WOMEN'S SAFETY YEAR

I hope the Government of India will declare the year 2013 as Women's Safety Year"

WE TOO HAVE TEARS

WE TOO HAVE TEARS....

This may sound familiar to my friends in armed forces.

Yesterday my younger son was asking me if I could come over and witness the annual day celebrations of his school and see him performing the role of a flower in a small drama. Sitting in this remotest hinterland of India, so called red corridor,  I said I will come, thinking how mean it was of me to tell him a cruel lie, but I also know that I’am incapable of answering him any other way . Just as I felt sorry for him, he said in a subtle voice,

 “Don’t worry father, I know you can’t come. It’s ok. I will tell my mother to send you my photographs”. 

My heart sinks and I felt depressed. It was then that the memories of a small incident that happened early in July this year thronged into my mind like waves of a rising tide and I just wanted to get it off my chest. 

I couldn’t even make out how my thirty days earned leave had gone by so fast and came the penultimate day in the company of my kids. Everyone and everything seemed to be engulfed in an aura of melancholia. My wife was a little nervous about the fact that my birthday falls on the day I’am leaving the house which according to her is ill-omened. While submitting my leave application, I never actually knew that the day I had to board the train for my return journey would exactly coincide with my birthday. Nevertheless, I’am least bothered about these trivial issues as birthdays are not of much relevance in armed forces.

 I spent the whole day playing around with my sons and packing up my suitcase, stuffing every corner of it with some homemade eatables.  

We ate our dinner together and called it an early night so that I could catch the “Raptisagar Express” leaving Trivandrum early in the morning. My two sons were on both side of me and the small chit chat we had in the bed lasted till their tiny eyes drifted off to sleep. They know it’s their father’s way of telling adieu to them as I have never woken them early in the morning to say good bye. 

I woke up on my ‘birthday’ to find myself a bit gloomy. I found my kids still asleep with lights low and my wife was there in the kitchen preparing some breakfast for me. I finished my morning ablutions, took a shower and went to the prayer room without disturbing them. Thereafter I got dressed up and ensured that everything associated with my journey is in order.  

 It was still dark outside and I thought it’s now the time for me to leave. Just when I was about to call my brother who would drop me at the railway station, I saw to my surprise, standing there right in front me was my elder son Akshit with his eyelids so heavy . Taken aback, I looked at my wife. She came near and with a tense smile etched on her face said in a subtle voice.

 “I have to tell you something. Akshit told me yesterday that he wanted to give you a surprise birthday gift before you leave for the railway station” she paused, looked at my eyes and said, “This is important for him”

When he slowly trudged towards me, I leaned forward and gave a tender peck on his cheek. I obliged when he asked me to kneel down. He then wrapped his tiny arms around my neck and gave me a kiss. Thereafter he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small cover and opened it. That was a scrap paper. It has something written on it. “This is for you father”. He then reclined his head against my shoulder and murmured into my ear, “Happy birthday”. 

No sooner had I finished reading the small greetings card he made all by himself, than I felt overwhelmed by emotions. It was written, “I love you father, also happy birthday”. That really threw me. I hugged him tight. I could not prevent a fleck of tear welling up in the corner of my eyes. “Oh sweet, Thank you my dear son” My voice chocked. I squeezed my eyes tighter and turned to the other side to prevent him from seeing my face. 

When I slowly opened my eyes after a while, alas.., I saw the tiny figure of my younger son standing there. I didn’t know when he came up and stood quietly behind his elder brother. He stood there for a moment, looked at me a little long and then slowly turned around and walked back inside the bed room. Iam convinced that he has gone to sleep and thus decided not to pursue him.
  

Meanwhile I heard my brother calling me from the gate. Now it’s time to give those silent little customary kisses on the cheek of my kids and bid adieu. I stood up and went to the bed room to give a kiss to my younger son. It was dark inside and I found on the farthest corner of the bed he was sitting there facing in the opposite direction.

 “Oh… he has not yet slept …” I wondered.  I went up to him and called him with a sigh of surprise in my voice.
 “Hey, what are you doing here?” 
   
