A high-rise changeover between Sgt Dean Creece and WO2 Mark Jennings while canyoning at Bungonia Gorge, NSW

Only one way down – Cpl Lincoln Ablett leaps

Finding courage

What does it take to be a unit adventurous training leader?
Cpl Tracy Tillman went canyoning with the Adventurous
Training Wing to find out

Adventurous Training Wing (ATW) has the responsibility for conducting courses to qualify Unit Adventurous Training Leaders (UATLs).

During the course, which may be one of several disciplines, UATLs are instructed in how to employ Adventurous Training (AT) to develop leadership qualities.

This includes the planning and conduct of AT, teaching technical skills and developing transfer skills to effectively facilitate adventure-based learning.

The UATL course is very different to the contrived situations of most military courses. The courses are structured to train personnel to a standard where they can design, plan and conduct unit AT activities.

For those who think it would be a ‘blast’ undertaking a course that teaches you how to do things like rafting, climbing or crawling through caves, think very carefully.

Being a UATL means assuming not only responsibility for the planning and conduct of AT activities, but also accepting the responsibility for influencing potential change in a participant, both physically and psychologically.

To be considered as a UATL, applicants should be motivated, confident, have demonstrated good judgement and commonsense, have demonstrated a high level of leadership, have good to above average instructional ability and be committed to utilising their UATL skills once trained.

Applicants don’t have to have prior experience or expertise in an AT discipline, as extensive skills training is provided – however, they must be prepared and show the commitment necessary to promote AT and also utilise their skills at unit level by conducting unit AT activities.

Everyone has the potential to be a UATL – all military leaders from NCO to officer level have the prerequisite of leadership. A UATL course will just build on this ability and take it to an advanced level.

SI ATW WO2 Shaun Francis says it is not often NCOs have the opportunity to conceive an idea, plan an activity, write the instruction and risk analysis, then conduct and de-brief an activity.

“This indicates that AT has the benefit of raising the level of competence in leaders,” he says.

The training provided by ATW is of an extremely high standard, to the extent that ATW provides training at, if not above, industry standards.

This was confirmed when ATW became an RTO (Recognised Training Organisation) in 2002, which means UATL courses are now nationally accredited.

In addition to training UATLs, ATW is also seeking currently-qualified UATLs to train as AT instructors – interested and qualified members should approach ATW.

The instructors and staff of ATW above Bungonia Gorge

SI ATW WO2 Shaun Francis, known as the ‘professional abseiler’, descends a cliff Photos by Cpl Tracy Tillman, WAUR

With UATL courses scheduled to commence this month, ATW staff recently spent a week refreshing their skills.

This preparation and training involves not just the instructional staff, but also the wing support staff – it’s a complete team effort with ATW.

As a qualified roping UATL, I was invited to spend a day canyoning with the staff at Bungonia Gorge, near Goulburn in NSW.

It was a refreshing change from the office and I tagged along as the team spent the next seven hours setting up anchor systems and despatching members off into pools of freezing water, with abseils ranging from seven to 65m.

Five descents and a few giant eels later, we were walking, or rather scrambling, up what could only be described as a vertical goat track.

With continual encouragement provided by the staff in the form of jovial banter and comments about ‘being a team’ and ‘look at the elevation’, two hours later we were back on top.

After just seven hours in the unfamiliar environment, I have to confess to being just a little bit shattered compared to the staff who had been hard at work training in the days leading up to this and who still had a day to go.

With that level of dedication and with nearly 50 years of experience between them, ATW is a small but highly specialised section of enthusiastic and dedicated individuals.

These folk have committed their time and attention to promoting adventurous training in the ADF and to continuing the training of future leaders. But I have to wonder, if you spend all day doing outdoor activities, what’s left to do on the weekend?

It’s a fine line between work and play at ATW.

• If you are interested in undertaking a UATL course, and would like more information, contact WO2 Shaun Francis at ATW, on (02) 6933 8195, or look at the ATW website on the Defweb at http://defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/armyaatw/

Develop leadership through adventure

Testing yourself ... Senior Instructor WO2 Shaun Francis, ATW, lead climbing at Point Perpendicular, Jervis Bay. Photo provided by ATW

White water kayaking is one form of adventurous training which can be as close as possible to fiield and combat training. Cpl Scott Bewley, Mitta Mitta River. Photo provided by ATW Photos by Cpl Tracy Tillman, WAUR

“To Prepare for Adversity Through Challenge” – motto of ATW

“Never let a soldier’s first experience of fear be on the battlefield” – author unknown
Pulse racing, heart pounding, gripping so tight your knuckles have lost all colour.

