc. 24. Personnel who intend to participate in the Nijmegen Marches, but would also like to volunteer as support staff for the RAF 2-Day March are invited to apply for entry to the Nijmegen FTTL and Marshals Weekend during which they can complete a Nijmegen qualifying march. Annex: A. Support Staff Application Form RAF 2-Day March