IR changes

Volume 48, No. 15, August 24, 2006

STREAMLINED: CAF’s IR initiatives will reduce additional work and stress on Air Force personnel. Photo by SGT Kev Berriman

CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Shepherd has simplified the management of individual readiness (IR), force preparation and annual training requirements.

AIRMSHL Shepherd said that the requirements are contained in a large number of orders and instructions. While each is clear as an individual directive, some field interpretation has led to misinterpretation.

Also, there has been some duplication of effort, where members have been due for annual revalidation, but selected for deployment a short time later. They have then been required to repeat all the elements, resulting in additional work and stress.

Pending a full review by AFHQ, CAF has modified or suspended a number of the components. CAF has set four key principles in his directive.

The directive details the minimum levels of individual readiness, force preparation and annual training required. When they consider it necessary, commanders may impose higher levels of compliance, either permanently or for a specified period.

Personnel will be required to achieve initial qualification on all elements of individual readiness and annual training through OTS and 1RTU.

Specialist categories and musterings will be required to continue to meet the elements of individual readiness, force preparation and annual training critical to their specialisation.

In his directive, CAF stressed that he intended to remove duplication and the inevitable overheads that accompanied it. His intent is to have each member complete only one set of IR testing each year.

Annual Training
Members are to continue to complete their annual OH&S awareness and equity and diversity training. However, individual first aid training (except where commanders consider a designated position requires it), ethics and fraud awareness, swimming proficiency, ground combat and combat survival and CBRND training courses are all suspended.

Individual Readiness
a. Employment Proficiency. Members are to be considered proficient unless assessed otherwise.

b. Physical Fitness. Members are required to complete a PFT once every financial year. Members will be considered ready to participate in a PFT where they are MEC(1) or MEC(2) and are not assessed as Temporarily Medically Unfit. Additional health checks are not required prior to completing a PFT.

c. Personal Weapons Proficiency. Members are to maintain their individual annual weapons continuation training requirements, with annual weapons handling and a live shoot every two years.

d. Medical Fitness. All personnel are required to complete a scheduled, five-yearly Comprehensive Preventative Health Examination (CPHE). Aircrew, air traffic controllers and air defence officers will undergo an annual CPHE from the age of 40. Members are considered ready if assessed as MEC (1) or MEC (2) including immunisation.

e. Dental Fitness. Personnel are to complete an annual assessment and be assessed as Class 1 or 2.

f. Individual Availability. Personnel are to complete the IR pro forma confirming their readiness to deploy at short notice and for long periods of time.

Annual Health Assessments (AHAs)
Aircrew, air traffic controllers and air defence officers will continue to receive Specialist Employment Stream AHAs. AHAs for all other personnel are suspended for the duration of CAF’s directive.
Members returning from deployment will be subject to existing mental health screening requirements.

Force Preparation
a. Operations. HQJOC will detail the specific force preparation requirements for individual operations.

b. Exercises. HQAC will detail specific force preparation requirements. Members will be considered generally force prepared if they have satisfied the requirements for IR and will remain current for the period of the deployment and any associated leave. Commanders may impose specific requirements as dictated by the nature of the operating environment.

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