Recruitment for British army soars in Republic of Ireland

MRnotlob606 · 05-01-2017 12:04PM

Plebbit wrote: »

It's not WW1 anymore. Casualties from war are very low in the modern era (for the British anyway. ISIS may have different experiences!)

Besides the British public have no appetite for another war nor can they afford it. Deployments these days are more likely to be in British overseas territories in the tropics rather than middle eastern war zone. Sounds like an easy life

The British Army didn't have one fatality last year. That's incredible.

Andy-Pandy · 05-01-2017 12:09PM

My Dad was a colonel in the British Army, he loved it. He retired at 49 on a pension that means he hasn't had to work a day in the 25 years since he has retired, and to live very comfortably at that. He wanted to be an active soldier, that why the Irish army wasn't attractive to him, and he did. I can't talk about what units he was in, but he had opportunities and experiences that would never have happened in the Irish army. If that's what people are looking for today I say good luck to them.

ClovenHoof · 05-01-2017 12:09PM

The OP Plebbit gives me the creeps.

I can see him parading his poppy and making statements such as 'the Fallen'.

eeguy · 05-01-2017 12:11PM

Jayop wrote: »

No, they're called murderers because they murder people as a job at the command of their masters.

So Irish peacekeepers in the Lebanon and Africa are murderers?
The SAS who broke the Iranian Embassy siege are murderers?
You think the Gardai aren't trained to kill people?

I hope you're never held in a hostage situation, or in a situation where people wish to do you harm, because if these "murderers" don't come to your rescue then who will?

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

The British Army didn't have one fatality last year. That's incredible.

Low fatalities are different from no fatalities.
About 1000 UK soldiers have died since 2001 on active duty.
Twice as many people have died in car accidents in Ireland in the same time.

People die in horrible circumstances all the time. Not joining the army isn't going to exempt you from that risk.

seamus · 05-01-2017 12:15PM

riffmongous wrote: »

Even though you swear allegiance to some other country?

Nobody had to swear allegiance to Ireland to get their Irish passport. So I don't see why swearing it to another country should cause you to lose it.

05-01-2017 12:20PM

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Grim but pays well. I worked with a fella who was recently back from Afghanistan. He was basically a security guard with a gun for his deployments. He bought a house straight up when he got back.

Grim? Yes. Boring? Yes yes. Daysent pay for a fella who would otherwise be on minimum wage for his life? Yes yes yes!

What money was he on?
How much was the house?

He could have been saving the last 10 years and bought something for £60k somewhere.

RobertKK · 05-01-2017 12:24PM

eeguy wrote: »

So Irish peacekeepers in the Lebanon and Africa are murderers?
The SAS who broke the Iranian Embassy siege are murderers?
You think the Gardai aren't trained to kill people?

I hope you're never held in a hostage situation, or in a situation where people wish to do you harm, because if these "murderers" don't come to your rescue then who will?

Low fatalities are different from no fatalities.
About 1000 UK soldiers have died since 2001 on active duty.
Twice as many people have died in car accidents in Ireland in the same time.

People die in horrible circumstances all the time. Not joining the army isn't going to exempt you from that risk.

Are there around 4.5 million in the British army to be comparable?

05-01-2017 12:25PM

eeguy wrote: »

............

People die in horrible circumstances all the time. Not joining the army isn't going to exempt you from that risk.

Indeed, however joining an army would increase the risk one would think.

RobertKK · 05-01-2017 12:30PM

21 people died on farms last year.

But an offensive army like the British army is really putting yourself in harm's way.

topper75 · 05-01-2017 12:31PM

somesoldiers wrote: »

"Send in the Irish, arrows cost money, the dead cost nothing"

That Theresa May quote has never been verified.

eeguy · 05-01-2017 12:32PM

RobertKK wrote: »

Are there around 4.5 million in the British army to be comparable?

Are there 4.5 million motorists in Ireland?

I wasn't making a direct comparison. My point is that people make decisions daily that increase their chances of death.
Want to work on a farm or a building site?
Want to ride a motorbike?
Want to start smoking?
Want to learn how to fly an airplane, or a hot air balloon or hang glide or scuba dive?
Want to take drugs?
Want to do something illegal and go to prison.

They all have their risks. So does the army.
But if you think the risks are worth it then get out there and do it. Don't live life wrapped in cotton wool. None of us are getting out of alive anyways.

LordSutch · 05-01-2017 12:56PM

Plebbit wrote: »

Recruitment for British army soars in Republic of Ireland From the Belfast Telegraph.

