Reserve army to be pulled from rural areas after review

easkey92 · 20-07-2012 12:45am #1

THE Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is preparing for a massive withdrawal from rural areas after major cutbacks to training were announced.

The RDF, which was formerly the FCA, has provided back-up to the full-time military for the past 70 years.

But the part-time force looks set to be confined to major urban areas in the future after it was confirmed last night that the number of permanent troops assigned to training the reservists would be cut from 250 to 50.

And with only 50 members of the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF) covering the rest of the country, reservists fear many of the towns without a permanent military presence will be ignored.

A senior reservist claimed last night: "We are suffering death by a thousand cuts. After looking at the butchering that some of the full-time units are undergoing in the re-organisation, I fear for our future."

Defence Minister Alan Shatter said on Tuesday that a value-for-money review of the reserve, which has been under way for the past few years, is due to be complete by the end of September.

But reservists pointed out last night that they had been given the same promise last September.

"It seems we are being left to wither on the vine", one said.

"Without the proper training, recruitment and equipment, our units in areas where there are no large garrisons will simply disappear.

"We are the only voluntary organisation in the State whose recruitment is being confined. Others like the Order of Malta, the Red Cross and the Civil Defence are continuing to recruit but we are being hit."

Mr Shatter said that, in future, reserve units co-located with PDF units would have their administrative and support requirements met by the PDF.

Traditions

"Where this is not feasible, due to geographic dispersion, sufficient PDF cadre staff will be retrained to provide for the training and administrative requirements of such units", he added.

However, this is disputed by both senior full-time officers and reservists.

They pointed out last night that 50 trainers could not be expected to look after the rest of the country, outside of the cities and towns where the PDF barracks were based.

They said areas such as Clonmel, Mullingar and Castlebar -- which all have long military traditions -- were in grave danger of being left to fade away by being starved of resources.

The reservists have no representative on the review group and have been refused a meeting with its members. But they have been allowed to make a written submission.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/reserve-army-to-be-pulled-from-rural-areas-after-review-3173499.html

Avgas · 20-07-2012 9:01am

Aside from the 'lost' RDF units in the badlands....

One other problem could be that by losing dedicated support/directing staff who 'understand' them.....RDF units could become dependent on the whims of regular PDF unit officers whose immediate focus will be their real 'unit' in Barracks X..and NOT getting what they can from RDF unit Y..........

And all that.....in a smaller/busier army/brigade structure....

They may come to see the RDF people as even more of a distraction from that core job than they already do...and treat them with even more disdain/contempt...there is already a lot of PDF 'healthy contempt' towards RDF in general or am I way off?

On the other hand...some PDF officers may take it an opportunity to integrate the RDF people even more closely into their PDF unit/brigade structure.......and it may do wonders for some RDF morale to be more closely linked to PDF units and barracks-environments rather than the more isolated 'summer camp = beer+boots+ pocket money' traditional vibe of the RDF......(which I know has actually changed a bit)

BUT...we're not talking about adding RDF coys to PDF batts are we......?

The problem is for years 'integration' was taboo and no-no.
Then it came back.
But has it really been thought out.
These cuts do not represent a rethink of what reserves should be for, what integration means, and what realistically can be done with the RDF given limitations of money and historical neglect.

Let us hope the great white paper on Defence in December has something substantive to say on that.

Reserves are becoming a major topic in many countries-BA, US national guard...it is a serious issue.....

OS119 · 20-07-2012 9:20am

the USNG manages to operate without weekday training nights, and lots of TA people either join national units which don't have such nights, or use them as 'admin' or sports nights rather that training time.

part of this is recruitment - the RDF recruits people who are too young to be able to drive/own a car, and it recruits people who want the travelling done for them.

theres a TA unit thats sending people on tour with my unit - few of the people in that unit live within 20 miles of the TA unit, and a significant proportion do a 100+ miles round trip for training nights. their view is that if you haven't got the motivation to drive 45mins to go to a training night, you won't have the motivation to put your trainers on every night and go for a run instead of watching the TV. i have a lot of sympathy with that veiw...

Avgas · 20-07-2012 9:54am

Valid as ever OS. But many rural lads and ladies can drive or will organize getting to a barracks-60 mins away...(but ....it can be realistically a lot further on Irish roads.. Mayo to Renmore or Athlone dor to door for a training night...prob more than 60 mins unless you want points on your license)......

