The Achiever Issue 01 - Summer 2013 | Page 6

NEW ADULT RECRUITS Some of L&B’s Adults undertake Problem Solving Exercises as part of their ongoing training (above). Adult training Applicants must pass a selection weekend, medical examination and police checks. Successful candidates are then put through four training weekends, run by Lt Col. D Smith - Battalion Training Officer. These weekends are designed to prepare a Potential Instructor (PI) for the Adult Initial Training Course (AITC) and adults are expected to attend all weekends before they are allowed to attend this course. Following a successful selection earlier this year, Lothian & Borders ACF welcomed several new PIs who will soon be embarking on their initial training. Once Lt Col. Smith’s team are confident that a PI is ready - and only after the weekends have been successfully completed, they will be recommended for the week long Adult Initial Training Course run centrally by the Cadet Training Team (CTT), a regular army unit who work closely with Lothian & Borders ACF. Success in this course qualifies an adult to the rank of Sergeant Instructor (SI) But the learning process doesn’t stop. Once someone has their stripes, training is an ongoing process with all adults and officers undertaking mandatory training and testing throughout the year to ensure their skills remain current. Adult study weekends are held at Company & Battalion level, and this year, at Did you know? There are around 8,500 Adult Instructors within the ACF today! That’s more than 3x the population of the Falkland Islands. 6