Purpose of the RDF??

[DriverGirl]

Not to antagonise anybody, but do people think there is much use for a reserve section of a peacetime army in a neutral country? Could the few jobs we do not be carried out by the PDF?
I don't mean to start any trouble, but I'm just wondering what people's views are...

[DonnanfromPenn]

Any nation should have both. A regular standing army is nearly immediately deployable while your guards can do several things: take over for the absent duties/posts that the active troops have left, provide home defence, and eventually rotate into active combat to relieve the regulars or provide additional numbers.

[Earhart]

Think of it this way;
If you're running a business it would not be lucrative to have all full time staff. You would need a combination of full time and part time employees. If run correctly then a business/organisation with both full and part time would be the most profitable.

The reserve has a role to assist the PDF and have the potential to do so quite well.

[ICUN]

I think this is a good example for it: You pay insurance for your car and you hope you dont crash it but if you do crash, you realise that the insurance was needed and wasn't a waste of money after all.

Any army needs a reserve to carry out the roles people have mentioned and also to provide a backbone for increasing the size of the DF rapidly if need be with people who have at least the rudimentary training.

[iron arse]

The RDF should in theory help the PDF with their duties, which are something like;

To defend the country against internal aggressions
To aid the civil powers (guards)

Originally posted by ICUN
I think this is a good example for it: You pay insurance for your car and you hope you dont crash it but if you do crash, you realise that the insurance was needed and wasn't a waste of money after all.

Good point, you’ve said this before somewhere. It does make sense to insure the country.

[Bad driver boy]

I think the RDf are a much cheaper way of having a larger defence force. I think that we would be a much better investment if we were put to more use. I think there should be a bigger emphassis on training us to have an active role in the day to day jobs of the defence forces and getting more units combat ready.Then they could cut back on the PDF and save money.I know this is what they are trying to do with the emalgamation but im not seeing many changes yet. Has anyone any views on the RDF going overseas?,I think reservist MPs have already served abroad.

[Fiachra]

RDF overseas

I agree to what bad driver boy was saying. The RDF needs a more active role. But the DF can't just send them of in a plane to africa to help build a new water system for a village. There isn't enough money. The RDF's place is at home because thats where they will be needed if a disaster happens or if PDF soldiers are sent abroad the RDF can take up there posts. The RDF isn't a frontline unit basically the opposite.