The best Limerick RDF unit

[1st Aider]

Hi to all. Im a 17 year old interested in joining the Reserves in Limerick soon.Im interested in what people think is the best or most interesting unit to be in in Limerick.As i unserstand it theres the Slua, 14 Inf Bn 3rd Air Defence Batt, 3rd Field Engineer Coyd Field MP, 3rd Field Communications and the 3rd Medical Coy. From talking to members Id say that the Infantry comes across as being the most interesting but is this really the case?Id probably go for that or the Air Defence but do the Air Defence unit take part in field exercises similar to infantry ones or do theirs just consist of shooting the big guns.Id be more interested myself in actual soldiering and infantry-style exercises than learning how to shoot big guns(things like those laser type exercises come to mind).If anyone can tell me more about the Air Defence it would be great.Really what Id like to know is is it an active unit that does more than learn about the L 70 and what are the plusses of it over the Infantry. Thanks

[ackack658]

Welcome to the board,

Your first question was what is the best unit, Well I think everyone that 3 Air defence is the best unit. We do use the L70. We fire them at aircraft. It is great.

As for you wanting to do "actual soldiering", we also do tactics, Marksmanship, Communications, Foot and Arms drill, and lots of other stuff. Give us a go.

Hope to see you there!

[Commando69]

Ill have to give the 14th a bit of a plug. We have become a lot more active in recent years and while i can understand that firing a massive gun is good if you are feeling insecure about something the infantry is a great choice. We train regularly in arms and foot drill, fire the steyr, bren and hopefully the MAG soon enough. We also do overnight tactics. You should definitely have a crack at it :D

[Docman]

I must also plus the 14th Bn. They fire bigger guns than the Air Defence (81mm, 84mm). Unfortunately for the AD, the L70 is practically remote controlled and the average gunner has little to do. There is nothing like the rush that you get when you are standing beside a 81mm mortar with the round in your hand and drop it into the barrel!!! If it is infantry stuff you are after then Infantry and Cav are the only places you are going to find it in abundance.

Your best option is to actually visit the units involved. Paperwork takes so long to process that you have adequate time to visit each unit and see what they do, and decide which one you are interested in.

B Coy,14 Inf Bn meet Wednesday night at 19.45 in Sarsfield Barracks.

You can also send me a message and we can arrange to meet beforehand.

[Earhart]

3AD

Welcome to the board,

I think you'll be impressed with the 3AD. We do all the infantry style training - fieldcraft, and everything mentioned by Ack Ack. We have the added benefit of already having the MAG and training on the L 70. While the average gunner may not be throwing the round into the weapon (as docman and his 81mm would). The gunner plays a vital role in emplacing the weapon and is detrimental to the accurate firing of the weapon. We also have some NCO's and gunners trained on the SINCGARS (thanks Kermit).

I reccommend coming up to us for a nights training and taking a look. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[Docman]

Originally posted by ackack658
Well I think everyone in limerick(possibly even the rest of the country) knows that 3 Air defence is the best unit.

Holy Sweet Jesus, where did you come up with that?

Boy. you need a wake up call.

I'm not saying who's the best as each has its strenghts and weaknesses but to make a grandiose statement like that!

Have you even trained with another unit?

[Earhart]

I believe he has Docman - also, you freely admit that we take all your recruits (even those new girls you were filling with propaganda)

[Commando69]

If you want to open and close a gate while asking the same person thats being going in and out of the barracks every week for years on end to identify themselves with an ID that they are not issued then the MP's are definitely for you

[Docman]

Originally posted by Earhart
I believe he has Docman - also, you freely admit that we take all your recruits (even those new girls you were filling with propaganda)

The fact that you take our recruits doesn't mean that you are a better unit. It just means that you couldn't be bothered doing the work yourselves to recruit people and instead rely on others to do your work for you. I think that speaks volumes about how good your unit is.

[ackack658]

I appear to have offended some individuals by my "grandiose statement", and for this I would like to apologise to the parties concerned. I neglected to say that Limerick units are among the elite reserve units when it comes to professionalism and ability. I made my statement because I know every one in the units in Limerick is proud of their own unit, and I hoped to create some interesting discussion on the virtues of each.

And yes I have trained with other units.

[FMolloy]

I hoped to create some interesting discussion on the virtues of each.

Tragically, posts of this sort invariably degenerate to the level of 'my dad's bigger than yours'.

[Goldie fish]

Putting a vote in for 14bn here also. The Officers and NCO's are a sound bunch,and the unit is one of the Few in the southern Brigade to have been involved in the PSO 2 years in a row.
The PSO,or Peace support operation exercise was a combined UN style exercise combining RDF and PDF units in a truly integrated manner. The activity was real soldiering,including the waiting around,long periods on checkpoints,long distance patrolling,Fighting in built up areas,Real soldiering you could say.
Other units may learn tactics but few get the chance to use them in such a setting,and the tactics used by the Ack Ack is basic compared to those learned and used during PSO.

No criticism of the Air defence units...there are loads of them,and they do spend lots of time marching,but their annual shoots are totally dependant on weather.
You could be on camp waiting to shoot their big guns at the sky all week,but weather could decide that the plane towing the target Drone will not fly.

No amount of salesmanship however will make your decision. If you want to be an infantryman,join the 14th,if you want to be a gunner, join the AD, if you want to be a traffic warden,join the PA's...

Incidentally,it is worth pointing out that The Air defence method of recruitment is considered a modern version of press ganging..People turn up considering joining an RDF unit,and before they know it are marching around the square being called "gunner"...

[AckAck3]

Aww you're just saying that cos we get all the best recruits :P

And anyway, everyone in Sarsfield Barracks knows that the Gunners or the 3AD are sh*t-hot marchers too.

[Commando69]

Is that right? Well we got 98 out of 100 marks for our marching at the PP Barry last week, beat that:D

[1st Aider]

Thanks for all the replys they certainly answered my question anyway.The AD crowd probably won me over thanks to Earhart so I might head down next week and take a look. And if someone could clarify whether that post about a ban on fca recruitment is true it would save me getting turned down.Thanks again