About TRU
The TRU is a network of multidisciplinary international experts who investigate ways to optimise the physical and cognitive capabilities, and safety of tactical personnel – whether military, law enforcement, firefighters, or first responder organisations.
Comprised of academic researchers and personnel who have served in tactical professions, the TRU provides the critical transfer of scientific evidence to pragmatic application across tactical, operational, and strategic management levels. Using a bespoke 'Trident Approach' the TRU engage with academics, industry and end-users to ensure research has real world outcomes.
The TRU is nested within Bond University’s Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, which received the highest possible ranking of ‘well above world standard’, and ‘at world standard’ for human movement and sports science, from the Australian Research Council (ARC) in its Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA).
The overarching aim of the group is to improve the fitness, health, wellbeing and occupational performance of those who serve and ensure new research findings are shared across the different tactical populations.
Services
The TRU provides services to government, industry, academic and private institutions. These include research projects, consultancy reports and educational and training packages.
Since 2015, the TRU team has conducted research across multiple tactical agencies covering initial training through to specialist selection and rehabilitation.
Consultancy projects have included the development of evidence-based, tactically viable, reports to inform multiple agencies and the generation of injury management, assessments, and conditioning optimization frameworks.
Education and training services use the latest research evidence and practical experience to provide workshops, courses or longer programs to tactical personnel as well as their support staff, such as physiotherapists, physical training instructors, and strength and conditioning coaches.
Latest news
Treating Tactical Personnel with Physio Network
Proud to work with Physio Network to put all our Tactical Research Unit research together with the wider research in the field to help physiotherapists and other allied health professionals best support tactical personnel (be they military, law enforcement, fire and rescue, or search and rescue).
Load Carriage Presentation
Professor Orr was recently invited to present on Load Carriage for Tactical Personnel at the Public Safety Athletic Trainers' Society (PSATS) Conference. The PSATS site can be found here: https://www.psatsociety.com/
The session looked at load carriage and its various similarities and differences between military, law enforcement, firefighing, and search and rescue. Load weights and variables like speed of movement and terrrain were discussed as were performance decrements and injuries. Optimising the conditioning process to better help these personnel survive the rigours of their occupations were highlighted,
