Joining the Army

Kotan

I would like to know from anyone who knows or is connected to the Irish Army if it is possible to rejoin the Army after leaving.

The story is I applied for the Army and got in but the initial stress and shock of the new surroundings hit me in a way I didn't expect and I left but I'm regretting my decision. I would like to know also if you know of anyone in my situation who joined the army, left, regretted leaving and successfully was able to join up again.

AllthingsCP

Kotan wrote: »

I would like to know from anyone who knows or is connected to the Irish Army if it is possible to rejoin the Army after leaving.

The story is I applied for the Army and got in but the initial stress and shock of the new surroundings hit me in a way I didn't expect and I left but I'm regretting my decision. I would like to know also if you know of anyone in my situation who joined the army, left, regretted leaving and successfully was able to join up again.

You have as much chance as anyone else as long as you meet all requirements to join- Dont be dishearten, Best of luck.

thestar

Kotan wrote: »

I would like to know from anyone who knows or is connected to the Irish Army if it is possible to rejoin the Army after leaving.

The story is I applied for the Army and got in but the initial stress and shock of the new surroundings hit me in a way I didn't expect and I left but I'm regretting my decision. I would like to know also if you know of anyone in my situation who joined the army, left, regretted leaving and successfully was able to join up again.

What aspects of the training did you not like?

AllthingsCP

thestar wrote: »

What aspects of the training did you not like?

Well OP if it was the training or lack of interest i wouldn recommend you retry as you would only be taking someone elses place, But if it was purely culture shock, stress, youth, Not knowning what you wanted best of luck.

thestar

AllthingsCP wrote: »

Well OP if it was the training or lack of interest i wouldn recommend you retry as you would only be taking someone elses place, But if it was purely culture shock, stress, youth, Not knowning what you wanted best of luck.

This is going off topic but can you tell me why somebody is gonna want to join the Irish army? The only reason I can see is for a handy job. I'm genuinely not trying to be smart but the peace keeping missions are hardly life and death scenarios either? What do they do bar a few cash and transit runs?

AllthingsCP

thestar wrote: »

This is going off topic but can you tell me why somebody is gonna want to join the Irish army? The only reason I can see is for a handy job. I'm genuinely not trying to be smart but the peace keeping missions are hardly life and death scenarios either? What do they do bar a few cash and transit runs?

Those Peace Keeping Missions dont mean as much to you as those in the Leb and other bads places that have taken lifes, Honestly Google Lebenon the place is just Flatten from years of fighting, PDF is well respected not only by Govements around the world but also well liked and trusted by the locals.

I wonder would you have a problem if you went to the bank or post office in the morning to find that your money is late due to risk of been stolen, Or has been stolen due to no Armed Escort.

Or hearing that high risk prisoner have escaped from prison that the PDF ensures never happens along with IPS,

Or wait our fishing waters have been plunder due to no Navy. And our shores been flooded with weapons-drugs. Or some night that your very sick and need transport to a Hospital you would be glad to see the Air Corps then.

Would you put on a suit and walk up to a device that could blow up in your face PDF did over 200 times last year. One was quite close to my home and im thankfull they sorted it before my son found it.

Handy job No, Ever job the PDF dose is to ensure a better life for people that is affected by that job. They dont seek media coverage kinda the quite man, What they do they do well and dont seek glory for it.

Thankfully so many seek employment in the PDF.

Local-womanizer

thestar wrote: »

This is going off topic but can you tell me why somebody is gonna want to join the Irish army? The only reason I can see is for a handy job. I'm genuinely not trying to be smart but the peace keeping missions are hardly life and death scenarios either? What do they do bar a few cash and transit runs?

I genuinely don't get this perception the DF is a handy job. The pay isn't great despite what people think. You can walk into many other jobs with better starting pay, and not have to put up with as much hardship to secure your position in that job, compared to the 17 weeks recruit training and 12 week 2-3 star training an Irish soldier has to endure. You spend much of a year sent from pillar to post, on training exercises, living in a hole for a week in the pissing rain, duties, courses or overseas, you work long hours, can be sent any where in the country at an hours notice, and as pointed out EOD teams deal with explosives on a regular basis. And on top of that, listen to people tell you, you do fcuk all and are a waste of state money, and then help these same people in floods, snow and other occasions without as much as a thanks. Not that a soldier expects thanks, they will still do the job regardless, because they are professional.

