Size of Future Overseas Deployments

[Come-quickly]

Smith released a statement confirming his desire to get back to Battalion level deployments yesterday, he also said that he was looking at selling more military land for reinvestment...he's a tryer but that money will be financing a new VIP service of some kind before he knows it, maybe if we sell off all the body armour we could buy Ivory backscratchers for every TD and de facto TD in the country, wouldn't that be great.

[Big Al]

I read at the weekend an article by Lt Gen McMahon, he felt that the days of bn deployments were over due to the lack of equipment. it was an interesting read it in fridays times for those of you with an ireland.com subscription

[FMolloy]

Andy,

The PDF of the 1990's may have been ill-equipped etc. etc. but it was well able to carry out the ATCP tasks and duties that consume most of it's time. The larger size of the army back then meant that it could meet it's ATCP obligations and still provide troops for overseas missions.

The reduction in troop numbers, coupled with the fact that there is still a lot of ATCP and barrack duties to be carried out, means that the current PDF units are stretched thin & cannot be deployed abroad without a reduction in commitments at home.

[andy]

well that’s true FMolly. However the DF stood down from the high state of alert (i don’t know the correct term) back in 1997 in light on the peace dividends. And I can see ATCP being handed over to the cops perhaps in 5 years. The only thing which hurts the DF is the amount of posts and barracks they have. If you look at it, even though we have a smaller DF, we could easily put the same no of troops abroad.

HQ has to(no surprises):

carry out the RDF re-org.
Hand over ATCP in the next 5 years if possible.
Start closing military barracks, and purchase green field sites and build large military bases.

The brits are sending out light infantry to Iraq. Those 1,000 troops there sending are from Cypress (or some med. island) and they have spent their last tour guarding important installations. It makes the case for the appropriateness of sending out the DF soldiers.

Remebers 'its the economy stupid' and Ireland has an intrest seeing the the US is doing well. Thats why we should be out there rebuilding Iraq

[Erwin]

Well Andy all i can say about your post there in one word is - Horseshit!In reference to all your points.
Barrack closures aren't going to alleviate the acute manpower shortage the DF is currently & has been suffering for quite some time now.
ATCP was supposed to have been handed over to the Civil power about 5 years ago as it stands,so i can't see any change on that front .If anything the DF is still on a high state of alert due to our friends in the various subversive organisations,but due to as you say the Good friday agreement certain "activities" have been curtailed/cut back.
Building nice big "bases" instead of smaller posts?Bk's ain't gonna happen at all due to cost constraints - like everything else really.And with a much smaller Df there's no way the DF will be able to field a large scale peacekeeping operation given the level of commitments,duties etc it already undertakes.Basically as far as i'm concerned - from the inside looking out - the DF has gone past it's elastic memory!!Get outta cloud cuckoo land mate!!

[andy]

horse shit??

bigger bases mean that less soldiers are required to duplicate existing jobs eg. guard duties and other duties of a installation.

Selling barracks off, a large amount are located in towns and relocating somewhere where the land is cheap. E.g what the prision service is currently doing. It makes financial sense.

how is handing over ATCP horseshit ? If you read my post i said that the HQ has to hand over ATCP. It will free up soldiers. ATCP will be handed over in the not to distant future. The Queen Mother wouldnt be coming here if it was dangerous.

When the DF integrate the Reserve, it will be well able to put a large amount of troop overseas.

I stated a fact about the standdown in 1997. Quote

"If anything the DF is still.."
No the DF isnt on the same level of alert. I serve in Monaghan and Castleblaney military post previous. There is still terrorist activities carried out by the RIRA, however its nowhere near previous level of attacks.

Quote"Basically as far as i'm concerned - from the inside looking out - the DF has gone past it's elastic memory!!Get outta cloud cuckoo land mate!!"

Does serving in the DF make you an expert? I serve in the DF as well. I dont think im living in cloud cuckoo land.

Is horseshit one word? I thought it was two

Am i your "mate" ?

[yellowjacket]

The Queen Mother wouldnt be coming here if it was dangerous.

There'll be some crowd to see that visit......

[Goldie fish]

Not to mind a large team of embalmers..It'll be like "Lenins Tomb..The Tour!"

[trellheim]

There may be some objection from the FCA to carrying the relics this time.

[FMolloy]

Whatever the good logic behind building new & larger barracks, it's not going to happen. The Dept. of Finance begrudges the DF every cent it gets now, it's hardly likely to give them the extra funding needed to build.

[yellowjacket]

http://www.military.ie/pr/03-09-03a.htm

This DF press release indicates an intention to bring the KFOR deployment up to 500 people. Along with other proposed future missions, it seems having a large proportion serving overseas of a smaller Defence Forces is the plan. How will this be achieved?

The UNSAS agreement was for 850 wasn't it?

[trellheim]

PDF Strength as at 31/5/03 can be found at

http://www.irlgov.ie/debates-03/2Jul/Sect9.htm

and searching for STRENGTH OF THE DEFENCE FORCES

[JAG]

Andy,

Hear hear, on all points.

[Come-quickly]

Originally posted by FMolloy
Whatever the good logic behind building new & larger barracks, it's not going to happen. The Dept. of Finance begrudges the DF every cent it gets now, it's hardly likely to give them the extra funding needed to build.

I thought the logic was that the higher land value of the various town Barracks would more than cover the cost of building large bases in peripheral areas

[The Joker]

But would the logistics for people travelling miles to one central barricks, rather than smaller closer barricks, be a nightmare. Imagine having to travel 5 miles to your barricks or 30 to another for exactly the same thing. I can see people really welcoming the idea. Especially the younger members who depend on others like parents and friends to drop them to the fca.