The Future of the Army Reserve - Discuss

[DeV]

Do the still get mileage/travel expenses as well

[RoyalGreenJacket]

Do the still get mileage/travel expenses as well

Yes - upto 50 miles each way but not including the first 3 miles I believe.

Not too sure what the rate is though.

[DeV]

Not too sure what the rate is though.

If it is £1 for the year it is more than the RDF get!

[ropebag]

we have the same arrangement as RGJ, but what is more widely used is the 'open facilities' - any reservist from any unit can use our gym, pool and athletics facilities at any time, we get lots who pop in for an hour on the way to or from work, as well as at the weekend. we have duty PTI's that individual reservists can talk to to sort out a programme or help with particular exercise regimes, and TA units can book PTI's and facilities if they want to come up en masse either on an evening or at the weekend.

not only does it have the obvious tangible benefits in terms of fitness, but it contributes massively to the 'One Army' concept, and shows reservists that their regular counter-parts want them around, and understnd the difficulties of reserve service. its a big, fat box of moralé...

[bunny shooter]

I'm surprised you haven't asked why, if RDF troops want to use the gym in barracks, didn't they join the PDF?

Posting that, out of context, as you have, deserves a

As you know, I asked that previously as a lot of RDF posters here seemed to be dissatisfied with what the RDF has to offer them and I simply suggested/asked why if it wasn't 'good' enough didn't they join the PDF.

My latest observation asked why RDF were being discriminated against by PDF, which is not a new concept in my experience and even though there's a single force concept obviously in some PDF minds it's still "them & us". All the RDF I know are willing to adapt to the single force concept but it's obvious some of their PDF comrades are not.

[The Prisoner]

Yet if you had popped into the Brugha at any stage this week you would've seen RDF troops on the Battalion Square, parading with the rest of 7 Bn.

You'd have seen both PDF and RDF NCO's instructing RDF troops.

So yeah, regardless of all the doom and gloom talk, some places are trying to make it work.

During my 35+ years I've never paraded on the square in any occupied post, either morning or afternoon parade - Galway, outside the back gate, Longford, down at the back gate, Kilkenny, around the back of the main block if you can find space between the cars, Mullingar, ok you can use the square but be gone by 08.40hrs, Athlone, on a slope down the side of the 'new block'. No way were we let on the square with the PDF. So yes, parading on the square is an advancement. However, that must be tempered with the fact of the SFC.

I have often been instructed by PDF NCOs and Officers (non cadre). Nothing new there.

A serious point will be, will the PDF put in the effort to get RDF instructors up to the standard to be let instruct PDF troops? IMO that will be a significant step forward for the RDF and will go a long way to achieving the SFC.

As regards fitness tests. While all the reorg planning was going on, the RDF should have been ordered to prepare for the full fitness test to be completed by 30/4/13. As the RDF was in the doldrums from September until the last two months that would have been the ideal time to get the fitness tests bedded in. That should have been the 1st KPI. No pass = no FTT.

[DeV]

As regards fitness tests. While all the reorg planning was going on, the RDF should have been ordered to prepare for the full fitness test to be completed by 30/4/13. As the RDF was in the doldrums from September until the last two months that would have been the ideal time to get the fitness tests bedded in. That should have been the 1st KPI. No pass = no FTT.

+1

Except immediate Big Bang on fitness, the PDF gradually introduced fitness. It took the DOD/DF how long to print the out of date VFM report?

Big Bang on the assignment and whole reorg process didn't work.

You have to make sure the people have time to prepare, as it turned out people couldn't get ITs done for courses etc.

But:
1 - Medicals need to be sorted out (it is a DF requirement not necessarily what individual RDF members want)
2 - The "appropriate PT" "survey" and "test" is still to be officially defined.

What they should have said is 2013 either do the induction test (graded for age) / ITs (not seen as pass/fail), 2014 - min grade 4/5 in ITs, 2015 - ITs min grade 4

[Big Al]

A serious point will be, will the PDF put in the effort to get RDF instructors up to the standard to be let instruct PDF troops? IMO that will be a significant step forward for the RDF and will go a long way to achieving the SFC.

