LCol collapses during BFT - 14 Aug 09

[Fishbone Jones]

I am very old now almsot hitting the 40 mark soon,

Sorry FHG, I had to chuckle at that line

 

[GAP]

I am very old now almsot hitting the 40 mark soon,

You do know that you grow younger past this point, don't you.....

psst: don't tell the youngn's.....

 

[Gunner98]

I agree LDA has nothing to do with this incident. I have removed the unquoted portion of my post so as not continue the irrelevant tangent (as to when/how a BFT should take place). The succeeding posts have appropriately addressed my concerns.

 

[Rifleman62]

I believe PMedMoe is referring to:

WATER INTOXICATION (HYPONATREMIA)

CAUSE:  DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER TOO QUICKLY - DILUTION OF THE SODIUM IN THE BLOOD.

SYMPTOMS

1. Symptoms can resemble those of heat stroke or heat exhaustion except body temperature does not rise.
2. Associated with water intake of 10-20 L over a period of a few hours.

FIRST AID

1. When water intoxication is suspected, diagnosis must be made at a medical facility.


Successfully completed the BFT just before CRA ten minutes under the required time. Work up training spring and summer at 0500, carried a camel pac in the top of the ruck. No blisters. The 7 P's : Prior-Proper-Preparation-Prevents-Piss-Poor-Performance

Speedy recovery. Should be an investigation.

 

[old medic]

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Officer+condition+improves+after+suffering+heat+stroke/1898719/story.html

Officer's condition improves after suffering heat stroke
By Andrew Duffy, with files from Katie Daubs,
The Ottawa Citizen August 16, 2009

A 47-year-old lieutenant colonel, who collapsed with heat stroke during an annual battle fitness test in Ottawa, remains in hospital in stable condition.

The officer's condition has improved since he was found unconscious on the grounds of the Connaught Range and Primary Training Centre, a military spokesman said late Saturday afternoon.

The officer collapsed at 11 a.m. Friday as he approached the end of a 13-kilometre march, which forms part of the Canadian Forces' battle fitness test, or BFT.

Temperatures neared 30 C by noon on Friday.

The officer -- military officials have refused to identify him or his unit -- was found in a ditch on the training course. Paramedics treated him for severe dehydration and heat stroke; they covered him in ice packs to reduce his body temperature.

He was so warm, paramedics said, that his brain had started to swell.

The battle fitness test is an annual requirement for members of the army.

Each soldier must complete the 13-kilometre march, while carrying a 24.5-kilogram rucksack, in a time of 2 hours and 26 minutes. After a 10 minute rest, a soldier must then perform a 100-metre "fireman's carry," lifting a person of equal weight over that distance.

Maj. Mike Audette, a spokesman for the Department of National Defence, said the fitness tests are not conducted on weekends, so soldiers did not face the heat and smog on Saturday.

Audette could offer few other details about the incident itself.

It is not known, for instance, how long the officer was unconscious before being discovered or why he was so severely dehydrated.

The Connaught Range and Primary Training Centre is located near Shirley's Bay on the Ottawa River, in the city's west end.

The heat that caused the officer's collapse is not expected to let up until Wednesday, when showers are expected.............

article continues at link.

 

[Jammer]

Good to hear.

 

[armyvern]

Glad to hear that the Sir is improving; may he experience a full recovery with no long-term effects.

Each soldier must complete the 13-kilometre march, while carrying a 24.5-kilogram rucksack, in a time of 2 hours and 26 minutes. After a 10 minute rest, a soldier must then perform a 100-metre "fireman's carry," lifting a person of equal weight over that distance.

Don't they also do the trench dig? I thought that was also part of the testing now and was to be done after the carry?

 

[PMedMoe]

Don't they also do the trench dig? I thought that was also part of the testing now and was to be done after the carry?

Depends on the availibility.  I don't know if Connaught has the trenches or not.  Either that or the newspaper was quoting an outdated source.

 

[armyvern]

Depends on the availibility.  I don't know if Connaught has the trenches or not.  Either that or the newspaper was quoting an outdated source.

I do understand the availability bit.

But, I was under the impression that the Annual Army Fitness Test now consisted of:

13km load bearing march;
100m firemans carry; and
trench dig

Of which all 3 must be passed to meet the minimum standard of "pass" for the annual fitness test.

If the test does indeed "officially" consist of all three - wouldn't those not doing the dig be seen as having "not met" the minimum standard? Perhaps the trench dig is not part of the "official test", but I thought it was. 3 ASG certainly thinks it is - given that as the A/CSM I did the carry and the dig three times in June (all on Mondays & all with a "back to work at 1300hrs" directive given at the end ... one of which saw lots of water consumed in the 30 degree temps) while accompanying the troops on 3 BFTs after we had completed the marching portion.

Wierd.

 

[McG]

Depends on the availibility.  I don't know if Connaught has the trenches or not.  Either that or the newspaper was quoting an outdated source.

There are trenches in Connaught, and they are used for the BFTs that are run there.

 

[basrah]

None of this explains why he was out far enough ahead of the group that people lost sight of him. I have never done, or heard of, a BFT in which anyone was allowed to go ahead on their own time.

As for the heat. Nearing 30 degrees? From the way people are talking I was expecting it to be closer to 40.

 

[COBRA-6]

None of this explains why he was out far enough ahead of the group that people lost sight of him. I have never done, or heard of, a BFT in which anyone was allowed to go ahead on their own time.