The problem is what happens when they get to barracks X for the 'training night'?

what are they training for?
who (what unit) will they be training with?
will they be even taken seriously by their PDF minders?

At least officially in the BA context...the reserves are being signaled as becoming more important...is that not policy?...... and there would be a possibility of training for an operational deployment...at least for a specialty .......or am I wrong?

There is a wider 'purpose' to being a reservist there....in Ireland...the serious RDF people seem to be mostly young people who use it as a pre-PDF entry channel....and a handful of others......beyond that the 'rationale' is vague.......

Morpheus · 20-07-2012 11:08am

is it too much to hope for that the DOD is actually starting to look at the ramp up of use of reserves in other countries to augment numbers in their armed forces!???? ... sadly, probably.

air assault · 20-07-2012 12:12pm

I think that what is happening here is a gradual wind done and possible end to the RDF. The RDF dosent have a role in the Ireland of today. The level of training is vastly inadequate compared to the PDF. From my own time in the RDF most members wanted to look like soldiers but didnt want do anything that resembled soldiering.

Morpheus · 20-07-2012 12:21pm

when did you leave?

air assault · 20-07-2012 12:33pm

two years ago

Morpheus · 20-07-2012 1:50pm

Fairly recent so... well i dunno, some units are better than others. in my own we have 3 PTL's now and fitness level is pretty decent.

most of our complaints these days when on Ex or Assessments, are no longer about the amount of gear we are lugging and how sore our feet are, but are usually about someone else who is slowing the whole event down due to their own fitness or lack of professionalism.

Becoming an NCO I quickly learned that there are people who treat the RDF membership as a hobby and usually thats all they get out of it, but Ive found that as I treat it pretty seriously, pretty soon those privates around me begin to do likewise. If someone believes they can achieve something, then they will try to, but if they have no self belief, then they wont bother their holes.

ruserious · 20-07-2012 2:07pm

air assault wrote: »

I think that what is happening here is a gradual wind done and possible end to the RDF. The RDF dosent have a role in the Ireland of today. The level of training is vastly inadequate compared to the PDF. From my own time in the RDF most members wanted to look like soldiers but didnt want do anything that resembled soldiering.

The NSR would have something to say about that, backed up by many PDF Naval officers.

OS119 · 20-07-2012 2:55pm

Avgas wrote: »

...what are they training for?...

the crux, as always with any discussion of the RDF.

the reservists in 104(V) Regt RA (for example) know that if they put the work in, stay fit, learn the trade and are considered 'good lads', they will go to Afghanistan with a regular unit, and do exactly the same job, in the same conditions, with the same expectations upon them as their regular colleagues. they will operate the Minature Unmaned Air Vehicle, and they support Infantry, Artillery, Armour, Intelligence, SF, and they will provide live feed that is used by FAC's, FOO's and Bde/Bn and Coy HQ's.

they know they are a vital cog in the machine - if they don't turn up the BA loses half its MUAV capability.

they also know that they will be pencilled into the Order of Battle of every British Land Task Force from now on, and that they are trusted and respected enough to be given a role that is utterly vital both to operational success, and more importantly, keeping young soldiers alive.

there are some superb people in the RDF, but from a personal perspective, if you were told from the outset that you'd never be allowed to operate on a patient, would you bother training to be a Surgeon?...

Poccington · 20-07-2012 3:20pm

The VFM Report hasn't even been published yet.

Things are being looked at to make the RDF useful to the PDF. See what the VFM Report holds before throwing your doomsday hats on.

Poccington · 20-07-2012 3:23pm

Avgas wrote: »

Aside from the 'lost' RDF units in the badlands....

One other problem could be that by losing dedicated support/directing staff who 'understand' them.....RDF units could become dependent on the whims of regular PDF unit officers whose immediate focus will be their real 'unit' in Barracks X..and NOT getting what they can from RDF unit Y..........

And all that.....in a smaller/busier army/brigade structure....

They may come to see the RDF people as even more of a distraction from that core job than they already do...and treat them with even more disdain/contempt...there is already a lot of PDF 'healthy contempt' towards RDF in general or am I way off?

On the other hand...some PDF officers may take it an opportunity to integrate the RDF people even more closely into their PDF unit/brigade structure.......and it may do wonders for some RDF morale to be more closely linked to PDF units and barracks-environments rather than the more isolated 'summer camp = beer+boots+ pocket money' traditional vibe of the RDF......(which I know has actually changed a bit)

BUT...we're not talking about adding RDF coys to PDF batts are we......?

