PDF view of Reservist?

[Docman]

This subject could start a maelstorm but I just want to put it out there.

From past experience and discussion, I have found that the general view of the Reserve amoungst the PDF (Mostly young soldiers) has deteriorated markedly in the last few years. On a recent exercise, I was witness to an extremely derogatory display by several (young) PDF which contrasted majorly with the exemplary treatment I received from older PDF on the same exercise.

I did witness some excellent young PDF NCO's doing a good job but the loathsome treatment that the whole unit received from other young PDF was the worst I had ever witnessed. On discussion with other reservists, I discovered that this was becoming a regular occurance with the PDF and RDF doing more training together.

I am not trying to knock the PDF but I think it is a worring trend and has little place in the new (soon to be) integrated Defence Forces.

I just want to ask the opinion of others on this board.

[T.I.M.]

none of the above....

[Thorpe]

none of the above either.
It depends alot on what units are involved. Ive personally come accross both the grand and the s**te, but ive just really ignored the bad stuff really.

[The Joker]

From my own experiance, as the training increases in standards and with intergrated training with the PDF they are changing their views. Many will treat you with respect if you respect them.

[Frank Aiken]

Young PDF

In my experience most of these young PDF with the bad attuide are ex FCA, but i find 95% of PDF NCO's very good to get on with and are a lot more open to working with the FCA / RDF.
All I can say is if you have a rank use it, if you are on a exercise with PDF and you are given a job, don't worry who is PDF or FCA just get on with it, then you won't be questioned.
I have even heared thats some PDF are unhappy with some of the young PDF, a bit of bad attuide.

[Bailer]

none of the above Mostly I find its young PDF privates who have only got their 3*'s on a wet week and think they're the "Supersoldier" and that we're a lower life form. I've had my run ins with them in McKee and outside, sometimes it just takes a simple reminder that I was a 3* before they left primary school to sort them out.

In saying that I find PDF NCO's have a lot more respect for the RDF than Pte's it's a childish attitude that they seem to grow out of eventually.

[Infy]

The way i see it is that if everyone puts in the effort eventually our standards will improve but it isnt going to happen overnight. I agree with Frank there most PDF i know have no problems with us and are in fact glad to have us for duties etc. The most bad-mouthing comes from ex fca personell who think they are all big and hard after joining up. An example is one of where an ex fca now pdf criticised us in font of us and his own unit and by jesus the bolloxing he got for it. An officer then came over an made him apologise individually. thought it was pretty sweet myself.

[Commando69]

I joining the regulars in a couple of weeks after a year and a half in the reserves and one thing ive been told by both RDF and our PDF cadre is not to forget the reserves. apparently it is drilled into recruits that the reserves are a pure waste. If this is true then i have dim hopes for the closer integration of the two forces. I cant understand how ex-RDF now PDF lads ( and its invariably the fellas ) have such little respect for the organization that started them off in their chosen proffession. Ive enjoyed immensly my time in the reserves and the training i recieved will hopefully help me in regulars and i will always be grateful for those men and women off the reserve who gave up their spare time to train me and my fellow RDF members.:flagwave:

[Mad Monkey]

Was on a Joint PDF/RDF exercise recently. And im still laughing my ass off at the shit we had to endure from our PDF counterparts. It was a disgrace and i'm embarrassed to be in a defence force where their is such utter and obvious contemp for us Reserves. I was undermined at every opportunity and reprimanded ( shouted and screamed at) repeatedly hour after hour, day after day by the PDF NCO's that i had contact with, from PDF NCO's the same rank as me..!!!!... any reason at all, they were absolutely ridiculous and i had to listen to them give out, for no reason at all, i didnt even do anything wrong once........ also my other NCo colleages got the same treatment, we used to just laugh at it at the end of the day behind their backs, but not once did we disagree or respond when we were given out to, while we were being bollocked we just nodded and agreed........ what a joke, we could have said plenty back, as it was our perfect right to, and we would have made shit of them ....... but we all agreed we wouldnt lower ourselves....... and i tell ya, havent got any respect for them at all now........