As for peace keeping missions not being dangerous, true it may not be in the same league as Afghanistan, but the risks are still present. The Syria mission isn't a walk in the park, despite the lack of media coverage of that mission.

thesamster

Best time of my life . Overseas / portlaoise prison / the glen / the friends you make are for life . Get a good few courses under your belt . Great job to keep you fit . What's not to like .

thestar

Nothing either of you have said has changed my opinion that soldiers do very little, not that they are lazy but there is nothing to do in a barracks all day. There is only so many times one can march or train. If somebody wants to join a real army them going and join England's one. I'm not trying to be disrespectful but its obvious that its a very boring job

Local-womanizer

thestar wrote: »

Nothing either of you have said has changed my opinion that soldiers do very little, not that they are lazy but there is nothing to do in a barracks all day. There is only so many times one can march or train. If somebody wants to join a real army them going and join England's one. I'm not trying to be disrespectful but its obvious that its a very boring job

Its obvious its a very boring job yet you don't know what the job involves.....?

So when pointed out that soldiers do multiple courses, training on numerous weapon systems, duties all over the country, Portloais prison duty, overseas, ATCP and ATCA, which include explosive disposal, clearing snow and ferrying nurses and doctors to vulnerable citizens when they couldn't do it themselves due to floods. And partake in numerous overseas mission, from Somalia to Afghanistan, Syria to Lebanon. I hate to see your definition of doing a lot.

Barrack life in any military is boring.

What do you class as a "real army"? The British army? The Army that is looking to cut the numbers of its professional soldiers and focus on brining in part-time soldiers, an Army that, lets be honest, doesn't give a toss about its soldiers when they come back from overseas.

Have to ever tried to join the PDF or the British Army?

Anyway, we are going off topic.

OP, I know of people who left the army during 2-3 star training and rejoined a few years later. They obviously had to partake in the training programme again. It is possible obviously but I am sure in the interview, the reasons you left the first time will be closely scrutinized by the interview board.

Best of luck if you do decide to re-apply!

Hedgemeister

thestar wrote: »

This is going off topic but can you tell me why somebody is gonna want to join the Irish army? The only reason I can see is for a handy job. I'm genuinely not trying to be smart but the peace keeping missions are hardly life and death scenarios either? What do they do bar a few cash and transit runs?

If the soldier's job is so easy, why don't you join up?
I'm sure there's a Blue helmet to fit your empty head, so off you go to Lebanon, Gaza or the Golan...all cushy numbers of course...I'm sure the Hairy's would love to meet you...

I remember a Dublin based Fine Gael TD (still in Dail Eireann) making the same claim back in the late 1980s. He claimed he could do a soldier's job for a full week "standing on his head" or words to that effect. Anyway, the little bollix came to Finner on a Friday to begin his week and was gone by Monday morning..."pressing Dail business" or some such excuse.
Just imagine, it was lectured to us, Officially, during our Recruit training in the Curragh during the 1960s, that as soldiers, we were only served in shops 'as a previlige' and if we were in a queue at a shop counter, we must ALWAYS give our place up to any random civilian who entered said shop behind us...and the shopkeeper always had the right to refuse us, and we had NO grounds for complaint!
Soldiers couldn't hold a Bank Account , and couldn't hire a car while on holidays without the signature of at least TWO civilians! (That was hardly ever a problem due to the ****e wages but the rule applied, just in case)
Soldiers were second class citizens, in other words.