Apparently a new Irish recruit signs up every 4 1/2 days. Can't blame the young Irish lads. If it's a choice between wasting your life away on the dole in some grim village in the backarse of Cavan or traveling the world on global deployments with the British Army, I'd choose the latter. I hear the pay is decent and there are lots of opportunities for advancement.

In the Republic?

The BA has always been a natural home for generations of Irish men going back centuries. The BA is one of the most professional & technologically advanced armies in the world, and its based next door, so why not give it a whirl . . . Navy, & RAF too! so many professional jobs in all the services.

One downside is, you might get killed (seeing as its an active army).

Jayop · 05-01-2017 01:13PM

eeguy wrote: »

So Irish peacekeepers in the Lebanon and Africa are murderers?
The SAS who broke the Iranian Embassy siege are murderers?
You think the Gardai aren't trained to kill people?

I hope you're never held in a hostage situation, or in a situation where people wish to do you harm, because if these "murderers" don't come to your rescue then who will?

Low fatalities are different from no fatalities.
About 1000 UK soldiers have died since 2001 on active duty.
Twice as many people have died in car accidents in Ireland in the same time.

People die in horrible circumstances all the time. Not joining the army isn't going to exempt you from that risk.

Why are you bringing the Irish army or the guards into it? The British army have a long glorious history of murdering civilians. Be it as part of their empire building or recently shooting people in the streets in Ireland or dropping bombs in the middle east.

Anyone talking about the English and Americans saving us by policing the world has drank the cool aid. They've caused most of the wars they're in and for some strange reason only tend to police the parts of the world there's oil in.

FTA69 · 05-01-2017 01:19PM

Andy-Pandy wrote: »

My Dad was a colonel in the British Army, he loved it. He retired at 49 on a pension that means he hasn't had to work a day in the 25 years since he has retired, and to live very comfortably at that. He wanted to be an active soldier, that why the Irish army wasn't attractive to him, and he did. I can't talk about what units he was in, but he had opportunities and experiences that would never have happened in the Irish army. If that's what people are looking for today I say good luck to them.

Grand, and while he was in it the same army was in his country of birth collaborating with Loyalist paramilitaries, interning and torturing Irish people and killing children with plastic bullets. Well done him.

Anyone who can look at the sort of sordid activities the British Army were and are involved in across the world and in Ireland itself and then say that's the organisation for them is tapped in my opinion.

05-01-2017 01:21PM

seamus wrote: »

Nobody had to swear allegiance to Ireland to get their Irish passport. So I don't see why swearing it to another country should cause you to lose it.

All the more reason to lose, since you are doing it by choice

FTA69 · 05-01-2017 01:24PM

TheDoc wrote: »

Nothing ****ing worse then people speaking condescendingly about armed forces, here or abroad. Even more ridiculous when coming from someone Irish, with our ridiculous stance on neutrality and being happy out that America and the UK can police the world for us and keep us safe.

Firstly, as another poster alluded to earlier, the British Army were based in Ireland for long enough and most certainly weren't "saving" anybody when they were shooting protestors and interning people.

Secondly, American and British adventures abroad are not "policing" for our benefit - they're reckless interventions based on those countries' particular strategic and selfish interests. Has the invasion of Iraq or the destabilisation of Libya and Syria made us safer? Or has it in fact contributed to death and destruction coupled with mass refugee influxes and terrorist radicalisation?

Policing my hole, stop believing everything you read in The Sun.

05-01-2017 01:27PM

infogiver wrote: »

I have both passports
I'm loyal to both countries
Can I only be loyal to one?
Why?

And if there was a conflict between them as a soldier how would you be able to be loyal to both?

Mariomaker · 05-01-2017 01:27PM

Wow 80 citizens a year thats nothing. There are more people in Ireland hit by lightning per year then joining the british army.

Maximus Alexander · 05-01-2017 01:30PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

why?

Because it's the English who decide where it's deployed.

LordSutch · 05-01-2017 01:30PM

FTA69 wrote: »

Anyone who can look at the sort of sordid activities the British Army were and are involved in across the world and in Ireland itself and then say that's the organisation for them is tapped in my opinion.

Might your view of the BA be coloured by your Republican heritage?
Would it be fair to say that you are/were a provisional IRA supporter?

Cool_CM · 05-01-2017 01:34PM

riffmongous wrote: »

Even though you swear allegiance to some other country?