Am still laughing, before we went on the exercise our CO told us to co-operate fully with the PDF lads, and not to disagree with them at all, we were told, that if we got any shit just take it.......... i tell ya, i have never seen the likes of this before, even in civvy land, In civvy land if someone roared and shouted at me and used bad language like the PDF did to me , id just go to the HR department and they would be fired if they knew what they said to me........immediately.......... well that happened on a recent execise........ but my experience with the PDF before this exercise was actually very professional .... it was as if they had been told to give us hell while on exercise....... ive been in the RDF a few years now and have gotten on with all the PDF i came in contact........ i just dont know why it was soooooo different this time........

[hptmurphy]

I aree with frank.....Speaking to some friends of mine even the PDF are getting fed up with some of the younger intake....they have to be constantly checked and have a major attitude problem...again this is only probably a small percentage.

On the subject of taking shit.....don't!

have some self respect and stand up for yourselves....be proud of what u do both in and out of the Df and remind yourself constanly that you are as good as anybody in the PDF given the right oppertunities.

On my last night in kilworth this year There was a PDF guy who turned out to be former 22nd battalion egging his RDF mates on to a fight.The situation was diffused but on the arrival of the Orderly officer and BOS he started giving them shite citing that he wasn't subject to their rules and he could more or less entitled to do what he like......He found himself under close arrest and was paraded in front of his own CO the next morning...love to know what the out come was

This is not a jibe against the 22nd battalion who are not a bad bunch.

How embarrassed the members of the unit must have been to see one of their former members carry on like this.

My applause to the officer and nco who gave the guy a chance to back off and retire quietly but when it came to the crunch acted as proffessionals.

I don't recall their unit but they were a credit to the RDF on the whole in their approach and were far more proffessional in their manner than this alleged proffessional soldier.

[Erwin]

Just one thing to say guys - at no stage in my career have i ever witnessed haranguing of FCA personnel in recruit training by training staff or that recruits have been instructed to treat Reservists as second class soldiers.Au contraire i have to say - Recruits - being dirty civvies - are told the exact opposite,that these individuals give up their free time in order to wear the uniform.This goes on at an individual basis and is not common policy to treat another member of the DF as shite!!

[goc132]

If a CO told reservists to take shit from PDF then the CO is a shit head and he deserves no respect and he has no balls ,he should be looking after his troops not belittling them .

[California Tanker]

Again, I am forced to appreciate the fact that US reservists and professionals both go through the same course in mixed classes. There's still some 'looking down' by the pros, but not much since we've gone through all the same shite that they did. Plus, because of reservist usage, they get to go home from Iraq and Afghan and whatnot every year or two.

NTM

[Truck Driver]

I have to say, I' ve seen it from both sides of the fence. I' ve witnessed at least one guy from my old unit serve for approx 2-3 years in the unit, go into the PDF for his 5 years. He completely blanked our old mob whilst wearing his black beret, then had the balls to sally back into the reserve unit after his 5 years, as if nothing had changed - what an a*****e. Fair play, Erwin, for the "these individuals give up their free time in order to wear the uniform" attitude, nice to see this attitude
does prevail in some quarters, at least...

I' ve also done Brigade courses with PDF instructor input, and found these guys highly professional in their dealings with Reservists. Invariably, these folks would be Cadre attachments to reserve units, though, so would be dealing with reservists on a weekly basis on training nights.

Two anecdotes from my old unit:

1. The unit was on a Corps ex down in the Glen. They got treated like shite by
their PDF counterparts from their own brigade - same bks, even! Compliments
flying in from all angles from the PDF units from the other brigades

2. A member of this same PDF unit came on attachment on a Annual Camp
years ago, having had no previous extended dealings with the reserve.
Enjoyed his week so much, that when he completed his 10 years, to go to
a civvy job, he re-enlisted in the Reserve unit, and is now a highly valued
NCO with approx 14 years reserve service...

[FMolloy]

I find that most of the shit comes from ex-FCA members. And although I have encountered a bad attitude from several PDF NCO's, this mostly comes from the younger blokes who are in the minority.