The Army are easy targets for people to snipe at, mainly because they can't answer back. I've heard it all down through the years, the insults from people on the street while we were on CIT escorts, or just walking through Town while in uniform. I've heard it from the people in Dublin when we were sent to clean their rubbish filled streets during those (long forgotten) Bin Strikes...or during the equally forgotten Bus Strikes, when we spent weeks ferrying their ungrateful arses around the Capital City...dousing their house fires during the Firemen's Strikes...delivering petrol and oil during the Fuel Truck driver's Strike...when we delivered more oil per day than any of the striking drivers ever did (and they were shamed back to work because of it) and many other strikes when various Irish Governments turned us into strike breakers, because we couldn't refuse...Jacks of all trades, that was us!

Being refused service in some shops, etc, when in uniform (even in Garrisson towns) was routine. Outside the Garrisson Town it was a regular occurance.
I could go on and on and on but there's no point.
I hate to generalize, but, in my personal opinion, the Irish people don't realise, or don't want to admit, the great asset our soldiers are to Ireland.
Of course our greatest critics are those who couldn't cut the mustard after joining up, or were refused entry to the Army, for whatever reason.

I'm retired now and of an age where a man reviews his past life and I'm of a mind that I wasted nearly thirty of my life to Ireland, an ungrateful nation of spiteful hoors, backstabbers and whingers. At this minute, I wouldn't get out of bed for Mother Ireland and would strongly advise any young man to avoid (like the plague) serving this country in any uniform, of whatever colour, Green or Blue.

What made my service any way worthwhile was that I could, in some small way, assist the fine people of Cyprus and Lebanon during my overseas UN Duty. But of my whole service that totalled only a few years, but time well spent.

I wish now that I had given those people my full 30 years.

thestar

I have nothing against any soldier in this country. All I'm saying is that it is a pointless profession and nothing anybody here has said has changed my mind. Hedgemeister, you don't like anybody treating all soldiers the same as they did in the 1960's and now you call us a nation of hoors, backstabbers and whingers. You really do sound like the stereotypical soldier and now retired, a bitter old man.

Hedgemeister

You're entitled to your opinion, just as I am.
I wouldn't see myself as bitter, or even old...I just got sense a bit late.
Oh...I left out bedgrudgers btw.

The_Pretender

AllthingsCP wrote: »

Those Peace Keeping Missions dont mean as much to you as those in the Leb and other bads places that have taken lifes, Honestly Google Lebenon the place is just Flatten from years of fighting, PDF is well respected not only by Govements around the world but also well liked and trusted by the locals.

I want to say that I do agree with your general message about Peacing Keeping missions being of great importance I don't agree with one of the Army's responsiblities though, not having a go a at you.

I wonder would you have a problem if you went to the bank or post office in the morning to find that your money is late due to risk of been stolen, Or has been stolen due to no Armed Escort.

Most banks are private businesses(yes, several have been nationalised in recent years, but that's beside the point). Why should they be treated differently to other businesses who have cash delivered by companies such as G4S?

Local-womanizer

The_Pretender wrote: »

Most banks are private businesses(yes, several have been nationalised in recent years, but that's beside the point). Why should they be treated differently to other businesses who have cash delivered by companies such as G4S?

Just on that point, the banks pay the government for the privilege of an armed escort. Any business could probably come to a similar deal with government if they had the money.

Rob67

thestar wrote: »

Nothing either of you have said has changed my opinion that soldiers do very little, not that they are lazy but there is nothing to do in a barracks all day. There is only so many times one can march or train. If somebody wants to join a real army them going and join England's one. I'm not trying to be disrespectful but its obvious that its a very boring job

You go to great pains to tell us that you don't have anything against the Irish soldier, yet everything you say has impugned the service and the lives given to this country and the international community? You have a strange way with words...

In addition, please regale us with tales of your vast experience in the Defence Forces and, seeing as you mention them, the British Army! I am sure you are intimately familiar with all the day to day activity that both forces engage in, please refrain from mentioning anything that is OPSEC, we don't want you getting into trouble, do we?

For your information, I have over 25 years experience in the Defence Forces, both in the Reserves and Permanent. I was never bored, never played cards or sat around swilling tea (as is the common misconception). I made good friends and colleagues, whom I can trust implicitly because that is what we were trained to do. These are good people, doing a job that many civilians don't (or won't) appreciate until the soldier is called upon to do what people with your attitude look down upon.