The problem is for years 'integration' was taboo and no-no.
Then it came back.
But has it really been thought out.
These cuts do not represent a rethink of what reserves should be for, what integration means, and what realistically can be done with the RDF given limitations of money and historical neglect.

Let us hope the great white paper on Defence in December has something substantive to say on that.

Reserves are becoming a major topic in many countries-BA, US national guard...it is a serious issue.....

Can't see how the White Paper is getting published in December if we're still waiting on a Green Paper to be published.

As for Integration being taboo and a no-no when it last rolled out, it wasn't all from the PDF side. There was more than enough people in the RDF working against it.

Morpheus · 20-07-2012 3:48pm

Ill go one further and say that it was mostly senior RDF pers working against it and intimidating junior NCO's and privates who wanted to leave the coy's to join up...

Avgas · 20-07-2012 4:44pm

Re integration your angle... is interesting-hadn't heard that before so I'll accept what your saying...it can be a two way problem of respect.....

more generally.... Tish Tish…Green paper it is…;)

Got mixed up…could be say another year or more then before the DF Green paper gets lovingly …..hand milled into dense weaves of finest heavy grain White paper for the Minister’s delicate hands to caress….with passion. (NOT)
So first they cut some….then they do VFM….tweak/cut some more…then they write a Green paper which should answer the basic questions like what is the DF & RDF for up to the 2020s….in a post western world where we are trying to sell Athlone to the Chinese….…….

Surely that is the wrong way around…..?

Figure out where you need to go and what you need to be doing first and then establish if you can afford to get there by train, bus, Mercedes SLK or in our case…hitch/hike/roller blade to destination?

VFM methodologies can be rigged to say whatever you want them to say.

They can’t really quantify many things that are qualitative except with makey-up values………like what is the value of an Irish RDF AD unit …who keep AD skills in-being even though …they are not usually needed and not an operational priority…viz overseas/day to day….. …but they could be important some day…and then you would really need that capability………or what about potential capabilities…like what would be the value of a Reservist Cyber Warfare Coy to the DF made up out civvy tech-nerds who could be RDF….. …of whom there are thousands out there and some could be recruited to give such a novel DF capacity……

UK as you know have done a detailed independent commission report on reserves (http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/88_FutureReserves_2020_%281%29.pdf) and found guess what? They are worthwhile and need investment and support.

UK National Audit Office in 2006 did a VFM of UK reserves and basically found, guess what? Their good value for money…although they say the exercise is bit notional…and can be abused…proper bean counters that they are God bless them……

See: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0506/reserve_forces.aspx

VFM is just a smokescreen to rationalize paring to the bone or whatever has already been decided on the fly.

We need an independent commission approach to look at our DF.

Morpheus · 20-07-2012 4:53pm

right im off out to the pub to meet my soon to be former 65th comrades (as our unit will prob be disbanded) to cry into our pints, wail and gnash our teeth and basically get wasted and shyte talk up the RDFs future.

Crann na Beatha · 20-07-2012 8:44pm

This post has been deleted.

goldie fish · 20-07-2012 9:42pm

Aquila wrote: »

Any rumours on what units are to be disbanded?

[rumour ] If your PDF parent unit ceased to exist as announced last week, there is a good chance your unit is no more too.[ /rumour]

air assault · 20-07-2012 11:37pm

Morphéus wrote: »

Fairly recent so... well i dunno, some units are better than others. in my own we have 3 PTL's now and fitness level is pretty decent.

most of our complaints these days when on Ex or Assessments, are no longer about the amount of gear we are lugging and how sore our feet are, but are usually about someone else who is slowing the whole event down due to their own fitness or lack of professionalism.

Becoming an NCO I quickly learned that there are people who treat the RDF membership as a hobby and usually thats all they get out of it, but Ive found that as I treat it pretty seriously, pretty soon those privates around me begin to do likewise. If someone believes they can achieve something, then they will try to, but if they have no self belief, then they wont bother their holes.

what finished me after six years service was our nco's not doing their job. With the result of some of us becoming acting corporals and having to teach classes on training nights.

ruserious · 21-07-2012 12:10am

Good experience some would say and ought to have been grabbed by yourself to prove yourself worthy of POTS.

galwaycyclist · 21-07-2012 6:56am

air assault wrote: »

what finished me after six years service was our nco's not doing their job. With the result of some of us becoming acting corporals and having to teach classes on training nights.

