Rob Orr

I have served in the Australian Army in a full time capacity for 23 years as an infantry soldier and Defence Force Physical Training Instructor (PTI, uniformed physiotherapist and Human Performance Officer). During this time my fields of research have included physical conditioning and injury prevention for military personnel, from the initial trainee to the elite warrior, with a key focus on combat load carriage. Serving as the Human Performance Officer for the Royal Military College and Special Operations units before joining the team at Bond University in 2012, I continue to serve in the Army Reserve as a Human Performance Officer and as a sessional presenter.

As co-lead of the Bond University Tactical Research Unit, my fields of research include the physical conditioning and injury prevention of tactical personnel from trainees to specialists. With a doctoral degree in tactical load carriage, my passion is researching the impacts of load carriage on tactical personnel.

I am currently the co-chair of Tactical Strength and Conditioning - Australia(TSACA), and am the section editor for the Australian Strength and Conditioning Journal and editor for the NSCA TSAC Report.

Still generally focussing on the tactical population, I am currently actively involved in research with the Australian and foreign defence forces, several police departments (both national and international), and firefighters. This research is focussed on optimising the conditioning and performance of tactical personnel while minimising injuries.

I am also investigating means of enhancing the lethality and mobility of tactical personnel required to carry loads, and the recovery pathways of personnel who have been wounded or injured.

Potential students interested in, or who are currently working with, tactical populations (military, police and firefighters) may find some of the projects on offer to their liking.

Projects include the training and rehabilitation of recruits and serving personnel, optimising selection processes for specialist streams, improving rehabilitation of injured members for return to work and investigating the impact of load carriage on occupational task performances (like mobility and lethality).

Some current projects include:

• Successful physiological attributes of a SWAT Officer
• An FMS profile of Police officer recruits and qualified police officers
• Profiling and comparing the physiological demands of NSW Police officers during OTJ tasks
• Glock pistol accuracy in relation to grip size and strength
• The role of physiotherapists in the reconditioning of injured police officers
• Investigating the impact of a structure conditioning program on the physical performance of Police Officers
• Profiling injuries in the Australian Army reserve
• The impact of fighting a structural fire on firefighters' hydration statuses