Why do you join the Irish army?

mick.fr

Just wondering what is so exciting about the Irish army?

Not a smart question just curious to see some people sharing their experience and feelings.

Cheers

Hard Larry

mick.fr wrote: »

Just wondering what is so exciting about the Irish army?

Not a smart question just curious to see some people sharing their experience and feelings.

Cheers

Its not something I planned for it just happened. Always been a military buff was already in the FCA so when I finished school I saw Ads in the paper I chanced my arm and got in. Was never the college type TBH.

I was 18 and hadn't thought about what I was getting in for so, more or less everyday I was learning something new.

Built up a huge circle of friends so that even on my worst days I always had a mate who was getting it worse or going through the same thing.

When I got Overseas that was just the icing on the cake, watching the Israelis and Arabs go hell for leather at each other, its only struck me in later life just how much danger we were in. But I'd do it all again tomorrow...and try remember most of it this time.

Been to Kosovo twice since.

As the years went by you start to make a name for yourself (either good or bad) and your circle of friends just gets bigger and it gets harder to leave because you might miss something funny.

I enjoy it. Its not like any other job and the humour is top class.

I said this before on another thread....

its 99% boredom and time killing...
but its all about the 1% thats not :cool:

mick.fr

Alright

Correct me if I am wrong but I have the feeling you (Irish army) are only participating to UN missions, am I correct?

It is by no means less dangerous than going to other type of operations, and thoughts goes to Irish soldiers who fall, but I was wondering if you do not miss or would not like to go after a broader mission, like infiltration, intelligence (I am sure you do have some, but maybe pretty limited compared to other army forces?), freeing Irish embassies personnal (Which you could do I suppose) etc..

Hard Larry

mick.fr wrote: »

Alright

Correct me if I am wrong but I have the feeling you (Irish army) are only participating to UN missions, am I correct?

It is by no means less dangerous than going to other type of operations, and thoughts goes to Irish soldiers who fall, but I was wondering if you do not miss or would not like to go after a broader mission, like infiltration, intelligence (I am sure you do have some, but maybe pretty limited compared to other army forces?), freeing Irish embassies personnal (Which you could do I suppose) etc..

All Irish Army missions are UN sanctioned but not all are Peace-Keeping Roles or UN led Missions. Kosovo (KFOR) is NATO led and a real eye opener for a small country like Ireland. That misson puts our facilities at home to shame nevermind the ranch we have out there.

Chad is a EUFOR mission (but soon to be UN)

Kosovo and Chad are both Peace Enforcement missions which means we don't sit on our butts waiting for something to happen, we go out and make sure nothing is happening or will happen on our watch.

Infiltration missions I'm not familiar with but on my trip to Lebanon I was part of several foot/mobile patrols that would lie in wait for Hizbollah to show up at a likely firing position and then the CO would warn them off.

In Kosovo on my 1st trip there a Recce Platoon was set up and they spent many a cold winter night in abandon houses spying on subversives and undesirables. That would cover the Intel side of things too. Although IMO not enough debriefing is done after missions. Boils my p1ss that :mad:

Irish Army intelligence is very good at there job...thats why you don't hear much about them

As for embassies I remember a few years back an embassy came under threat in the Ivory Coast I think a contingency plan for the ARW and a Coy of troops to evacuate civvies was drafted. in the end I think the French dealt with it. Could be wrong on some of those details.

Every soldier wants to see action but as time goes by you become more level headed TBH if I never fired my rifle again in anger it wouldn't bother me. I'm no combat vet and I'm sure there is a spotty 18 year old in a hole in Afghanistan with more combat experience than the entire Irish Army.

Its a job, it pays the bills and gives me stories to tell at parties or in the pub.

mick.fr

Yeah well ok you travelled a bit so thats cool
Cheers for the feedback

Hard Larry

What!? no prize? thats cat.

Latchy

Some men / women just want to expierence military life and all that goes with it .In a nutshell they want to be soldiers .

arybvtcw0eolkf

My story is more or less like Larry's..

I think I always wanted to be a soldier.

Joined the FCA (B'Coy, 7th Info Bn. McKee Bks).

Joined the PDF in 1985 and its been the same story as Larry's since then.

I think we make unique friends in the Defence Forces, recently I was drinking in a bar in NYC (an Irish bar in Hells Kitchen) and met a lad I'd served with in Lebanon (63rd Bn). We hadn't met since 1988, but the fact we shared that experience was a bond which time hadn't broken. I truely don't believe civilian life brings that kind of bond.

It really is a unique kind of bond/frienship.

Duffers

I would have joined here for the same reasons however I was not eligible.
My Da was in the FCA and afterwards an Officer in the PDF(not sure what it was called back then, the IDF?), and consistently droned on about it to the extent that I wanted to go and do it as well. He tried to put me off as in his words 'life as a Private in any army is a dog's dinner', and 'you would not last five minutes in the Army':D

I was in Dublin the other week and saw an Irish soldier, had quite a flash of envy looking at smart rig with a Triclour on it.

Deathspork

I think it's because they don't want the hassle of emigrating and they'd miss Club and Tayto if they did.

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folbotcar

I never joined the PDF but wanted to. I was a member of the FCA for seven years though. I only ever wanted a military career and it remains one of the disappointments of my life that I never achieved that.

The reasons were the same as for anyone who wants a military career. The same reason Irishmen join the British army. Sure you won't get to play with the toys a NATO country has and there is less chance of seeing action but it's our army and that's enough reason.

Hedgemeister

Deathspork wrote: »

I think it's because they don't want the hassle of emigrating and they'd miss Club and Tayto if they did.

And you joined Boards just to make that stupid remark?
Were you bored...Mammy cleaning your room, dusting your Che Guevara picture?

Off you go now it's bedtime, the grown-ups are talking.

MRnotlob606

One of my teachers in secondary school was ex army, loved listening to his stories , he encouraged me to join the navy also