That might be policy in some units. I expect most three stars to be able to conduct foot drill. I also expect them to be able take over without instruction if an nco gets "called away"

Maoltuile · 21-07-2012 12:26pm

Morphéus wrote: »

Becoming an NCO I quickly learned that there are people who treat the RDF membership as a hobby and usually thats all they get out of it, but Ive found that as I treat it pretty seriously, pretty soon those privates around me begin to do likewise.

Plus a thousand, and well done for recognizing this. Example flows from the top.

Do you have any problem in this regard (setting the example) with more seniors who haven't left the FCÁ behind?

Maoltuile · 21-07-2012 12:28pm

Morphéus wrote: »

and basically get wasted and shyte talk up the RDFs future.

This has been an honourable tradition for sixty or seventy years.

Maoltuile · 21-07-2012 12:29pm

Poccington wrote: »

As for Integration being taboo and a no-no when it last rolled out, it wasn't all from the PDF side. There was more than enough people in the RDF working against it.

Part of the fault of this was old men more comfortable with the drinking club, but the majority blame was in the partial integration which set RDF against each other.

air assault · 21-07-2012 12:37pm

ruserious wrote: »

Good experience some would say and ought to have been grabbed by yourself to prove yourself worthy of POTS.

dint get me wrong i didnt mind doing it, i enjoyed it, but after a while i got sick of it. Plus any of our lads who went on their pots course and came back lost there initial enthusiasm because some of the older nco's would shoot them down.

air assault · 21-07-2012 12:38pm

Maoltuile wrote: »

Part of the fault of this was old men more comfortable with the drinking club, but the majority blame was in the partial integration which set RDF against each other.

i couldn't agrees more with this post. in my unit at the time we're strictly told not to integrate.

galwaycyclist · 22-07-2012 12:51am

Maoltuile wrote: »

Part of the fault of this was old men more comfortable with the drinking club, but the majority blame was in the partial integration which set RDF against each other.

Hmm I might be overinterpreting your post but here goes. Yes there might might be a rump of auld stick in the muds but you'll have that. It is more a product of long standing official neglect rather than a source of neglect.

As for the drinking club aspect, a certain amount of that is a necessary part of having a viable force.

Expecting completely dry camps etc. is only viable if your membership is restricted to schoolkids, college students or unemployed people. Eg people with lots of free time.

If you wish to also have people with jobs contributing then they will be doing so out of their annual leave entitlement. I.e. they may be on camp but they are quite literally also on holiday. Holidays are a legally protected part of the structure of working peoples lives for a reason. A competent organisation thats makes use of people on holiday needs to recognise this and factor it into its processes. The fact that they get paid to go on camps is irrelevant - once people get jobs they generally cease to be in the RDF for "the money" indeed it may be costing them money.

Riddle101 · 23-07-2012 3:52am

Is the Air Defence Unit gone? I heard they're no longer in the Curragh.

goldie fish · 23-07-2012 8:55am

Riddle101 wrote: »

Is the Air Defence Unit gone? I heard they're no longer in the Curragh.

Yup Gone, now incorporated into each artillery regiment

Morpheus · 23-07-2012 10:36am

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Hmm I might be overinterpreting your post but here goes. Yes there might might be a rump of auld stick in the muds but you'll have that. It is more a product of long standing official neglect rather than a source of neglect.

As for the drinking club aspect, a certain amount of that is a necessary part of having a viable force.

Expecting completely dry camps etc. is only viable if your membership is restricted to schoolkids, college students or unemployed people. Eg people with lots of free time.

If you wish to also have people with jobs contributing then they will be doing so out of their annual leave entitlement. I.e. they may be on camp but they are quite literally also on holiday. Holidays are a legally protected part of the structure of working peoples lives for a reason. A competent organisation thats makes use of people on holiday needs to recognise this and factor it into its processes. The fact that they get paid to go on camps is irrelevant - once people get jobs they generally cease to be in the RDF for "the money" indeed it may be costing them money.

My unit has operated strictly dry camps for a number of years now. Exception is on the last night of camp. training has been completed so we go out for a unit dinner and some beers, but are leaving whereever we are by 1am latest all rounded up and loaded / carried onto organised transport.

Do you have any problem in this regard (setting the example) with more seniors who haven't left the FCÁ behind?