For the BFTs conducted by CFSU(O) at Connaught you are free to go at whatever pace you want. They are not like unit or sub-unit BFTs where you march as a group.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

None of this explains why he was out far enough ahead of the group that people lost sight of him. I have never done, or heard of, a BFT in which anyone was allowed to go ahead on their own time.

People have been doing it individually since it was instituted. I'll expand a bit on what COBRA-6 said. Many units do the BFT as a formed group in the forced march way. This is a unit thing. The Army Fitness Manual lays down the criteria for the march. No where does it say that it has to be done as part of a formed group. The timing has to be met and you can't force someone to do it faster than required.

When we used to do the 2x10, individuals would be strung out along the route. Same as a 13km BFT. We also had a 5 miler to be completed in 1hr5min(IIRC). That was a forced march, the formed body would leave the start line together and had to cross the finish line together.

The BFT is not a forced march.

 

[medaid]

I've done 2 by myself. It's done all the time.

 

[vonGarvin]

From the Army Fitness Manual:

Meeting the Army Fitness Standard
Fully developing all the components of fitness will have a direct impact on your performance on the AFS. Aerobic fitness, strength, power, flexibility and a healthy body weight—all together—are highly related to your ability to perform the tasks making up the AFS assessment.

The AFS is designed to ensure that you are capable of enduring the rigours of operations and, if necessary, combat. It is comprised of the following tasks.
Weight load March. March a distance of 13 km in full fighting order and field pack (24.5 kg total kit: i.e., weapon, Equipment Issue Scale (EIS), helmet, webbing and field pack). Complete the distance in under 2hr 26min 20s. This is equivalent to a pace of 5.33 km/hr. Your perceived exertion will be recorded
throughout the march to help monitor your pace and ensure safety.

Casualty Evacuation. Lift and carry (fireman’s carry) another soldier of similar weight and height a distance of 100 m, with both members wearing webbing and helmet, carrying a weapon. Lift with your legs and avoid excessive forward bending so you don’t put undue stress on your lower back. Complete the task in less than 60 seconds.
Trench (Maximal) Dig. Using a standard shovel, move .486 cubic metres of pea gravel (1 cm in diameter) from one trench box to another. Helmet only is worn for this task. Complete the task in less than six minutes using whatever technique is comfortable and works for you.

You will be given full instructions for each task and adequate time to warm up and cool-down during the testing session. The AFS assessment is done in one session with a minimum ten-minute break between each of the three tasks. The 12-Week Army Fitness Programme has been developed specifically to prepare you to reach the AFS. In order to do this …
• It is a balanced and progressive programme that develops all fitness components.
• It includes both aerobic intervals and continuous aerobic training.
• It incorporates upper-body and lower-body strengthening exercises and exercises for the abdominal core.
• It involves a variety of innovative exercises to improve speed and power.
• It adds a weight load march in the later weeks of the programme to prepare you for this particular AFS task.
• It provides a series of field exercises to help with specific preparation for the other two AFS tasks.

OK, some key take-aways that I get from this.
First point, note that it says "Your perceived exertion will be recorded throughout the march to help monitor your pace and ensure safety."  The only way to do that (record someone's perceived exertion) is to have someone with you.  While I totally understand that the AFS is an individual assessment, it shouldn't be done alone.  Anyway, recceguy is correct, there is no mandate that this be done as a formed group.  But at the same time, it is implied that nobody does it alone.
Second point. Who here has followed the 12 week work up plan? 

[insert]sound of crickets chirping [/insert]

That's what I thought. 

 

[PMedMoe]

Who here has followed the 12 week work up plan? 

[insert]sound of crickets chirping [/insert]

That's what I thought.

Actually, our section did an 8-week work up plan, with the exception of the 10 km in full gear (we did eight km instead).  Our Capt (a really excellent leader who did the BFT with every one of his troops) said if we were going to do 10 km, we might as well add three and get it done.  :nod:

Work up or not, my feet are still trashed every time(more so with the work up) but that has nothing to do with one's fitness level.  :-\

 

[armyvern]

Second point. Who here has followed the 12 week work up plan? 

[insert]sound of crickets chirping [/insert]

That's what I thought.

3 ASG Sup Coy
Beep Beep

(Although, I personally prefer [& say to myself every time] "let's just get it overwith already" ...)
:-\

 

[armyvern]

Moe:

Trench (Maximal) Dig. Using a standard shovel, move .486 cubic metres of pea gravel (1 cm in diameter) from one trench box to another. Helmet only is worn for this task. Complete the task in less than six minutes using whatever technique is comfortable and works for you.

Hmmmmm, c'est moi ... tabernac

 

[PMedMoe]

Vern,

I know the trench dig is done at many units.  In Pet, we never did it due to the location of the trenches and the logistics involved in getting people there after the BFT and/or starting/finishing the BFT there (at the old curling rink).  In Kingston, if you did the BFT in the winter, the trenches (which were outside) were frozen.  We were still deemed to have passed our PT test.

Anyone ever see them fail people for taking more than a minute for the casualty carry? 

 

[armyvern]

Anyone ever see them fail people for taking more than a minute for the casualty carry?

I've never seen anyone actually take more than 1 minute to complete it, but I have witnessed a "fail" on the trench dig - ergo buddy ended up out with me on a second BFT, carry & dig the next month.

(PS: I put the pic in of me doing the trench dig so that you could see my tac vest in this "helmet only" event. I feel so shafted now [not really, but]  >)