Royal Military Police - Training

Training

RMP commissioned officers attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, as do all other British Army officers. Other Ranks recruits undertake their phase 1, Common Military Syllabus (Recruits) training at Army Training Centre Pirbright. They then move onto Phase 2 which is undertaken at the Defence College of Policing and Guarding.

The training syllabus includes:

• Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
• Armed Forces Act 2006 (also Status of Forces in NATO)
• Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCAP 2005)
• Geneva Conventions
• HAIG Rules
• Unarmed Defensive Techniques (UDT)

Recruits are expected to maintain a high level of fitness, this is assessed, and improved upon in two ways:

• Personal Fitness Test (PFT): This consists of having to achieve as many sit-ups as physically possible in under 2 minutes. The score you are expected to achieve is gender neutral and both men and women are expected to achieve at least 50 sit-ups in that time. The next part of the test is to achieve as many press-ups as you can in under 2 minutes. Females are expected to achieve at least 21 and men are expected to achieve at least 44. There is then a very quick water break and stretch of the limbs before going straight into a 800 metre warm up jog as a squad. This is then followed by a 2400 metre (1.5 miles) run, best effort, to be completed in under 10:30 mins for the men and under 13 mins for the women. For those over 30 the time limit increases at intervals dependent on actual age. After training the PFT is conducted on a twice yearly basis; it is a requirement of service personnel to pass, anyone not able to pass their PFT will now not be entitled to promotion and should they not pass their re-take(s) of the test they will be liable to being discharged from service for being combat ineffective and thus undeployable.
• Combat Fitness Test (CFT): Undertaken in a squad wearing MTP combat uniform and boots. This is to get the recruit used to "tabbing", a mixture of walking quickly and jogging for short periods. Most CFTs undertaken nowadays do not involve the carrying of your personal rifle and wearing your helmet. However, due to the fact that these items have not now been included and the overall weight of the equipment reduced, the amount a recruit and trained soldeir must carry in their bergan has increased. Both recruits and trained soldiers that are non Infantry must be able to carry at least 15 kg of weight in their bergan and will be tabbing with it for a distance of 8 miles, walking quickly and jogging. For the completion of this tab the recruits/soldiers are given approximately 2 hrs to complete the task. You are allowed to come in about 10 minutes under that time however if you go over that time then that is a failure as is non-completion. Should they not pass their re-take(s) of the test they will be liable to being discharged from service for being combat ineffective and thus undeployable.