Feeling panicked, pushed to your limits in an unfamiliar environment, exposed to the elements and relying heavily on the support of other team members.

It would be easy to imagine you’re in the middle of a war zone.

The reality is you’re part of a team rafting down a raging-torrent of white-water fury on a unit adventurous training exercise.

Adventurous Training (AT) can be defined as a group activity that utilises experiential learning to increase unit effectiveness by improving a soldiers ability to function in an environment involving fear and consequence.

OC ATW Maj Jason Selman says to qualify as adventurous training the activity must be adventurous and it must be challenging.

“It is fundamentally designed to produce psychological change rather than impart technical skills,” he says.

With the goal to develop and enhance group and individual skills such as morale and physical courage, initiative, self-discipline, self-reliance, determination and confidence, it is no wonder AT has often been used as a complimentary method of training.

The ADFs initial approach to AT was based on previous studies and factors associated with a period of change and restructure that occurred during the eighties.

It was influenced by a number of issues associated with that period, including the proposed relocation of major force elements to northern Australia and the need for more challenging training opportunities for a force with reduced operational experience.

Since that period there have been substantial changes within the ADF.

A recent review has sought to identify and investigate the higher level of issues associated with AT, including the clarification of AT and training procedures, the military’s current requirements, activity feasibility and bringing AT instructor’s qualifications in line with national standards.

The conduct of AT has in the past, been identified as one of several activities, including historical tours, adventure racing, goal based expeditions, skilled based training, recreational and Special Forces training.

SI ATW WO2 Shaun Francis says while each of these activities may offer aspects and some of the benefits of AT, they are not, by definition, adventurous training.

“We can take these activities and transform most into AT, as well as provide additional training for the leaders, but in general, most activities are just a form of recreational or selective training,” he says.

“This has led to AT being considered in many instances either a ‘swan trip’ or too dangerous to undertake, at best focusing on developing skills such as climbing or rafting, rather than on the development of individual and group qualities required in battle.”

Unfortunately many leaders do not fully appreciate the value and benefits that can be derived from a well planned and executed AT activity.

ATW instructor Cpl Scott Bewley says as a former member of a combat-ready unit he found adventurous training qualities to be as close as possible to field and combat training.

“Those qualities are derived from training that is physically and mentally demanding, requires a large amount of teamwork and where personnel are in an environment where the consequences of their decisions and actions are real,” he says.

These benefits extend not just to individual and team performance enhancement, but also the exposure to further leadership opportunities at both NCO and officer level.

Maj Selman says there are few activities in which a junior leader, NCO or platoon commander can take a troop away and run a beneficial training activity with minimum resources or hierarchical support.

“Adventurous training is one of the means by which junior leaders can achieve this.”

The greatest benefits of AT are achieved by placing participants in situations where there is risk and consequence.

When an AT participant visualises a high level of risk and consequence the initial response is fear or panic.

This initial panic reflex causes the sensation of ‘flight or fight’.

Achieving the ability to recognise and control that panic reflex is one of the keys to realising our full potential.

To persevere and endure adversity is one of the soldier’s greatest traits.

Cpl Bewley says if a soldier is to survive on the battlefield they must be accustomed to and able to operate in the face of adversity.

“They must be able to cope with physical and, more importantly, psychological adversity.”

As such AT is recognised as a valuable tool designed to assist leaders in preparing their soldiers for battle.

“Adventurous training is the ideal way to train soldiers in the ability to cope with physical and mental adversity in a peacetime environment.”

The greatest training value to the military and individual is achieved when AT is unit-controlled and team based, conducted under conditions of high perceived risk and low real risk and where the maximum number of participants are exposed to an environment where they experience fear and consequence.

WO2 Francis says the focus is often on front-loading, de-briefing and the facilitation aspect of training.

“This injection and control of a participant’s stress level, in the form of perceived risk, is manipulated by AT leaders as a means by which to extract maximum performance out of an individual.”

Adventure-based learning is said to be the key that unlocks the door to behavioural and attitudinal change – if that is so, do you hold the key?

– Cpl Tracy Tillman

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