Happily retired from the job and working as a civilian now. I can say, with absolute authority, that everything I learned from my military service has more than prepared me for life outside a barracks.

The soldier is considered a second class citizen in this country, they don't have equal rights with the citizenry, that is for sure. The Irish Soldier is a classless person, they don't look at a civilian and judge his status in society, they will just see a person, a human, nothing more, nothing less. If they see this person needs assistance they will provide it, if they see they need protecting they will do it and if needs be, and have, commit the ultimate sacrifice carrying out their duty.

I am tired of the clueless rantings of people who have no knowledge of what it is to be a soldier.

thestar

I have tried to educate myself as to what Soldiers do and I am more certain than ever that it is very little. The reason why I tried to find out about it is because I would have an interest in joining if I thought it was exciting. I have asked here what a soldier does except cash runs and the answers I have been given relate to the navy, and the army bomb disposal team. One soldier told me that the main thing he done while overseas with the Irish army was to catch up on his DVD collection. Another soldier to me that they are busier in the summer because they get to cut lawns and tidy up hedges. I am not a troll or trying to cause offence, I had a genuine interest in joining but I would not sign up to a boring and pointless profession.

discus

Soldiers worldwide spend huge amounts of their time waiting, thestar. Its what we are paid to do! The inertia van be horrible hut you can't run a standing army and have them busy 24/7, because the split between inertia and manic happenings is 90/10 in any army. If you talk to any british soldier about afghan, even lads who had a busy tour at a PB will have exhausted every dvd collection going. My regiment did OP COUGAR last year, when 3 Commando Brigade sailed from UK to Jordan via a few NATO ports. Aside from the few exercises on land, and their 2x daily PT sessions on ship, it was all dvds because there is nothing else to do. As a soldier, you are not being paid to do nothing, you are paid for your denial of liberty, so that the army can use you when and if they need you at a moments notice. Lads like you who spend ages 'researching' jobs bore me to death. Piss or get off the pot. Your life is pretty long, so sign on the line and do your 5 years, or keep your ill informed unhelpful advice to yourself tbh.

tac foley

thestar wrote: »

I have nothing against any soldier in this country. All I'm saying is that it is a pointless profession and nothing anybody here has said has changed my mind. Hedgemeister, you don't like anybody treating all soldiers the same as they did in the 1960's and now you call us a nation of hoors, backstabbers and whingers. You really do sound like the stereotypical soldier and now retired, a bitter old man.

Hedgemeister and I often disagree about things, and that's human nature. Another facet of human nature is that from time to time, other humans get together, put on funny clothing, pick up weapons, and beat or attempt to beat, the living sh!ite out of other humans.

It's very lucky for you, in cloud-cuckoo land, that the likelihood of YOU ever getting invaded is on a par with me winning the Powerball every day for a year in succession. Ireland is not on the to-go list of any of the great powers these days, no matter what people in some parts of society tell you.

However, let's look on the black side for a moment. The only thing that stands between you and the most appalling event of war, is another Irishman, just like you in all respects except a few that matter to him but not, it seems, to you.

1. He has put on those funny clothes. The ones that mark him as different from you, a civilian. These clothes instantly mark him as different from the opposition, who shoot at these clothes in attempt to kill or maim their occupants.

2. He has picked up his gun, boarded a boat, sat in a cockpit - whatever - in order to be able to shoot back, and therefore defend his country, its way of life and its contents. That, BTW, includes you.

3. He has given the PTB control of his life in the form of blank cheque, signed by him and to the ultimate value of his life.

All to prevent you from becoming a victim of war.

He, or she, deserves more than being called a waste of oxygen by somebody who, it seems, just hasn't thought it through.

I'm old and more, an old soldier. and I've been there and come back from it. Many I knew, better men than me, didn't get that option. Their blank cheques were cashed to their full value. Sure, I'm bitter - bitter that without the insistence of politicians, who rarely see the effects of their decisions unless they are on the losing side, these many friends and acquaintances would be doing what Hedgemeister and I are doing these days, in the comfort of our safe homes and hearths, watching our grand-kids, supping a pint in the bar, listening to music or just watching the clouds go by in a peaceful landscape.