Seniors in my unit are outnumbered by 11 very efficient and capable corporals who have almost all come through the new syllabus over the last 5 years. we all have undergone the same training and answer to the same doctrine and hold the same high standards and expectations. we work together as a team and embrace newly qualified NCOs with open arms and minds, we debrief them after their courses and any attached instructors that we send with them on POTS / Standard course to see what may have changed etc and then we implement those changes to remain up to date.

We run the sections / platoon minus in this manner and in general are left to carry on this way by the seniors and they worry about the admin / other stuff above our pay grade. nobody tries to push us back unless the cadre have a serious issue which is rare if at all.

thats the way it should be, embrace syllabus changes or die.

mcko · 24-07-2012 9:13am

Any news about the NSR do you think they will be hit.

Morpheus · 24-07-2012 9:49am

Theyre fairly well integrated and from what I hear taken quite seriously by their PDF comrades in the Navy. Mellet, a very switched on CO for the navy, im sure values, and has plans for, you puddle pirates so id say the NSR is fairly safe.

Donny5 · 24-07-2012 10:08am

Morphéus wrote: »

Theyre fairly well integrated and from what I hear taken quite seriously by their PDF comrades in the Navy. Mellet, a very switched on CO for the navy, im sure values, and has plans for, you puddle pirates so id say the NSR is fairly safe.

Nobody is safe these days.

thecommietommy · 24-07-2012 1:15pm

easkey92 wrote: »

THE Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is preparing for a massive withdrawal from rural areas after major cutbacks to training were announced.

The RDF, which was formerly the FCA, has provided back-up to the full-time military for the past 70 years.

But the part-time force looks set to be confined to major urban areas in the future after it was confirmed last night that the number of permanent troops assigned to training the reservists would be cut from 250 to 50.

And with only 50 members of the Permanent Defence Forces (PDF) covering the rest of the country, reservists fear many of the towns without a permanent military presence will be ignored.

A senior reservist claimed last night: "We are suffering death by a thousand cuts. After looking at the butchering that some of the full-time units are undergoing in the re-organisation, I fear for our future."

Defence Minister Alan Shatter said on Tuesday that a value-for-money review of the reserve, which has been under way for the past few years, is due to be complete by the end of September.

But reservists pointed out last night that they had been given the same promise last September.

"It seems we are being left to wither on the vine", one said.

"Without the proper training, recruitment and equipment, our units in areas where there are no large garrisons will simply disappear.

"We are the only voluntary organisation in the State whose recruitment is being confined. Others like the Order of Malta, the Red Cross and the Civil Defence are continuing to recruit but we are being hit."

Mr Shatter said that, in future, reserve units co-located with PDF units would have their administrative and support requirements met by the PDF.

Traditions

"Where this is not feasible, due to geographic dispersion, sufficient PDF cadre staff will be retrained to provide for the training and administrative requirements of such units", he added.

However, this is disputed by both senior full-time officers and reservists.

They pointed out last night that 50 trainers could not be expected to look after the rest of the country, outside of the cities and towns where the PDF barracks were based.

They said areas such as Clonmel, Mullingar and Castlebar -- which all have long military traditions -- were in grave danger of being left to fade away by being starved of resources.

The reservists have no representative on the review group and have been refused a meeting with its members. But they have been allowed to make a written submission.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/reserve-army-to-be-pulled-from-rural-areas-after-review-3173499.html

Sad to see the RDF been run down in such a manner. No probs for the govt to give pay rises to their buddy's in the senior civil service and waste it on foreign trips etc :rolleyes:

Taoiseach breaches pay cap to give his former advisor a 35,000 euro pay hike
http://www.newstalk.ie/2011/news/taoiseach-breaches-pay-cap-to-give-his-former-advisor-a-35000-euro-pay-hike/

EMBATTLED James Reilly used the Government's private jet home from Cyprus to react to his Stubbs Gazette listing, costing the taxpayer €10,000.
http://www.herald.ie/news/reilly-took-10k-state-jet-home-to-face-debts-storm-3171488.html

thecommietommy · 24-07-2012 1:21pm

OS119 wrote: »

the crux, as always with any discussion of the RDF.

the reservists in 104(V) Regt RA (for example) know that if they put the work in, stay fit, learn the trade and are considered 'good lads', they will go to Afghanistan with a regular unit, and do exactly the same job, in the same conditions, with the same expectations upon them as their regular colleagues. they will operate the Minature Unmaned Air Vehicle, and they support Infantry, Artillery, Armour, Intelligence, SF, and they will provide live feed that is used by FAC's, FOO's and Bde/Bn and Coy HQ's.

they know they are a vital cog in the machine - if they don't turn up the BA loses half its MUAV capability.

they also know that they will be pencilled into the Order of Battle of every British Land Task Force from now on, and that they are trusted and respected enough to be given a role that is utterly vital both to operational success, and more importantly, keeping young soldiers alive.

there are some superb people in the RDF, but from a personal perspective, if you were told from the outset that you'd never be allowed to operate on a patient, would you bother training to be a Surgeon?...

