what are our defence force doing?

lightspeed

In short some time ago I was googling how many are in our defence forces and I think I recall I came across a figure of just over 7000. Im happy to be corrected on that though.

With exception of rare occasion we get severe snow or flooding I do not see what the vast majority of the defence force do under normal circumstances. In other countries I see news footage from Italy and France etc when at height of restrictions their military are out enforcing checkpoints. In the uk they have been deployed to deliver food to the elderly and most vulberable.

I see the gardai doing both of the above and have yet to see our defence force do anything. Can anyone educate me what are they doing to assist in this covid 19 crisis?

Signore Fancy Pants

Contact tracing.
Establishing and manning temporary regional testing sites.
Logistics for PPE collection & distribution.
Air Corps delivering test samples to Germany.
DF paramedics have been assisting NAS.

Among other 'worst case scenario' plans.

The DF provide support to a civil authority as requested. They are not an autonomous organisation when it comes to "humanitarian" roles on island. They need to be requested to perform these functions.

You wont see them performing functions like Italy or the UK unless the Govt directs them to do it. Thats how it works.

The DF are ready for all requests from state agencies.

lightspeed

Signore Fancy Pants wrote: »

Contact tracing.
Establishing and manning temporary regional testing sites.
Logistics for PPE collection & distribution.
Air Corps delivering test samples to Germany.
DF paramedics have been assisting NAS.

Among other 'worst case scenario' plans.

The DF provide support to a civil authority as requested. They are not an autonomous organisation when it comes to "humanitarian" roles on island. They need to be requested to perform these functions.

You wont see them performing functions like Italy or the UK unless the Govt directs them to do it. Thats how it works.

The DF are ready for all requests from state agencies.

Id like to see some actual numbers of how many are being deployed and where?

Below article shows how 80 are being trained up for contact tracing. That seems like small numbers out several thousand in our defence forces. I accept if there are some medical staff assisting HSE along with some Air Corp but im not seeing how that would make up the majority of defence forces from the above.


https://www.thejournal.ie/defence-forces-cadets-trained-in-coronavirus-contact-tracing-5046020-Mar2020/


I understand your point that its up to the government but what I don't understand is that in other countries such as just across the pond in the UK it not seen as unusal or shocking for military personnel to be delivering food/medication to those who are cocooning. However, in this country it seems like that would be a sacreligous affair.

Signore Fancy Pants

lightspeed wrote: »

Id like to see some actual numbers of how many are being deployed and where?

You wont see "actual numbers", they are not in the public domain. I can however tell you that to date, a low four figure number of individual troops have been utilised so far, of course not all at the same time.

lightspeed wrote: »

I understand your point that its up to the government but what I don't understand is that in other countries such as just across the pond in the UK it not seen as unusal or shocking for military personnel to be delivering food/medication to those who are cocooning. However, in this country it seems like that would be a sacreligous affair.

You will have to take that up with the Govt or the HSE im afraid. Its a task the DF would gladly undertake if requested.

However, the logistics alone would be tricky with regard to PPE. You would need to change PPE after every house call before moving onto the next. Its unlikely that thousands of PPE resources would be given to the DF to perform this task when they are needed for medical professionals.

Strumms

What’s the point in seeing ‘actual’ numbers ? None of us here are qualified if furnished with that information to determine if it’s enough, not enough or too many. The only thing that could do is satisfy a curiosity.

Also I’d imagine and just my own layman’s view that by publishing that information you are simply serving to deliver an expectation among the public that the activities and personnel numbers and locations of personnel can be made public knowledge. This information could be potentially used by people who would do the state harm either internally (more likely) or indeed externally (massively unlikely but still). Either way it’s not a precedent I’d want us to set.

Peregrine

lightspeed wrote: »

I understand your point that its up to the government but what I don't understand is that in other countries such as just across the pond in the UK it not seen as unusal or shocking for military personnel to be delivering food/medication to those who are cocooning. However, in this country it seems like that would be a sacreligous affair.

Sacrilegious to whom?

Where is this supposed resistance to Defence Forces personnel delivering food and medicine? Can you show me one example of this attitude? Just because it hasn't been asked of them yet doesn't mean it would be a sacrilegious affair to anyone.

You've pretty much dreamt that up there.

johnmcdnl

lightspeed wrote: »

I understand your point that its up to the government but what I don't understand is that in other countries such as just across the pond in the UK it not seen as unusal or shocking for military personnel to be delivering food/medication to those who are cocooning. However, in this country it seems like that would be a sacreligous affair.

Don't the army come out when there's floods or in scenarios like the Beast from the East, and don't see anyone complaining about that during those events. I doubt you'd find anyone complaining or being shocked to see the army assisting with the COVID-19 response either.
I don't know why they aren't doing that already if they aren't, but I doubt it's got to do with it being 'a sacreligous affair' as you put it.