Rumor has the irish army are recruiting ?

ODriscoll wrote: »

Be patient and good luck.
The Irish Military are one of the few forces in the world, that you can be proud of as a institution.
Worth the wait.

How many other armed forces have you served in?

A recruitment competition is being run for the Naval Service. It is starting on Friday and only recruiting 40 people.

on Friday,

Go to www.military.ie - there will be a link that you click, the appication process is being done online now.

Poccington, as someone who intends to apply for an Irish Army Cadeship this year, how can you be sos ure? I have heard conflicting reports as to whether there will be a cadet class or not...

serjical_strike wrote: »

****e i just left after serving 5 years in there.!

Care to give us some insight into the job and day-to-day life?

ODriscoll wrote: »

Be patient and good luck.
The Irish Military are one of the few forces in the world, that you can be proud of as a institution.
Worth the wait.

Nonscence I spent 5 years in their 1999 - 2004 and got bullied out of the place. NCO's with position power too ignorant to realise they are in a small impotent defense force and they behave like they are in the American special forces. Officers are a different story I would emplore anybody not to go in as a recruit where you will be subjected to some monkey pushing you round for the fun of it or whatever narrow minded reason he/she may have. I did enjoy recruits but as soon as that ended and I went into operation I met some complete tools. Made good friends in their also but normal objective people are thin on the ground. It is a cushy job though. When I was in there you start at 08.45 and finish at 16.20, 5 days a week, half days all over the place, 28 days leave a year plus army and bank holidays, public holidays, the odd duty, you didn't have to go over seas if you didn't want to, 7 days uncertified sick days a year plus if you don't want to use them just go to the base doctor and tell him your sick and away home you go. People need to know facts before they make decisions based on whatever romantic notions they may have. The pay for a recruit is very good and with bench marking I can only imagine how good it has become. The personnel turnover when I was in their of people fleeing the stupidity was enormous and if they are recruiting again it must be still going on, but in a recession they have the upper hand. If it's changed - and I doubt it - then it is a good job based on job security, a pension, cheap booze, cheap loans and cheap accommodation and payment whether you work or not - whats wrong with that - but it's not a military in any sense of the word, after recruits and training courses its just a cushy job. And if you want to get anywhere you need to lick some serious hole, and its seniority and not ability for the most part that will push you up the ranks. If you have a brain in your head, a half decent leaving cert or a degree then go in as a cadet, you will be shown how to lead, educated and given a sword, and can go about with some self respect, if your not bothered about your mental health, you left school early or with little to no education and doesn't mind being pushed around then go in as a recruit and pucker up.

This post has been deleted.

ex_infantry man wrote: »

i kinda agree with the bullying part!! our platoon commander who may i add was fresh out of cadet school had a major chip on his shoulder, he was a year younger than myself who also thought he was **** hot walking around as if he was massive when in fact he was a scrawny fecker, he used often take the platoon out of eyeshot of anyone senior and beast the feck outta us just cos he could and one night he had us in rain gear and cefo, gave us all pick axes and spade marched us over to waste ground at the back of the barracks had us dig out and area 20 foot by 20 foot then split the platoon in half one half was filling sand bags the other half still digging out the area carefully removing the sods and placing them in one pile and any stones we found in another!!! may i also add that the heavens were falling that night, but anyway he called the platoon altogether and screamed grenade and had us leper crawl through the area making sure we were all destroyed and told us to have every single bit of gear we had on us spotless that we would be inspected in them the next day!!! his reason for doin this was that he claimed that we made a show of him, i'm sorry now but what he did there to us was an impossible task and is classed as bullying!!!!this was only in 2005 may i add

Any platoon commander I've worked with, and I've been involved with 5 recruit platoons, was a full lieutenant, 'fresh out of cadet school' I think not.

Where'd you train ?? What was your army number ??

I joined in 2000 and call BS on these posts BTW, no enlisted man talks like this.

I appreciate that you had a hard time while you "served" but there is just something about your choice of words that dont ring true with being ex military.

I personally have never heard anyone use the term "moving the goalpost" or "burn away the hours in the base", what base? Were you AC or NS maybe? You also spelt Air Corps like this "aircore".

Yes in the past people were victimised and bullied, but that was the old DF. A lot of measures have been put in place since you left, and it is just NOT tolerated anymore. In fact in my opinion, these measures have made the DF a worse environment for soldiers to work in. You have to be very very careful if you have to discipline anyone, or even to pull them aside to have a cautionary word, even if it is to benefit them.

I would like you to PM me the unit you served in, or even what Brigade. It would solidify your case somewhat. Where I have served, your desciption of power mad NCO's and Officers is just not right. I find it extremely hard to believe that you suffered because of your enthusiasm and abilities, if anything, you should be an asset to a unit not a target for bullying.

I dont think you are telling the whole truth here at all. It shouldnt be an issue to PM me those details.

benwavner wrote: »

I understand your points John_D80 and you may be right about the guy. I personally think he is a multiple account holder who opened this one to troll.

I know guys who left 10 years ago and only lasted a few weeks of recruit training, they refer to where they served as a "barracks" etc. If he spent 5 hard years in the DF, im sure he knew he spent that time in a Barracks.