He didn’t turn around. I placed my hand onto his back and called him affectionately in a whisper. “Achu…!”   

This time he shuddered and slowly turned around to face me with tears running down his eyes. He was crying silently. I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do. I sat down beside him without saying a word, wiped the tears from his face and pulled him into a hug. Bursting instantly into tears he reclined on my chest. While consoling him, I noticed something guardedly kept in his hand. 

“What is this Achu?” This time my face wore a curious expression.  He then silently gave me a small piece of paper with something written on it. 

“I love you my father and also love my mother.” That was a greeting card he made for me with much difficulty while attempting to replicate his brother. I couldn’t say anything as the voice chocked inside me. I hugged him again and gave a few pecks on his soft little cheek. I felt his hand caressing my face and in a subtle voice with tears still rolling down he said, “Don’t go father”. As the lump in my throat started growing, I swallowed it with all the emotional strength I could muster and went out of the room silently, picked my suitcase and left.  

For any armed force officer, struggle to triumph over the difficulties is more important for them. They are afraid that people who know them as tough commandos will discover they have another soft hearted side too. 

I miss my kids every minute of the day. I will keep these cards till my last breath.

I apologize for your time.

MY FACEBOOK SLIDES- PART-2

Attention Voyagers, Whenever you discover a new landscape anywherein India, please don't forget to come down and have a cup of tea with us there.  We are the saviours, the omnipresent warriors, the CRPF soldiers...

Sometimes, SALUTE is more HEART than HANDS....

Two friends were walking through a forest. Suddenly a bear appeared. First friend quickly climbed a tree. other one who could not climb, lay still on the ground like dead. Bear smelt his body and walked away thinking that the man was dead. First friend then came down and asked, " What did the bear tell you?" Second one said, " Bear told me to tell you that THERE IS ALWAYS A NEXT TIME...Moral of the story- An empty mind is a devil's workshop...

Sorry 2012...You Deserved a Better Farewell. India Mourns Death of a Braveheart...

Let the Govt of India declare the year 2013 as " WOMEN'S SAFETY YEAR"

FEEL THE PAIN TO STEEL THE VEIN

FEEL THE PAIN TO STEEL THE VEIN
(FRAGMENT TRAINING)
(STAMINA BLENDS TACTICS)




The Cover

Advantages of Fragment Training.

·       Safe and standard exercises.

·       Track can be easily structured in very little area and can be modified for any size as per available space.

·       Repetitions can be done as per endurance level of the trainees.

·       Offer a whole body work out.

·       Not required expensive equipments, and can be made by locally available materials.

·       Give exposure to tactical movements along with strengthening exercises.

                                                                     

Track Lay out

 

                                                         INTRODUCTION

 FRAGMENT TRAINING

(Stamina blends Tactics)

                                              Training given to armed force personnel varies by institution, according to the requirement of the ground realities and available resources. Several C.R.P.F units which are deployed in the L.W.E areas are often been stationed in the periphery of a police station or a school or in any such other places where space is in absolute scarcity. Thus the much needed training sessions of the troops are often been compromised. In an organization where everyone’s life is dependent on the person next to him, lack of training can lead to serious ramifications, particularly in those areas where troops are deployed for special operations against motivated enemies. Apart from the training in basic classification firing with individually-assigned weapons, un-armed combat, physical fitness training, first aid, and other basic survival techniques which are taught in the training institutes, regular physical training as well as field training is mandatory to keep the troops battle ready at any given time. A combat soldier on ground requires extreme physical fitness in order to meet the challenges cause by the enemy.  Although few particular tactics are now obsolete in the modern combat situations, one thing which will ever remain the same is the need for keeping the troops in physically fit condition to unhesitatingly face the real combat circumstances. Task oriented physical fitness programs based on the ability to meet emergency situations have become a necessity. Specific or task-oriented fitness is a person's ability to perform a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency.

                                               In order to improve the physical fitness of the troops and to keep them combat ready in a place where training grounds are at scarcity, I felt the need to develop a new training program by designing a track of events in a small area which mainly emphasis on the stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination and agility and also provides a whole body work out as well as enhances the endurance level of the troops.