Those homes and hearths and grand-kids and so on are only there because the man in the funny clothes stood there between them and harm.

To me, anyone who serves, who writes that blank cheque, deserves looking up to, no matter what the likelihood is that he is ever needed to fulfil his commitment.

He, or she, inevitably has a different viewpoint from those who did not decide to go that way.

Remember a paraphrase from the Old Testament - 'he who turns his sword into a plough, will plough for the man who did not'.

tac

Rob67

thestar wrote: »

I have tried to educate myself as to what Soldiers do and I am more certain than ever that it is very little. The reason why I tried to find out about it is because I would have an interest in joining if I thought it was exciting. I have asked here what a soldier does except cash runs and the answers I have been given relate to the navy, and the army bomb disposal team. One soldier told me that the main thing he done while overseas with the Irish army was to catch up on his DVD collection. Another soldier to me that they are busier in the summer because they get to cut lawns and tidy up hedges. I am not a troll or trying to cause offence, I had a genuine interest in joining but I would not sign up to a boring and pointless profession.

Pay attention to what I say next, because every soldier I have ever met, our own or whether they were from the U.K., the U.S., Belgian, French or even the Luxembourg Army. They all work on the same premise: 90% preparation 10% perspiration.

YOU WILL GET BORED AT SOME POINT! No matter what service/ arm you are in, but don't worry, if you ever get the pleasure to serve somewhere, I am 100% sure a very pleasant NCO will relieve you of your boredom, all you have to do is tell him you're bored...:)

damienf1

Hi everyone I was going to Apply for the Irish Army as i thought the age limit was 25 but i now believe that the age limit is 24 after reading there website. am i correct in this?

Rob67

damienf1 wrote: »

Hi everyone I was going to Apply for the Irish Army as i thought the age limit was 25 but i now believe that the age limit is 24 after reading there website. am i correct in this?

Applicants must be not less than 18 years of age and under 25 years of age on the date deemed as the closing date for applications. - See more at: http://www.military.ie/careers/army/recruits/#sthash.FFcGVlNr.dpuf

In other words, you must be under 25 on the day the competition closes, so yes 24 is max age you can be prior to that date. If you turn 25 after that date but have not started the testing phase, you should still qualify.

Mr. Tezza

damienf1 wrote: »

Hi everyone I was going to Apply for the Irish Army as i thought the age limit was 25 but i now believe that the age limit is 24 after reading there website. am i correct in this?

Yes you are correct, the standard age limit is 25 afaik. There was a one year extension for members of the RDF but I don't know if this is still the case.

damienf1

Mr. Tezza wrote: »

Yes you are correct, the standard age limit is 25 afaik. There was a one year extension for members of the RDF but I don't know if this is still the case.

That's a bit disappointing but didn't hear anything about "one year extension for members of the RDF" i was member but no longer am due to work and collage.

AllthingsCP

People should be reciveing dates for the fittness test as first batch went out today.

bpc93

im in the same boat,i left a few weeks before passing out and it was the biggest mistake of my life..iv applied again but worried i wont get another chance..id say if i do get back in ill prob get seriously roasted during training because i left before?

discus

If you couldnt handle it before, what makes you think you deserve another shot? Because of you, another man who could have been a soldier is probably working some **** job because you somehow beat him on the panel.

bpc93

i had personal stuff going on outside of training and as a result of those things that happened i was depressed i left and den was diagnosed with depression...I`m ok now and have been for a long time now. im not asking people here if i deserve a chance im asking what the chances are of being accepted again because i know im ready.

AllthingsCP

bpc93 wrote: »

i had personal stuff going on outside of training and as a result of those things that happened i was depressed i left and den was diagnosed with depression...I`m ok now and have been for a long time now. im not asking people here if i deserve a chance im asking what the chances are of being accepted again because i know im ready.