"But gents, to dismiss someones posts as trolling or lying because they dont use the same terminology or phrases as someone in the military is rather unfair. There are people from a very broad spectrum of backgrounds among the enlisted ranks. In my recruit platoon, the only guy who had a degree was buddied with one of the guys who couldn't read. I know officers who are from the roughest/toughest parts of cork and limerick cities and walk and talk the part as well. Basically guys what i'm getting at is that we are as much a product of our background as we are of our current surroundings"

^^^I dont know what the above has anything to do with anything^^^

I have no problem with someone posting negative comments about the DF in here, but I would like them to come from someone with experience in the DF, who gave it a good crack and did not leave for an obscure reason.

I find it unlikely that this guy served, if he PM'd me any of the following I would believe him and engage with him properly on here:

• Unit(s) served in
• Exercises completed
• Overseas missions he went on, or could have volunteered for
• What is A7..........The Glen of Imaal kind :cool:
• Courses completed, and where they were held
• What weapon would you find a "Pre-notched, spiral wound, steel wire sleeve" to be part of.

If he cant answer any of these, then he either did not last recruit training or else he is a Walt, just posting to defame the DF.


If he did serve, then I am saddend that such a quality soldier was forced to leave because of bullying and intimidation and would like to converse with the guy and get into the nitty gritty.


But


If he is a Walt, he is spredding an untrue experience and further damaging the reputation of the DF and all who serve(d), without due cause. I feel he should answer one of the above in the interest of transparency.

I'm very wary of someone currently in the DF looking for my personal information and to PM you does not ensure my anonymity. And I have no interest in getting into this in a public forum or by email just to satisfy your ego as again after five years I'm entitled to my opinion. I'm being obscure in my use of military so not to draw to much attention to myself or my unit, obviously I'm not in the 'Air Corps' and I know nothing about the place but the other two, I know plenty, and I'm entitled to say what I like about the DF as it did me enough damage. Read between the lines and get over the idea that someone would go to all this effort just to troll, sure how could anyone think like that about the beloved defense forces. And in the eight years I have forgotten most of the terminology except the stuff thats burned into my brain like how to strip and clean a Styer, a GPMG, how the action works, and crap like that. I don't remember anything about the myriad of forms that I had to full out, or what kind of wounds weapons caused. And what the **** is a 'walt' I never heard of that. And if I'm "further damaging the reputation of the DF" who has already damaged it, and for what reason. I've got a gripe, and your a cheerleader lets agree to disagree.

John D80 if you want to make this personal, then go ahead but remember their are consequences to everything and to dismiss me as a knob is in itself a bullying tactic. Just because I know myself and my capabilities does that indicate an over inflated opinion of myself. I thought I was a piece of **** with a really low opinion of myself for eight years what does that say about my character. You sound very familiar to the type of character that I would have experienced, dismissing all my behavior with a quick insult for your own end. Below is a publication implemented into the defense forces in 2001, 3 years into my time, now ask yourself why? Was their a problem?

SECTION 6 BULLYING

130. Definition of Bullying Bullying is defined as repeated inappropriate behavior, direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment, which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual's right to dignity at work. An isolated incident of the behavior described in this definition may be an affront to dignity at work but as a once-off incident is not considered to be bullying. (Government Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying,2001)

131. Behaviour falling within the scope of para 130 above constitutes unacceptable behavior in the Defence Forces.

132. Bullying can be perpetrated not only by a superior on a subordinate, but also by a peer on another peer, or by a subordinate on a superior, or by a group to constitute unacceptable behavior.

133. Bullying must be distinguished from the proper use of rank and authority which is necessary to achieve legitimate military objectives. Bullying is, in fact, the misuse of rank and authority. Operational effectiveness requires the Defence Forces to be physically strong and robust and, when needed, to display controlled aggression. This is not achieved by bullying. It is the responsibility of commanders at all levels to protect individuals from both physical and mental intimidation by peers or persons in positions of authority. Initiation ceremonies involving assault, humiliation, intimidation, or the abuse of alcohol are unacceptable.

134. The monitoring, review and evaluation of performance is an essential part of the command function. All superiors are required to effectively monitor the performance of their subordinates. It is the duty of superiors to be open with subordinates about performance, attendance or general conduct. Effective supervision may require critical comments to individuals about issues relevant to their official duties. However, such criticism should not be personalised but directed against the conduct or performance of a subordinate. Bullying does not arise, where critical comments are made in an honest and constructive manner.

135. Examples The list of examples, below, should be regarded as illustrative rather than exhaustive:

Intimidation.
Eyeballing or shouting into a person’s face.
Preventing the victim from speaking by using aggressive and/or obscene language.
Subjecting an individual to unreasonable scrutiny.
Swearing or other forms of demeaning name-calling.
Physical abuse or threats of abuse.
Physically attacking, threatening to attack or acting in a menacing way towards another person.
Gratuitous commenting on the appearance of another person
Setting unreasonable or impossible deadlines or impossible or meaningless tasks.
Unwarranted or disproportionate criticism unsupported by facts of an individual's work performance.
Manipulation of the victim's reputation by rumour, gossip, ridicule and/or innuendo.
Making an individual, his or her beliefs or opinions, the butt of jokes or uncomplimentary remarks which are likely to cause offence.
Social exclusion or isolation; deliberately ignoring or excluding an individual on a persistent basis.
Undermining the authority of a colleague in the workplace.
Manipulating the nature of the work or the ability of the victim to perform the work, for example by withholding information in order to undermine a colleague.


The first lot of these I would consider normal robust military training even if they are now classed as bullying and it never bothered me and in most cases amused me, as the individuals who confront you to your face are the ones you can trust and the ones just doing their job its the latter of these that caused most of the problems. If I had a problem the former I would have left in recruits, its the latter that drove me out after 5 years.

What's a styer?