                                               Apart from learning the basics of field survival, navigation, communication and weapon skills, knowledge about tactical movements is also required particularly when the troops are deployed in hostile terrains. In military term, tactics are the “techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle”. They are automatic reactions to given situations by using ground to the best advantage. The main reason for tactical movement is to move troops on the battle field either to instigate contact with the enemy or to reach a destination where contact with the enemy is expected. Its ultimate aim is to enable the troops to “see without being seen” and to move undetected from place to place which is required in low intensity conflicts where discretion is required. Few tactical movements like Ghost walk, leopard crawl, kitten crawl, forward roll, low belly crawl etc which are normally being adopted in such situations for few hundred meters and for several minutes demands enormous stamina.

                                               The programme has been designed in such a way that certain exercise pads have to be negotiated quickly by the troops in a minimum prescribed time limit and to do more repetitions as per their endurance level thereby enables them to increase their stamina. It is pertinent for me to mention here that, emphasis should be given to do the exercises in an appropriate manner than to rush through it in improper way. As a matter of fact it is a race against time but with perfection which gives the troops confidence to go for a great level of fitness. The track is a combination of standard exercises and tactical movements and thus here - STAMINA BLENDS TACTICS.

                                               The track in a way resembles a tiny module of a large training area abridged in a small quarter and hence named as “FRAGMENT TRAINING”. The area where such a mini track is made can be called as “fragment training area” and the track, “fragment training track”. Taking into consideration the ground realities like scarcity of space, poor infrastructure facilities and inadequate training staff in those areas where our sub units are deployed, this programme can be extremely beneficial and easy to do with no risk of injuries what so ever. It is less expensive and can be developed in any limited space with limited infrastructure in a very little time.  This programme has been tested in the unit level on different training sessions and found to be extremely beneficial.

                                               This project could not have been accomplished without abundant support and enormous encouragement by all officers, SOs and  Jawans  of 141 Bn who put their efforts in assembling the track at the head quarters of the unit at Bhadrachalam with much dedication and hard work and that too in a matter of few days.

                                               I would like to dedicate this small project to the brave CRPF Jawans who have sacrificed their lives fighting battle against Maoists. 

  

                                            “FEEL THE PAIN TO STEEL THE VEIN” 

                                                                                                    Ajan R Nair

                                                                                             Asst.Commandant,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                               

TASK

                                               The trainees will be taken out for three kilometer running in normal speed to warm up their body. They will be guided to the starting pad where they assemble and engage in light warm up exercises and wait for their turn. Instructor/ commander will invite first three personnel (can be increased depends on the area of the track/fragment) to the starting line drawn in front of the starting pad. Command will be given as “Ready Go” or anything likewise. Subsequently the stop watch will be pressed. The trainees have to finish all the tasks as fast as possible without compromising the prescribed way of doing these exercises. Stop watch will be stopped when they cross the finish line drawn at the end of the track.

HOW TO DO

                                               On receiving the command, trainees will take a short run to the first fragment where three skips are kept. They will do TWENTY SKIPPINGS (a total body exercise which meant to make the body flexible and adequately warmed up for the rest of exercises) as fast as possible and leave the skips on the pad and advance through the track by FROG JUMPS (trainees have to negotiate 15 circles made at even distance) to the next fragment.  Twenty STEP UPS (a lower body exercise) are to be completed in the second fragment and advance through the track by LEOPARD CRAWLING (a tactical movement as well as strengthening exercise, the track is to be roofed by barbed wire) to the third fragment. Twenty PUSH UPS (exercise meant for upper body strength) are to be completed and will further advance to the forth fragment by DUCK WALK (tactical movement as well as strengthening exercise) through the track.  In the forth fragment, trainees have to do ten SIT UPS (a core and trunk exercise generally called Abdomen or stomach crunch). They will further advance to the fifth fragment by FORWARD ROLLS (in between they have to negotiate two small jumping obstacle which will make them steady for pull ups) where they will do three PULL UPS (an upper body exercise generally called beam).  After completion of pull ups, trainees will advance to the sixth fragment by a sprint.  At the sixth fragment they will climb a 12 FEET VERTICAL ROPE (SECOND CLASS ROPE). They will come down after tapping the top of the arc and take a short run to the finish line where their time will be recorded. The trainee who completes the task in minimum time will be adjudged as the best performer. Two or three repetitions can be done depends on the endurance level of the troops.



