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Reserve army to be pulled from rural areas after review

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Comments

  • #32
    Morpheus
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 2,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭Morpheus


    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.


  • #33
    Donny5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,827 ✭✭✭Donny5


    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.


  • #34
    thecommietommy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 564 ✭✭✭thecommietommy


    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


  • #35
    thecommietommy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 564 ✭✭✭thecommietommy


    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.


  • #36
    bwatson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 630 ✭✭✭bwatson


    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.


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  • #37
    Maoltuile
    Registered Users Posts: 634 ✭✭✭Maoltuile


    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.


  • #38
    Maoltuile
    Registered Users Posts: 634 ✭✭✭Maoltuile


    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.


  • #39
    Rew
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    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.


  • #40
    BigDuffman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,512 ✭✭✭BigDuffman


    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!!


  • #41
    Morpheus
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 2,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭Morpheus


    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.


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  • #42
    Rew
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,679 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    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.


  • #43
    Turbine
    Site Banned Posts: 317 ✭✭Turbine


    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.


  • #44
    goldie fish
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,195 ✭✭✭goldie fish


    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.
    Mdoomed.jpg


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