Joining the TAs

staygold · 29-01-2012 6:11pm #1

I've been involved with the RDF for a few years and will be moving to the UK in a few months. I was thinking of applying for the TAs while I was over there as I really enjoy the military side of things while working.

Few questions

1) I'm guessing I'll have to leave the RDF if I went to join the TAs but will having served a foreign military prevent me from joining?

2)If I ever do end up moving back to Ireland, would I be able to rejoin the RDF? If I did this, would I have to rejoin as a recruit or would I go back to being a 3 star?

Explosions in the Sky · 29-01-2012 7:02pm

staygold wrote: »

I've been involved with the RDF for a few years and will be moving to the UK in a few months. I was thinking of applying for the TAs while I was over there as I really enjoy the military side of things while working.

Few questions

1) I'm guessing I'll have to leave the RDF if I went to join the TAs but will having served a foreign military prevent me from joining?

2)If I ever do end up moving back to Ireland, would I be able to rejoin the RDF? If I did this, would I have to rejoin as a recruit or would I go back to being a 3 star?

I can't really answer alot of your questions but yes you will have to leave the RDF. You can apply to the TA then, yes you would have to start your RDF training all over again if you wish to join in the future, saying that the RDF probably wouldn't be around in a few years, hope I helped a little, best of luck
Edit: I think I just answered them all

NWPat · 29-01-2012 7:15pm

I wouldn't join the TA. There is a chance( a slim chance) of ending up ill equipped, inadequately trained and facing the Taliban. The proportion of TA deaths in Afghanistan is very high.

bwatson · 29-01-2012 8:17pm

NWPat wrote: »

I wouldn't join the TA. There is a chance( a slim chance) of ending up ill equipped, inadequately trained and facing the Taliban. The proportion of TA deaths in Afghanistan is very high.

There is also a chance that you know absolutely nothing about the subject. Well, slightly more than a chance.

Geekness1234 · 29-01-2012 9:31pm

This is off topic.
Can you or can't you get British citizenship through military service?

Explosions in the Sky · 29-01-2012 9:52pm

bwatson wrote: »

There is also a chance that you know absolutely nothing about the subject. Well, slightly more than a chance.

Alot of what he said is true, but I understand you too

NWPat · 29-01-2012 10:19pm

bwatson wrote: »

There is also a chance that you know absolutely nothing about the subject. Well, slightly more than a chance.

Or on the other hand, a great deal more than you.;)

bwatson · 29-01-2012 11:50pm

NWPat wrote: »

Or on the other hand, a great deal more than you.;)

Are you in the Territorial Army? I am.

If you have more knowledge on the matter than I do (which wouldn't be much of an achievement considering my relatively limited experience to date), then fair enough. However you made a statement which contradicted the majority of what I have come to know of the TA, and much of what I have learnt and heard from soldiers (both Regular and Territorials) with vast amounts of experience.

NWPat · 30-01-2012 9:41am

bwatson wrote: »

Are you in the Territorial Army? I am.

If you have more knowledge on the matter than I do (which wouldn't be much of an achievement considering my relatively limited experience to date), then fair enough. However you made a statement which contradicted the majority of what I have come to know of the TA, and much of what I have learnt and heard from soldiers (both Regular and Territorials) with vast amounts of experience.

My comments were based on fact not on chatting to a man in the bar. I feel it is only fair to warn the OP and anyone else silly enough to join the TA of the risk they are taking. Anyone who takes up the Queens duty should be aware of the risks. This is before we get in to the complications that can arise from being Irish and in the British Army.

See here for inadequately trained and poorly equipped:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/09/british-soldiers-afghanistan-inquest

See here for poorly trained TA:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8987497/Just-one-in-20-TA-soldiers-trained-to-serve-on-front-line.html

See here for dead TA:

On second thoughts and out of respect for the families i will not post links for this, they are easy enough to find.

tfitzgerald · 30-01-2012 9:49am

Sky had a programme lately called the Taliban and the TA . It was all about the TA that were sent to afganastan .

OS119 · 30-01-2012 10:47am

OP, if you join the TA you are unlikely to go to Afghanistan simply because, AFAIK, you have to have lived in the UK for one year immediadtely prior to your application. thats 2013. despite any previous service you will then have to undergo both your basic and trade training - which, roughly, takes about 2 years before you get to a stage where you are thought deployable.

thats 2015.

UK combat role in A'stan ends in 2014/2015, and thats subject to change - as we saw with the French over the weekend.

there will be a UK land force role in Afghanistan after that date, but it will be as small as the UK government can make it, its role will be to assist in the training of Afghan forces and undertake some very specific combat support roles that the Afghans won't be upto speed on by that date. it will not be Company-sized incursions into northern Helmand.

as for the risks, currently - and for almost all of both the Iraq and A'stan campaigns - the TA provided about 10% of the Army's contribution (so, there are about 900 or so TA soldiers in Afghanistan right now). a simple google search will tell you whether 10% of the soldiers killed/seriously injured in Afghanistan are from the TA.

the TA's main roles in A'stan are medical support, Int, SF, CIMIC, Force Protection, Logistics support, Artillery and Signals. Infantry soldiers will be mobilised, but at a smaller proportion than, for intance, Int Corps linguists.

if you do decide to join, remember that you won't get what you want out of the TA until you've been in for perhaps two or three years, and that you will be deployable. it is a big, serious commitment with potentially serious consequences. it is not something to do just to 'keep your hand in'.

cruasder777 · 30-01-2012 1:18pm

NWPat wrote: »

My comments were based on fact not on chatting to a man in the bar. I feel it is only fair to warn the OP and anyone else silly enough to join the TA of the risk they are taking. Anyone who takes up the Queens duty should be aware of the risks. This is before we get in to the complications that can arise from being Irish and in the British Army.