Plenty of people have dual citizenship, in order to become a citizen of another country you generally have to swear some form of oath of allegiance. I don't see any difference here.
Personally, I've never sworn an oath of allegiance to Ireland and (unless you have become an Irish Citizen or work in a job where you swear that you uphold the laws/constitution of Ireland) I find the idea of doing so laughable.

05-01-2017 01:37PM

Cool_CM wrote: »

Plenty of people have dual citizenship, in order to become a citizen of another country you generally have to swear some form of oath of allegiance. I don't see any difference here.
Personally, I've never sworn an oath of allegiance to Ireland and (unless you have become an Irish Citizen or work in a job where you swear that you uphold the laws/constitution of Ireland) I find the idea of doing so laughable.

Being a citizen is a bit different, we are talking about soldiers here.

Jayop · 05-01-2017 01:48PM

LordSutch wrote: »

Might your view of the BA be coloured by your Republican heritage?
Would it be fair to say that you are/were a provisional IRA supporter?

What a load of ****. The atrocities of the British army are well known and you don't have to be a provo to see that.

That's the same kind of defense those who didn't want the truth about bloody Sunday used wasn't it.

Cool_CM · 05-01-2017 01:49PM

riffmongous wrote: »

Being a citizen is a bit different, we are talking about soldiers here.

So it's ok to swear an oath of allegiance to a 'foreign' country as long as you're not going to work in their armed forces?

catbear · 05-01-2017 01:50PM

I don't begrudge someone looking beyond the Irish Defense forces for a military career but I still think there's unresolved historical grievances that still need recognition. The probes into the conduct of military in the troubles is ongoing and welcome but I feel the use of military force during the An Gorta Mor still casts a huge shadow over the british military in Ireland.

FTA69 · 05-01-2017 01:50PM

LordSutch wrote: »

Might your view of the BA be coloured by your Republican heritage?
Would it be fair to say that you are/were a provisional IRA supporter?

I could be Gerry Adams himself, regardless of that fact what I said about the British Army is facy. They did engage in collusion with Loyalists, they did kill numerous civilians including children with plastic bullets, they did kill unarmed protestors and lie about it and they did implement internment and torture.

My opinions on other matters don't make that any less true.

RobertKK · 05-01-2017 01:51PM

eeguy wrote: »

Are there 4.5 million motorists in Ireland?

I wasn't making a direct comparison. My point is that people make decisions daily that increase their chances of death.
Want to work on a farm or a building site?
Want to ride a motorbike?
Want to start smoking?
Want to learn how to fly an airplane, or a hot air balloon or hang glide or scuba dive?
Want to take drugs?
Want to do something illegal and go to prison.

They all have their risks. So does the army.
But if you think the risks are worth it then get out there and do it. Don't live life wrapped in cotton wool. None of us are getting out of alive anyways.

No there are not 4.5 million motorists, but I would guess a high majority of that figure use the roads whether in a vehicle or walk which also is included in road deaths if knocked down by a motorist.

Lt Dan · 05-01-2017 01:53PM

Plebbit wrote: »

From the Belfast Telegraph.

Apparently a new Irish recruit signs up every 4 1/2 days. Can't blame the young Irish lads. If it's a choice between wasting your life away on the dole in some grim village in the backarse of Cavan or traveling the world on global deployments with the British Army, I'd choose the latter. I hear the pay is decent and there are lots of opportunities for advancement.

Hmm, and risk death and being scapegoated by the British government if things don't go to plan?

Really, odd that people are unable to find something worth while but happy to sign up to a dangerous profession like this , for another country. Granted, obviously, many lads want to be soldiers and for whatever reason could not get into the Irish army or just felt that the Irish Army would not give them what they are looking for

Lt Dan · 05-01-2017 01:55PM

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Probably more likely to be deployed to keep the peace in British cities.

Like Belfast? Or Derry?

eeguy · 05-01-2017 01:56PM

Jayop wrote: »

Why are you bringing the Irish army or the guards into it? The British army have a long glorious history of murdering civilians. Be it as part of their empire building or recently shooting people in the streets in Ireland or dropping bombs in the middle east.

So have the French, Italians, Germans, Russians and basically any other nation that has an active army.
If Ireland had an active army in colonial times, I'm sure we'd be doing the same.
The Irish Army doesn't exactly have a gleaming record during our own Civil War. Plenty of POW executions and reprisals against our own civilian populations.

Since when has this thread become about the history and ethics of war?
I'm just saying that the army can be a very positive career option for a young lad with limited prospects.

Recruitment for British army soars in Republic of Ireland

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