Not in our lifetimes thats for sure, considering the planned RDF overseas deployment saw those volunteers revert to a PDF 2 Star rank.

Only way I would see it happen is if a reserve NCO had very recently left the PDF as an NCO, but they would be the exception rather than the rule

[Fridge Magnet]

A serious point will be, will the PDF put in the effort to get RDF instructors up to the standard to be let instruct PDF troops? IMO that will be a significant step forward for the RDF and will go a long way to achieving the SFC.

My memory is a bit ropey but didn't the above happen in the ADR when it still existed?

I could be wrong but could've sworn I saw Concussion speak about it before.

[Fridge Magnet]

As for the big hoo hah about RDF troops using the gym in barracks on their own time....

Aside from The Prisoner, has anyone actually asked the people in their CoC to ask the CO what the craic is? Since based on The Prisoner's experience, along with Koppiteal and TD's experience, it's obviously a local arrangement.

[Fridge Magnet]

That is the case in the Curragh, as I use the facility myself, and no one ever had an issue
But yes, the Prisoner is correct in what he states about that location, as I have heard that also
- f***ing ridiculous carry on... :(

I suppose one could ask why particular gyms have decided to implement a policy completely different to what the DFPES has decided on...

[kaiser]

so when some of the lads i know do the PTL course... they will be qualified to do stuff that they now aren't allowed to do! eggsellent.

ok seperate matter, but related nonetheless to the RDF...

what are the exact metrics that soldiers must achieve to remain effective this year? Is it written down anywhere? Ive heard the number "32 hours of parade nights" thrown about including a caveat that says FTT on annual camp will not be considered, that they must turn up for 16 nights in 2013 to their assigned barracks?

anyone the wiser to this?

im afraid the ptl course qualifies you not a lot as far as I remember you can do a warm up and cool down only sanctioned by a pti

[DeV]

im afraid the ptl course qualifies you not a lot as far as I remember you can do a warm up and cool down only sanctioned by a pti

Without sanction from a PTI:
Warm up & cool down
Run in runners
Sit ups & Push Ups
Games

[The Prisoner]

+1

Except immediate Big Bang on fitness, the PDF gradually introduced fitness. It took the DOD/DF how long to print the out of date VFM report?

Big Bang on the assignment and whole reorg process didn't work.

You have to make sure the people have time to prepare, as it turned out people couldn't get ITs done for courses etc.

But:
1 - Medicals need to be sorted out (it is a DF requirement not necessarily what individual RDF members want)
2 - The "appropriate PT" "survey" and "test" is still to be officially defined.

What they should have said is 2013 either do the induction test (graded for age) / ITs (not seen as pass/fail), 2014 - min grade 4/5 in ITs, 2015 - ITs min grade 4

Sometimes I think the greatest enemy of the RDF is the RDF itself. Sep to Apr is 8 months. RDF pers should be well able to get up to the required level in that period. It's not exactly difficult. With the exception of 'medical conditions' everyone should be made do it. And even 'medical conditions' should be few and far between. The word discharge would clear up a lot of problems - bit like self employed and sick. IMO the senior RDF officers should be demanding the full ITs and not some watered down version. If the RDF did nothing from last Sep to Apr other than ITs it would have been a great first step.

The PDF has to facilitate the ITs by making the resources available for medicals, instruction, testing, etc. And instruction is important. There's no point in pers not doing the pushup or situp correctly and then failing. I've seen it happen.

I don't give a toss whether I can use a PDF gym or not. I raised the issue to demonstrate the usual nonsense is still ongoing despite the all the SFC bull.

[Come-quickly]

I'd be of the opinion that given the need for Ethos change, not introducing immediate pass or get out the gate fitness tests for troops is fair enough. But officers and senior NCOs should have been seen as big enough and bold enough to do compulsory ITs straight away, ideally as part of the applications for appointments process.

It would have been a good way to get rid of a lot of the hobbyist/youth-club crowd who are currently dragging the force down.

Let's face it, the standards are not that high and for most of the over 40s they're well able to get at least a shame pass.

Eliminating the outliers of extreme physical inability or refusal to move with the times would have given the SFC a much better chance of success.