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  • #16
    Thanks Zulu.

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    • #17
      After an officer gets commissioned does he/she get the choice of where they go in the DF, be it infantry, cavalry etc?
      Not really. Close to commissioning time a Cadet states 2-3 preferances and then, depending where they finish in their cadet class, they are matched up with vacancies. Ie: If 5 lads want Cav and there are pnly 2 places, the 2 highest placed Cadets would probably get it. There's a whole process that goes on and the wishes of the cadet are probably at the bottom of the factors which decide.

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      • #18
        Originally posted by dingo42 View Post
        After an officer gets commissioned does he/she get the choice of where they go in the DF, be it infantry, cavalry etc?
        Originally posted by dingo42 View Post
        After an officer gets commissioned does he/she get the choice of where they go in the DF, be it infantry, cavalry etc?
        Although there have been some exceptions of late there is still a practice of not posting a newly commissioned officer to their home brigade. You can almost be guaranteed that you will not get back to your home town. EG if you're from Cork the chances of you getting posted to the Southern Bde are slim enough but you can rule out being posted to the 4 Bn, 1 Far, 1 Cav Sqn, 1 Fld CIS etc.

        It's an extension of induction and also tries to prevent 'awkward' situations when you are still inexperienced with o/ranks that might have been schoolmates, neighbours, the local scumbag who you might be tempted to sort out etc.

        Also, if you react like a spoiled child to your posting and can't handle being some distance from your mammy or girlfriend then you're not going to be well equipped to meet other emotional challenges and setbacks in your career. It's the same logic as locking you away in the Cadet School with no weekend leave for the first few months. If you manage to deal with that, then you've a better chance of lasting an overseas trip. Hence, the high number of o/ranks overseas repatriations and nil from officers.

        The same doesn't apply to CFRs which is ridiculous when you consider part of the rationale for this policy. I've seen some some CFRs experience terrible complications when they go back to their previous barracks as an officer. Most of them manage to rise above it but some still think they're one of the lads and that always ends in tears.

        The good news is that it's relatively easy to transfer location after a few years particularly if you can arrange a swap with another officer. Transferring Corps is not as easy unless it's the logical move after college - moving from Inf to CIS because you did an IT degree etc. Your CO will not want to loose an officer and the Corps Director will very possible take is as an insult so don't count on him supporting it either. The best advice as mentioned is a previous post is to try an finish as high up in your Cadet Class as possible.

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        • #19
          Originally posted by ZULU View Post
          There is a form filled out with your preferences. If you score high enough in the skills suited to the corps then you'll be in with a strong chance. Otherwise, it's what the higher ups decide is best
          Originally posted by ICUN View Post
          Not really. Close to commissioning time a Cadet states 2-3 preferances and then, depending where they finish in their cadet class, they are matched up with vacancies. Ie: If 5 lads want Cav and there are pnly 2 places, the 2 highest placed Cadets would probably get it. There's a whole process that goes on and the wishes of the cadet are probably at the bottom of the factors which decide.
          That's two slightly different versions of the answer.
          Cue the return of "Celebrity Deathmatch" !!!
          "Well, stone me! We've had cocaine, bribery and Arsenal scoring two goals at home. But just when you thought there were truly no surprises left in football, Vinnie Jones turns out to be an international player!" (Jimmy Greaves)!"

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          • #20
            Not really. The better your skills are the higher you'll place in the class, the more chance of getting what you want
            "The Question is not: how far you will take this? The Question is do you possess the constitution to go as far as is needed?"

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            • #21
              I would advise people to listen to ICUN as well
              Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
              Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
              The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere***
              The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
              The best lack all conviction, while the worst
              Are full of passionate intensity.

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              • #22
                Everyone I know who went to cadets went straight back to the barracks nearest their home.

                With regard to CFR, the policy was that they can't go back to the same unit, I know one who was sent to a different barracks.

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                • #23
                  Originally posted by DeV View Post
                  Everyone I know who went to cadets went straight back to the barracks nearest their home.

                  With regard to CFR, the policy was that they can't go back to the same unit, I know one who was sent to a different barracks.
                  Everyone I know who went to cadets in the last 3 years all ended up in the same barracks, nowhere near their home.

                  You go where you are most wanted.


                  Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

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                  • #24
                    Hmmm so hypothetically, what would happen to someone from north of the border (are there many serving?) if they were to be commissioned? Would they be posted reasonably close to home if there is a vacancy, or is it a case of "needs of the service" moving around from unit to unit as required throughout your career?

                    Also out of curiosity, what are the timescales of an officer career? Some of the careers information I've seen for the British army give a timelines eg

                    2nd Lt 12 Months
                    Lieutenant 1-3 Years
                    Captain 4-6 Years
                    Major 8+ Years etc

                    Anyone have any ideas as to what the situation is with the PDF?

                    Thanks in advance.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by northie View Post
                      Hmmm so hypothetically, what would happen to someone from north of the border (are there many serving?) if they were to be commissioned? Would they be posted reasonably close to home if there is a vacancy, or is it a case of "needs of the service" moving around from unit to unit as required throughout your career?

