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All right. Its the time of the year when units start worrying about recruitment. It seems that every year more of the units are putting more and more resources into recruiting. Often resulting in other things not gettingdone. I am not neccessarly saying that this is a bad thing. But I wonder if resources would be better spend on retention of current troops rather than recruitment of new troops?
Your thoughts?
If your not in bed by 4 o' clock it's time to go home!
Far too many resources (time, effort, money, transport) are given over to recruitment. What is the point in spending 3+ months getting a recruit in and clothed when do to the lack of effort put into retention, when in many cases they leave within a year?
Its a dangerous circle, that has happened in my sub-unit. We lost a large number of excellent NCOs over around 3/4 years. Due to the fact that little effort is put into retention, we cannot replace them and training suffers accordingly.
Also morale and espirit de corps have suffered greatly.
I don't think that too many resources are being put into recruitment. I believe that there is not enough being done about retention. There are enough resources to go around, they are just not being used correctly.
But without constant effective and compelling training (for all ranks, not just recruits), that manpower is utterly without value. People get bored and fcuk off, and those that stay are fairly useless, and only interested in the good times, and not the hard work.
But, with the chances of an Irish reservist actually going into harms way being fairly remote, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference. It's only a drinking club after all.
-JAG awaits usual torrent of abuse/moderation for telling harsh truths-
Take these men and women for your example.
Like them, remember that posterity can only
be for the free; that freedom is the sure
possession of those who have the
courage to defend it.
***************
Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like.
***************
If you're not ready to die for it, put the word freedom out of your vocabulary.
Expose people to the DF and the good aspects in a pro active way and they will get an interest which in turn will increase recruitment numbers in both the RDF and PDF. The problem is the retention numbers. As JAG said, the RDF do not do an awful lot now they we?!? Would participation in bank escorts help the RDF?!?
What are you cackling at, fatty? Too much pie, that's your problem.
remember when dealing with rentention that some of the best/most interested will never be retained as they will make the natural progression to the PDF
I'd be interested in what about of "wastage" in the RDF annually is "caused" by PDF recruitment. The RDF is (quite rightly) used as a stepping stone to the PDF
You're even dumber than I tell people
You might have been infected but you never were a bore
The problem with recruitment is lack of advertising, and a general view that matches jag's(drinking club), the problem with retention is a mix of moving into the PDF and non effective training.
Out of my recruit class of 6 there are 2 of us actively turning up on training nights. Why????same boring stuff every week, since the integration we have been doing a lot more infantry based stuff which to a lot of us is unchartered terrority.
I can see the reorg having a major impact on the retention side of things, IF!!! it is run properly
The RDF has no role at present- has there ever been an incident where RDF personnell have had to put their training into practice? (other than first aid) As long as the reservist practising his section in attack etc knows full well that there is no chance whatsoever of his ever having to take part in a section in attack where people are really trying their damnedest to kill him, he will not be motivated to make the effort, learn the lesson and become as proficient as he needs to be.
Contrast this with TA/USNG where deployment to hostile territory is a near certainty.
Getting paid for training parades/days/weekends would get people out. €60 to get up for a field day Sunday? Might get the numbers up, you think?
RDF- Paintball without the paint.
Take these men and women for your example.
Like them, remember that posterity can only
be for the free; that freedom is the sure
possession of those who have the
courage to defend it.
***************
Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like.
***************
If you're not ready to die for it, put the word freedom out of your vocabulary.
Contrast this with TA/USNG where deployment to hostile territory is a near certainty.
You are not comparing like with like really, The TA & USNG are reserve forces of an army who's governments use their forces to project their power over seas.
The DF is a force that is primarily concerned with defence of the state and does overseas peacekeeping duties to keep the lefties from asking why are we spending sooo much on the army
The question you have asked could be applied to the PDF too, its not often in the last 40 years that a PDF regular has had to put in a section in attack, nor is deployment to hostile territory a near certainty
You're even dumber than I tell people
You might have been infected but you never were a bore
It would work in Galway, Cork, Limerick, Athlone etc aswell, anywhere with (2?) 3 or more units in the same barracks. That is of course, if training is as is at the moment, with training on a Wednesday evening, or whatever.
The current Recruit Syllabus is broken into 2 Modules. Module 1 is currently taught by home unit, and Module 2 is the central camp. Mod 1 is 21.5 hours, and Mod 2 is 85.5 hours. Total 107 hours. Mod 2 is over a 2 week period currently, so if Mod 1 was full time it would take about 3 days.
The current syllabus for 3* Training is 82 hours, again broken into 2 Modules, 29.5 hours and 52.5 hours each. Again, the second module is taught over one week full time, and the first is taught on training units with home stations. There is no requirement to have served for any length of time to take part in this course.
However, it would work everywhere if the following scenario came to pass.
Nationwide Recruitment campaign starts in February, with a cut off of March for applications. Then, processing begins, with Medicals and Attestations at the beginning of June. Cloting and kit will be issued throughout June.
The recruit training proper starts in July. The Recruit syllabus is changed to 17 days full time, followed immediately by 11 days full time for 3* training. This will bring you up to the end of July, and 28 days training, which is the maximum currently allowable under the current rules, without permission.
Come September these newly trained 3 stars are farmed out to their units.
If this programme is actually introduced will it have a positive effect of recruitment and retention of numbers I wonder?!?
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