FRAGMENT TRAINING GROUND AT 141 BN HQRS BHADRACHALAM



                               FRAGMENT TRAINING EVENTS

WARMING UP

Troops will remain adequately warm up by doing small jumps or marching on the spot by bringing knees up to the hip level and swinging their arms like jogging. They may perform stretches and also rotate ankles 5 times clockwise and anti clockwise on each side, then 10 circles forward and backwards before coming to the starting line and get ready for the task.

Are You Ready?

                                               FIRST PAD- SKIPPING (TWENTY TIMES)

Skipping

Skipping is a high energy workout which blends flexibility and coordination and is comparable to running at 12 Kph when you consider the number of calories burned per minute. Skipping targets the calves, thighs, bottom and shoulders, helping to keep these areas toned and carries little risk of injuries.

It requires very little room. It is an exercise for all weathers.

The length of the rope can be altered by tying knots near the handle to make it right for anyone’s height. Appropriate length is when the handle meets the rope at the level of your armpits.

HOW TO SKIP

1.    Stand tall but relaxed- breathing naturally

2.    Elbows remain at the waist level with arms extended sideways at about 90 degree angle.

3.    Use a circular wrist motion to turn the rope.

4.    Hold the body loosely, using thumb and index finger for control.

5.    Jump on the balls of the feet landing softly.

6.    Jump just high enough for the rope to pass under the feet.

With elbows tucked into the sides, the rope will turn around smoothly in the wrists. A common mistake is to lean forward, or skip too slowly. Both of these result in the rope being caught by your feet. Keep the back straight. While skipping the rope should ideally be tight.

                                                        FROG JUMP- (FIFTEEN JUMPS)

Frog Jump

  

A strengthening exercise practiced by martial artists, ski jumpers and track and field athletes, this exercise can be bad for knees if do it for longer distances (fifteen jumps are ideal) or done on hard ground or landed in the heels first. 

These are jumps from a sitting position where you jump forward with your hands stuck to your hips. Aim should be to jump as far as possible and not as high as possible. You can also swing your arms forward when leap.

1.    Start your frog jumps from a sitting position with your hands on your hip.

2.    Swing your arms forward up and jump forward at the same time.

3.    Straighten your entire body in mid-air. (knees, elbows, fingers, toes)

4.    Land on your feet and sit down while strike out with your arms again. Landing the frog jumps on your heels is bad. Landing on your toes protects the joints.

5.    Jump off to the next frog jump. (don’t rest)

6.    At least 15 frog jumps should be done in a row.

                                             SECOND PAD- STEP UPS (TWENTY TIMES)

Step Ups

 A simple lower body exercise which is a combination of gluteus and hamstring workout. Great for your legs and lungs. Step up exercise is a form of aerobic exercise that isn’t just effective against losing weight but also for boosting stamina. This is an exercise to be done before more difficult exercises. This exercise is a great way to boost your heart beat as the heart pumps more blood into the body that leads to the usage of excess body fat. It is known to boost body flexibility also.

How to do Step-Up Exercise.

·         To perform step up exercise, you need an elevated (6 to 15 inch) platform or a step box. 

·         Lift your left leg and place it on the step box with your right foot flat on the floor. Now transfer your weight to your heel pushing down on to the step.

·         Now step back down and lift your right leg and place it on the step box. Then bring your left foot, quickly followed by right foot. Continue for twenty repetitions.

·         Never allow both legs to stay together on the floor for more than a second.

·         Do not bounce. Your movements should be smooth.

Precautions.

Remember to make complete contact between the entire sole of the foot and the platform.

Maintain a comfortable distance, as you step down the step box.