                      Also out of curiosity, what are the timescales of an officer career? Some of the careers information I've seen for the British army give a timelines eg

                      2nd Lt 12 Months
                      Lieutenant 1-3 Years
                      Captain 4-6 Years
                      Major 8+ Years etc

                      Anyone have any ideas as to what the situation is with the PDF?

                      Thanks in advance.
                      Needs of the service come first. If you're not fairly mobile when you start and go where there are vacancies, then the question must be asked why opt for it as a career in the first place.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by paul g View Post
                        Needs of the service come first. If you're not fairly mobile when you start and go where there are vacancies, then the question must be asked why opt for it as a career in the first place.
                        I'm pretty open minded about moving around actually, I've spent most of the last 5 years away and didn't miss it at all. It was just a hypothetical question, as I know from the stories I heard from people who served in the BA about them upping sticks and off to somewhere new every once in a while, i was wondering if it was the same, albeit on a smaller scale in the PDF.

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by northie View Post
                          Also out of curiosity, what are the timescales of an officer career? Some of the careers information I've seen for the British army give a timelines eg

                          2nd Lt 12 Months
                          Lieutenant 1-3 Years
                          Captain 4-6 Years
                          Major 8+ Years etc

                          Anyone have any ideas as to what the situation is with the PDF?
                          2/Lt - 15 months (ie your cadet training)
                          Lt - generally around a further 18-24 months or there about (those with level 8 degrees prior to their cadet training are commissioned as Lts)

                          It all depends on your annual reports, courses completed, vacancies in your corps, the promotion ban etc etc

                          The following course must be successfully completed for promotion:
                          PSO Platoon Commanders Cse - 4 months (2/Lt & Lts)
                          Young Officers Cse - Infantry 2 mths, most other corps are longer (for promotion to Captain I think)
                          Junior Command & Staff Cse - 5 months (for promotion to Commandant)
                          Senior Command & Staff Cse - 9 months (for promotion to Lt Colonel)

                          source:http://www.military.ie/dfhq/pubrel/p...tsHandbook.pdf

                          Put it this way ... you will not bump into many commandants (equivalant to major) with only 8 years service.

                          ---------------------

                          The current Chief of Staff was promoted to the following ranks with the following service (source: military.ie):

                          2/Lt - 2 years (the course used to be 21 months, it is now 15)

                          Lt Col - 30 years
                          Colonel - 36 years
                          Brigadier General - 38 years
                          Major General - 39 years

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by northie View Post
                            I'm pretty open minded about moving around actually, I've spent most of the last 5 years away and didn't miss it at all. It was just a hypothetical question, as I know from the stories I heard from people who served in the BA about them upping sticks and off to somewhere new every once in a while, i was wondering if it was the same, albeit on a smaller scale in the PDF.
                            Keep that attitude in your interview then, if you say you want an area, people are going to ask themselves if you want to stay local will you want to serve overseas.

                            They'll send you a booklet explaining things later

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                            • #29
                              Originally posted by paul g View Post
                              Keep that attitude in your interview then, if you say you want an area, people are going to ask themselves if you want to stay local will you want to serve overseas.

                              They'll send you a booklet explaining things later
                              I listened to that Radio interview about the bord snip cuts and when hearing the the average officer spends 15 years overseas I thought "nice one".

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by northie View Post
                                Some of the careers information I've seen for the British army give a timelines eg
                                Get the BA or US Army comparison out of your head for starters. Officer promotion in the PDF is currently much slower for a number of reasons most notably 'the hump'. This is when the Government panicked in the early 1970's and took in huge Cadet Classes with well over a hundred Cadets. This went on for a few years and when the PDF didn't expand in line with the number of new officers there were a surplus of officers for a finite number of promotions.

                                The good news is that a lot of these officers (the one you see in Bks and go "he's very old to still be a Comdt") are begining to fall off the cliff now having to retire on age grounds and it will only take a few years for the effect to cascade back through the organisation.

                                Another on the plus side a lot of officers over the last 20 years have gone out to civvy street mid career which creates the pyramid type structure in a natural way without any blood on the floor. On balance, it's excellent news for new entrants. The time at 2/Lt and Lt will probably remain the same but the time at Captain and Comdt will reduce.

                                2/Lt - 2 years (skip this if you're a graduate)
                                Lt - 4 years

                                Both automatic

                                Captain - 10 years
                                You'll be eligible to enter the competition after seven to ten years. Those who come first will be promoted straight away with the balance taking three years so its still an average of ten years. Once you complete the Junior Command and Staff Course (aka 'the half lobotomy') you are guaranteed of making Captain.

                                Comdt
                                Based on the current situation you could spend 8 years at this rank before making Lt Col if you're lucky enough. This is the only rank you are guaranteed to make as an officer. You could finish your career at this rank having to retire at 56.

                                You might think that's bad in comparison to the BA but you should note the absence of an 'up or out' policy in the PDF. This is where you must make a higher rank by a certain age or length of service or else you're out. A lot of gung ho or walter mitty types (many of whom post on this forum) would be all for it until it would apply to them. No system is perfect and I don't think ours is either but it's a lot more human that the up or out system. It can be quite brutal and is often exploited by vindictive COs who can literally drum an officer out by giving them a series of awful annual reports which will stop them from being promoted and by the time they get a new CO and more objective reports it's too late.

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