As good as anyone else applying, Their was a Rec with me from the Air Corp that left dueing training, Also 1 Rec that was a 2 star, and 1 ex naval seaman

AllthingsCP

AllthingsCP wrote: »

As good as anyone else applying, Their was a Rec with me from the Air Corp that left dueing training, Also 1 Rec that was a 2 star, and 1 ex naval seaman

Also let the interview board know how you perpare for this time around, How your mental state is {Compare to last time} How you grow up. What life skills you learned that will help you throught basic training. If you go into it already defeated you will lose. Give it your best push yourself.

Im also a re-enlisting. for both Army and Navy. See you soon.

bpc93

cheers for that
yeah i got the email today for my fitness test in Mckee barracks for next week so fingers crossed..
best of luck to you

AllthingsCP

Im in DFTC early next week.

discus

bpc93 wrote: »

i had personal stuff going on outside of training and as a result of those things that happened i was depressed i left and den was diagnosed with depression...I`m ok now and have been for a long time now. im not asking people here if i deserve a chance im asking what the chances are of being accepted again because i know im ready.

This isn't X Factor mate. Besides you had depression. That's a no no.

tac foley

@AllthingsCP/bpc93 - Good luck to you both.

tac

earlytobed

thestar wrote: »

Nothing either of you have said has changed my opinion that soldiers do very little, not that they are lazy but there is nothing to do in a barracks all day. There is only so many times one can march or train. If somebody wants to join a real army them going and join England's one. I'm not trying to be disrespectful but its obvious that its a very boring job

Not everybody who joins the army spends all their time in the infantry, not that there is anything wrong with that. On the last rotation to the Leb, a private I served with over there 21 years ago wes going out as a CS

I spent 15 years inthe army, learned a skill that i took into civilian life.
I served with lads who became cooks and now have their own catering businesses.
I serves with a chap who transferred to the Air Corps , became a winchman and worked at that in civilian life.
A friend transferred to Signals/IT and now works as an IT contractor
A neighbour was in transport an now drives for a living
The list could go on

AllthingsCP

tac foley wrote: »

@AllthingsCP/bpc93 - Good luck to you both.

tac

cheers tac

tac foley

earlytobed wrote: »

Not everybody who joins the army spends all their time in the infantry, not that there is anything wrong with that. On the last rotation to the Leb, a private I served with over there 21 years ago wes going out as a CS

I spent 15 years inthe army, learned a skill that i took into civilian life.
I served with lads who became cooks and now have their own catering businesses.
I serves with a chap who transferred to the Air Corps , became a winchman and worked at that in civilian life.
A friend transferred to Signals/IT and now works as an IT contractor
A neighbour was in transport an now drives for a living
The list could go on

Dear Mr earlytobed - it is my impression that the OP is not really here to learn about life in the army - ANY army - but to p!ss in the hats of those of us who have served in it in any role.

You and I and all of us who have responded to his comments are trying to carve fog - his mind is already made up that we are all a bunch of time-wasting clowns in funny suits, who would be better off getting a proper job, maybe flipping burgers.

It's true that I was in a different army to yours, and therefore did very different things, but I left the Army with an MSc and two BAs and a good career that I followed on both sides of the Atlantic as well as the other side of the world, until I finally retired for good [hah] a couple of years ago.

Best to you and yours this coming St Patrick's Day.

tac

earlytobed

tac foley wrote: »

Dear Mr earlytobed - it is my impression that the OP is not really here to learn about life in the army - ANY army - but to p!ss in the hats of those of us who have served in it in any role.

You and I and all of us who have responded to his comments are trying to carve fog -his mind is already made up that we are all a bunch of time-wasting clowns in funny suits, who would be better off getting a proper job, maybe flipping burgers.

It's true that I was in a different army to yours, and therefore did very different things, but I left the Army with an MSc and two BAs and a good career that I followed on both sides of the Atlantic as well as the other side of the world, until I finally retired for good [hah] a couple of years ago.

Best to you and yours this coming St Patrick's Day.

tac

Right back atcha, Tac

You're right about that , waste of time responding to him.