It's not America's National Guard your talking about, the TA will go to Afghanistan and cook meals or bandage the full timers up if they step on a mine or sprain their foot or whatever. Most of the TA abroad are cooks or medics. Simples.

bwatson · 24-07-2012 4:04pm

thecommietommy wrote: »

It's not America's National Guard your talking about, the TA will go to Afghanistan and cook meals or bandage the full timers up if they step on a mine or sprain their foot or whatever. Most of the TA abroad are cooks or medics. Simples.

Not only are you categorically wrong, your comments are incredibly insulting.

For somebody with such a bizarre obsession with Britain (a country you clearly have some sort of a grudge against) and its armed forces in particular, your knowledge of the things you talk of seems remarkably limited.

Maoltuile · 24-07-2012 10:35pm

galwaycyclist wrote: »

Yes there might might be a rump of auld stick in the muds but you'll have that. It is more a product of long standing official neglect rather than a source of neglect.

As for the drinking club aspect, a certain amount of that is a necessary part of having a viable force.

Expecting completely dry camps etc. is only viable if your membership is restricted to schoolkids, college students or unemployed people. Eg people with lots of free time.

I've no problem with the social aspect (important for retaining people) and I well understand how the hotshot young NCO can become the cynical SNCO or officer of tomorrow, particularly in an atmosphere of - as you say - official neglect or even obstruction.

But there is still a lingering older contingent who go on camp solely for the drinking, and will do things like deliberately muck up exercises and the such. They're not individually bad people (you can be glad to have them on your side if you ever land in hot water), but the organization will be a lot more serious when the last of them finally retire in the next few years.

Maoltuile · 24-07-2012 10:39pm

Morphéus wrote: »

Seniors in my unit are outnumbered by 11 very efficient and capable corporals who have almost all come through the new syllabus over the last 5 years. we all have undergone the same training and answer to the same doctrine and hold the same high standards and expectations.

That's good to hear. Time was, back in the FCÁ days, the ratio was the other way around - those who took it with the necessary level of seriousness and dedication were firmly outnumbered.

Rew · 24-07-2012 10:41pm

Poccington wrote: »

The VFM Report hasn't even been published yet.

Things are being looked at to make the RDF useful to the PDF. See what the VFM Report holds before throwing your doomsday hats on.

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for the VFM there is a reason its over a year late coming out.

BigDuffman · 25-07-2012 11:16am

Rew wrote: »

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for the VFM there is a reason its over a year late coming out.

In fairness Rew, the RDF has to change to be more useful to the PDF so I think that is a granted from the report. Its just about how major the cuts and changes will be.

The time being taken on the VFM is a joke. I'd love to know how much the VFM has cost!!

Morpheus · 25-07-2012 12:05pm

the reason that the VFM was delayed was that the same committee members responsible for working on the RDF VFM was diverted in a panic to push through the green paper on defence i.e. the reorganisation proposals from 3 Bdes to 2.

Once this was completed the same committee then returned to the VFM last month.

Rew · 25-07-2012 1:27pm

BigDuffman wrote: »

In fairness Rew, the RDF has to change to be more useful to the PDF so I think that is a granted from the report. Its just about how major the cuts and changes will be.

I didn't say any different!

VFM is a joke and I think the results are likely to be inconsequential. Shatter knows whats there going to do but he's too busy planning his summer holidays to worry about it.

Turbine · 12-08-2012 12:12pm

The Sunday Business Post is reporting that the Army and Navy Reserve "is expected to undergo major restructuring in the coming weeks".

I don't have a subscription to the SBP so I don't know what the full article says.

goldie fish · 12-08-2012 2:21pm

Turbine wrote: »

The Sunday Business Post is reporting that the Army and Navy Reserve "is expected to undergo major restructuring in the coming weeks".

I don't have a subscription to the SBP so I don't know what the full article says.

Reserve army to be pulled from rural areas after review

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