Keep your body erect, while doing step ups, as only this will give you the desired results.

                                                          LEOPARD  CRAWL

Leopard Crawl

This is a steady but smooth movement used to sneak into the enemy territory stealthily as possible without making noise.  A superb tactical army battle drill that conditions your whole body and a nice work out. Very good for lung power, strength and stamina. A creeping movement with each elbow placed forward, the diagonal knee is also placed forward. Position will be altered with other elbow and knee. Body nearly flat on the ground. You will always remain in perfect balance watching the enemy positions. The movement should not be bouncy. In this movement you can immediately take position to open fire. You should freeze in whatever position you happen to stop, if spotted by enemy. Try to control your breath while moving. Frequent practice is necessary to make it effective. Leopard crawl or Commando crawl requires strong core control and won't work if you don't hold the core tight. This tactical movement is just a matter of moving the opposite arm and leg in unison forward and back starting with the same arm and leg that you finished walking forward on.  Stay low when you crawl under barb wire. Normally used in battle fields to advance when under attack.

                                         THIRD PAD- PUSH UPS  - (TWENTY TIMES)

Push Ups

Push-ups are a great upper body exercise. You can do them anywhere and require no equipments. It is a strengthening exercise quite good for your upper body.

HOW TO DO:-

1.    Lie chest-down with your hands at shoulder level, palms flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and your feet together and parallel to each other.

2.    Look forward rather than down at the floor. The first contact you make with the floor with any part of the face should be your chin, not your nose.

3.    Keep your legs straight and your toes tucked under your feet.

4.    Straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor. Keep your palms fixed at the same position and keep your body straight. Try not to bend or arch your upper or lower back as you push up.

5.    Exhale as your arms straighten out.

6.    Pause for a moment.

7.    Lower your body slowly towards the floor. Bend your arms and keep your palms in fixed position. Keep body straight and feet together.

8.    Lower body until chest touches the floor. Try not to bend your back. Keep your knees off the floor, and inhale as you bend your arms.

9.    Pause for a moment. Begin straightening your arms for a second push-up. Exhale as you raise your body.

                                                                   DUCK WALK

 Duck walk is an exercise done by squatting and walking. While relying on your hips, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus muscles for support.  A good exercise for strengthening the leg muscles, it concentrates on the thighs and back side.

Duck Walk

HOW TO DO

Position yourself with your feet wider than your hips and your arms at your sides. Tighten your abdominal muscles to avoid injuring your back during the exercise.

Your weight should be concentrated back on your heels to prevent your knees from extending past your toes, which can cause an injury. To keep yourself balanced, clasp your hands together at chest level. Walk forward without rising from the squat position. You may need to lean forward to maintain your balance, but bat the same time ensure that your weight stays on your heels.

                                     FOURTH PAD - SIT UPS - (TEN TIMES)

Sit Ups

Strong stomach muscles give good core strength and are essential for all troopers. Sit Ups are a great way to start toning your tummy and are easy to do.

HOW TO DO

Lay down on your back with your knees bent and the balls and heels of your feet placed flat on the floor. By keeping your feet planted on the floor throughout the action you will be working your muscles harder as you push them down so your feet don't move. Put your hands behind your ears, with your elbows out to the side. You could cross your arms over your chest and touch your shoulders if you prefer. Don't grab the back of your neck as this can cause injury.

Keeping your feet on the ground, tighten your stomach muscles and slowly lift your head first. You should feel the strain in your abdomen. Then lift the shoulder blades and pull up from the floor about half way. Hold the position for a few seconds and then slowly put your back down to the floor but try and keep your back slightly elevated, so you are not completely flat and relaxed.

Repeat the action for five to ten reps if you are a beginner. You can slowly build up the amount you do over time, but do not push yourself and ALWAYS stop immediately if you feel any sharp pain.

                                                      FORWARD ROLL (FRONT ROLL)

Forward roll engages a large number of muscle groups. Rolling of the body greatly reduce impact and allow for a continuation of movement getting you to your feet with no interruption.