See here for inadequately trained and poorly equipped:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/09/british-soldiers-afghanistan-inquest

See here for poorly trained TA:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/8987497/Just-one-in-20-TA-soldiers-trained-to-serve-on-front-line.html

See here for dead TA:

On second thoughts and out of respect for the families i will not post links for this, they are easy enough to find.

Snatch Land Rovers are no longer used in Afghanistan.

TA deployed use the same equipment and serve in regular units in Aghanistan.

Only those fully trained are sent, youre article is about generals saying not enough are trained to deployment standards, thus they dont go.

You are contradicting yourself.

tac foley · 30-01-2012 3:30pm

OS119 wrote: »

OP, if you join the TA you are unlikely to go to Afghanistan simply because, AFAIK, you have to have lived in the UK for one year immediadtely prior to your application. thats 2013. despite any previous service you will then have to undergo both your basic and trade training - which, roughly, takes about 2 years before you get to a stage where you are thought deployable.

thats 2015.

UK combat role in A'stan ends in 2014/2015, and thats subject to change - as we saw with the French over the weekend.

there will be a UK land force role in Afghanistan after that date, but it will be as small as the UK government can make it, its role will be to assist in the training of Afghan forces and undertake some very specific combat support roles that the Afghans won't be upto speed on by that date. it will not be Company-sized incursions into northern Helmand.

as for the risks, currently - and for almost all of both the Iraq and A'stan campaigns - the TA provided about 10% of the Army's contribution (so, there are about 900 or so TA soldiers in Afghanistan right now). a simple google search will tell you whether 10% of the soldiers killed/seriously injured in Afghanistan are from the TA.

the TA's main roles in A'stan are medical support, Int, SF, CIMIC, Force Protection, Logistics support, Artillery and Signals. Infantry soldiers will be mobilised, but at a smaller proportion than, for intance, Int Corps linguists.

if you do decide to join, remember that you won't get what you want out of the TA until you've been in for perhaps two or three years, and that you will be deployable. it is a big, serious commitment with potentially serious consequences. it is not something to do just to 'keep your hand in'.

Thank you for putting the points across so succinctly and correctly. I had the privilege of working with and commanding TA personnel in my previous 33-year life in the Army, and have nothing but praise for their dedication and commitment. A good shooting pal of mine here in UK, a practicing Moslem, BTW, is a trauma medic [MERTS]. He had only time to get three tours in Iraq and is about to deploy to 'Stan for his fifth deployment. In his 'real life' he is a heliborne paramedic.

He is typical of his 'kind'.

Nobody should consider badmouthing the TA by coming on this forum with bugger-all personal knowledge or experience, especially the TA and RAF[VR] medics in whose hands your life might literally be held some day.

tac

Jawgap · 30-01-2012 7:28pm

staygold wrote: »

I've been involved with the RDF for a few years and will be moving to the UK in a few months. I was thinking of applying for the TAs while I was over there as I really enjoy the military side of things while working.

Few questions

1) I'm guessing I'll have to leave the RDF if I went to join the TAs but will having served a foreign military prevent me from joining?

2)If I ever do end up moving back to Ireland, would I be able to rejoin the RDF? If I did this, would I have to rejoin as a recruit or would I go back to being a 3 star?

I can't answer your second question, but I lived in the UK for 10 years and came very close to joining the TA (Northumberland Hussars) and my [short] time with the FCA was not an impediment in any way- it wasn't help either because you would still have to go through the training programmes.

Didn't sign up in the end because the distances involved in travelling to the depot meant it was not practical. There were other regiments closer, but they were infantry, and I was more inclined towards an armoured formation.

iceage · 31-01-2012 3:27pm

OP ask one of your NCO's here(RDF) I couldn't see a problem if you returned as long as you were properly discharged before crossing the water.

galwaycyclist · 31-01-2012 7:43pm

To answer your second question I have served in the RDF with several people who are ex UK regulars so I can't see that being an issue so long as you are honourably discharged.

As to whether you could re-enlist in the RDF with the same rank you'd need to check with your cadre staff but to be honest I can't see why not at least not if you are a private.

Donny5 · 31-01-2012 10:55pm

galwaycyclist wrote: »

To answer your second question I have served in the RDF with several people who are ex UK regulars so I can't see that being an issue so long as you are honourably discharged.

As to whether you could re-enlist in the RDF with the same rank you'd need to check with your cadre staff but to be honest I can't see why not at least not if you are a private.

This was an issue in my old unit, and we had to enlist the guy as a recruit, but then he was fast-tracked through the star tests.

Joining the TAs

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