PDF view of Reservist?

[landmark]

In my (limited) experience - I've not experienced anything other than minor stuff (e.g. being delayed at the gate despite being in uniform and having ID). In fact, I've found that the more senior ranks well appreciate the effort you put in.

I guess its a case of being proud of what we do (i.e. having a civvie career as well as doing our best with our military training). To hell with anyone who might question our commitment or give us hassle.

[Vice Admiral]

In general the PDF NCO's with the biggest axe to grind are the more insecure and immature. You do get some bitter old salts and these are becoming fewer and fewer.

You must remember this, Rome wasn't built in a day and changing an attitude of a lifetime takes a (working) lifetime, we are talking about a generational change.

I have seen many changes since the first time I went to sea with the INS over a decade ago. Some of our experienced leading hands (Cpl) are now filling in as leading hands in every respect aboard ship if the ship is short an NCO, this instead of eternal understudy is, put simply, a minor revolution.

Patience, mutual respect, a constant will to strive for professionalism and time will move mountains.

WRT to junior/young PDF getting god complexes: Remeber your rank before a military court is exactly the same as the PDF and you let yourself down by not using it. An RDF Sgt allowing a PDF Pte to bollick him is a derrogation of the chain of command and threatens that chain of command and the whole 'professional' system that that member of the PDF alludes to.

[Ex-soldier]

More than half of my recruit platoon were ex-FCA. Correction....3/4 of my platoon were ex-FCA with more than half coming from the same FCA unit. We were all scumbags, every one of us. We were treated badly because we were recruits not because we were ex-FCA. Every army units considers everybody else as second class. Cavalry think they are better than infantry and infantry think they are better than artillery etc. They all think they are better than the barracks in the next town and most certainly they all think they are better than the FCA. That is called pride in what you do and it is considered a good thing.

I will say that the majority of PDF personnel do not have any problem with the FCA as long as they are not under the command of FCA NCO's. The officers are pretty much accepted because for the most part the FCA officers who perform duties are reasonably well trained and are being backed by a PDF senior NCO who will enforce discipline if neccessary. However, the problem arises when they come in contact with NCO's who have no idea what they are doing and look like they have no idea what they are doing. This is compounded when the NCO is unshaved, long-haired, overweight, not wearing a cap but is wearing an earring, buttons open, hands in pockets etc. The PDF personnel respect their own NCO's because they all went through the same training and then did it all a second time to becaome a corporal and a third time to becaome a sergeant. Six months training for a private six months again to become an NCO and six months again to complete the standard NCO's course. That's a lot of training to earn the respect of your men, training that the FCA NCO's do not get!!

[Ex-soldier]

I meant "become" not "becoame"

To the American posters....How would you behave if you were told what to do by a member of the junior ROTC, or the Civil Air Patrol or the Coast Guard Auxiliary instead of reservists who have completed the same standard of training??? That is the real NCO equivalent!!

[Groundhog]

Cavalry think they are better than infantry and infantry think they are better than artillery

In the Infantry we KNOW we are better than everybody else.:D

Look on the bright side all you RDF people. If Charlie McCreevy gets his way there will be no PDF in a few years.

[T.I.M.]

Originally posted by Groundhog

In the Infantry we KNOW we are better than everybody else.:D

I hear that!! :D

[clean it again]

I had some problems with some PDF staff, but in general all PDF nco's
have to greatest repect for RDF. I was on a course recently, and the PDF nco, with 20 years experience. Had a lot of repect for us. He helped us out on training/material. We went out a pint with him, and he was talking about how young PDF privates/ncos don't like RDF, because they can see that the writing is on the wall for the PDF. The next day a female
NCO had us lined up for roll call/kit inpection, and a PDF cpl and 2 privates walk in font of her as she is doing the roll call. The PDF sgt took strips off them. One of them said there only FCA. Hell hat no fury then a pissed off NCO. WW3 started. He got them kitchen duties, oh so good to look at. The cpl was charged with been inproperly dressed. Later I found out that the cpl was on a course, that wait for it the sgt was teaching. The cpl left the course for medical reasons. the Sgt had great repect for us because we did this work for FREE, when there was so many things to do in civvy life.

If a PDF private/nco gives you shit, if he is the same rank as you, take no shit.

[hptmurphy]

Hey Groundhog baby! thatts a very open ended comment seeing as where you got your grounding in the fine art of soldiering!:D :D :D :D :D

[Bravo20]

After reading Ex-Soldiers posts, I have to agree with him. Respect is something earned and does not necessarily come with the rank.

[Ex-soldier]

I must say that some of the postings on this thread are urban legend. Kitchen duty is not handed out as a punishment in the PDF. Kitchen duty may be given to certain people who are useless, but it is generally shared on a monthly or quarterly basis by the different units within the barracks. If an NCO or a Pte. does something wrong they either get a major verbal admonishment or they are charged with an offense. They may even get some work detail within the unit for the remainder of the day but they do not get punished for ignoring an FCA NCO. A PDF NCO may repeat the instruction to them which they will obey but they will not get punished for ignoring an FCA NCO!!!

[Ex-soldier]

The exception to the above would be if the FCA NCO is performing the duties of BOS or guard commander.

[medic]

Some very interesting points made here. Intergrated training was only beginning towards the end of my time in the PDF and as i have said on many occasions (for those bothered to read all of what i post and not just a few lines) you get good and bad in every unit. It is a simple matter of military life. Generally i found most of the RDF people i dealt with to be there for the right reasons which is very commendable. However i must admit to also coming across a higher percentage of walter mitty types than i did in the PDF.
As has been said already, respect is gained. It dosent become automatic because of a set of poxy stripes.
As for the guy/girl who said they laughed off the shit the regs gave them, I have no real sympathy for you. If you are of equal rank and you dont stand up for yourself then what sort of treatment can you expect. Come on guys for christ sake, stand your ground. If it gets a bit heated then so what. We are soldiers, we are trained to be aggressive!!!

[waterbaby]

I was always taught and told when you joined the DF that you were to respect Rank no matter if you were PDF or RDF(FCA).
On the whole I have not come across the problem of disrespect between the PDF/RDF, but I know in some cases it is a problem.
:(

[The Joker]

In order for the PDF to respect us and treat us like well trained soldiers we have to take pride in what we stand for. We have to make our troops proud to be a member of the reserve and not a sand bagger or in it just for the free cloths. Or as I once heard a force of cronic alcoholics. Once we belive in our selfs other will follow.

[clean it again]

Ex-soldier. They were punished for walking in front of a parade that was going on, and repecting the parade by walking around it. and yes kitchen duties were handed out that day. because a other unit had
recruits in the kitchen, and they passed back the info to a memeber of the course who was from that unit. the privates were bitching about it all day.