Front Roll

HOW TO DO
Squat on the toes of your feet with knees together. Place your hands flat on the floor with spread hands. While maintaining pressure on your hands tuck the head and place the back of your head between the hands while pushing your legs to roll over. Maintain a rounded back by contracting your abdomen and keep looking at your knees. As you roll forward try to maintain momentum to roll up onto your feet and standup without pushing off the floor with your hands. Repeat for little distance.

Double jump:-   After doing forward roll for a distance it becomes difficult for few seconds to do the pull ups as the body tends to be unstable. To make the body stable for pull ups, trainees have to negotiate two high jump obstacles at a ground height of two feet and two and a half feet placed seven feet apart just before the pull ups pad.

                                       

                                   FIFTH PAD- PULL UPS- (THREE TIMES)

Pull Ups

A pull up is an upper body compound pulling exercise. The exercise often targets the muscle in the back along with many other assisting muscles. It is also called chin up as it is required to bring the chin up to touch the bar.

This exercise is one of the most beneficial and an overall muscle strength developer. They also develop the biceps, triceps and shoulders, giving powerful strength and muscularity. It is very simple to do. Just suspend yourself in the bar with an inner or an outer grip and pull up your body to make your chin touches the bar. Repeat few times. Try to keep your knees closed with toe of your leg pointing downwards.

                            

SIXTH PAD- VERTICAL ROPE CLIMBING- 12 FEET.

Vertical Rope

This is a body weight exercise where you will be pulling up the weight of your body with your arms and back. It is an incredible workout for your shoulder muscles, forearm and hands. It improves the whole body strength to an enormous level. If you have no strength in your arms in the initial stage, you are advised to make use of your knees. But for trained soldiers, it is prescribed that the exercise must be done by using their hands only.

CONCLUSION

                                                                   Any new training programme offers lessons that are far more exciting and experimental at the same time. Frequent preparation and practice on the programme will make it perfect and the trainees will probably shape themselves better than they have ever been. Such projects can be developed with simple objects which are locally available by ensuring its optimum usage.

                                                                   As one such training does not fit all, it is always better to have different themes developed according to the terrain and its requirement. It should emphasis on performance enhancement as well as result oriented. Although this theme provides a total body workout as well as exposure to few tactical movements at the same time in the same track, it is only an innovation suggestion in itself but not conclusive. Thus suggestions for improvement are always a privilege.

                                                              “FEEL THE PAIN

                                             TO


                                      STEEL THE VEIN” 

                                                                                                                                                                          ALL THE BEST  




P.S:- During most part of the year 2011, I'd remained attached with the Head Quarters of 141 BN, CRPF at Bhadrachalam holding various charges including DC (OPS and Training). My Commanding Officer Sh. Surender Kumar told me to set up a training schedule for the unit personnel like one that I have successfully designed and put into effect at my sub-unit in the name JOLT ( Jungle Obstacles Land navigation and Tactics) at Mothugudam in the year 2010 (this project was highly appreciated by the IGP south sector after watching a demonstration by my company personnel during his official visit to my company. He rewarded each one of them there itself with 1000 rupees. Returned back to Hyderabad, he took keen interest in starting a similar training, thereby including the men and officers from all battalions under southern sector initially at Ranga Reddy and thereafter at TX hall in Hyderabad).

With all support from my C.O,  I have prepared an exclusive training program and named it SWANT ( Special Weapons Navigation and Tactics) with an intention to make our soldiers well verse with all the special weapons being used in this terrain as well as to keep them aware of the new navigation methods adopted here. To overcome the constraints of insufficient space at our place I felt the need of a track which could provide total body workout as well as sufficient exposure to few tactical movements all arranged in a small area, thus this new training program, THE FRAGMENT TRAINING took its origin. I'am not aware if there is any such training track has been previously designed by anyone. If there is any, I would be happy to know the feed back of such a program so that enough changes can be made to make it more effective and result oriented...... 


P.P.S:-  Here are a few photographs of the IGP southern sector watching a spectacular demonstration given by the Unit Q.A.T commandos on the Fragment Training Track during his visit to the 141 Bn Head quarters.