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Currently as most RDF members will know recruitment is on hold. Now, if it is restarted, should it be centralized, like the Garda Reserve ? * which is still recruiting. *
Should joiners be posted to the unit ( like the marine corps , best people get their choice )
so we have .... joining ( enticement ) and then posting, if successful.
Last edited by trellheim; 15 February 2011, 21:22.
Centralised definitely but at what level?:
- unit
- barracks
- brigade
- all army
AFAIK you apply to the GR at local level and it processed at that level with training at local/regional and centralised level.
It is also depends on the future organisation of the RDF. Personally I'm in 2 minds - centralised definitely either at unit/barracks (multi-unit) level or brigade level.
That would never work sending people to whatever unit. People join to do what they have an interest in, you can't exactly expect a person who wants to drive all the time be sent to the infantry unit, it wouldn't be long to have them 'go f**k this, this isn't what I wanted to do'. I know rifleman first and all that crap but, it is volunteering after all, if your not doing what you enjoy, you'll leave.
Don't stand there GAWPING, like you've never seen the hand of God BEFORE!!
My own opinion :
... but you're volunteering to serve the state, not to serve as an infantryman or cannon cocker. WTF does it matter, you'll make friends wherever you go. or you won't. just like your own unit now. If you don't like it then leave.
Corps units should get a lot of manpower priority given their specialized nature, Tpt,CIS,Meds, in fact most of the CSS units.
See this from the viewpoint of it NOT being a happy clapper club but a state organization that needs people in certain spots - its not there to keep you happy.
"I don't want to go the Infantry, I wanna be in LSB"
Sorry but you're a soldier, you'll do what you're told. If the kind of people that are being attracted are people who will turn around and not play ball if they don't get their own way, tell them to **** cause they're not worth a wank.
You would have to take a couple of things into account:
- individuals civilian expertise which they want to use (eg a doctor wants to be an MO)
- individuals civilian expertise which they don't want to use (eg a doctor who doesn't want to be an MO)
- geography - eg an individual from Donegal who doesn't mind doing their recruit training at Athlone but would prefer their home unit to be Finner not Galway.
no you wouldn't, there'd be no concept of "want" MO and Engr. offr. are special cases. Locn: reserve needs to be near a barracks. Grade people during training and thats the incentive- do well and you'll get the corps you want
In answer to Dev's question (level: Unit, Bks, Bde, All Army), my opinion
is somewhere between Bks and Bde aswell, e.g; all Dublin based recruits train together
This was done when the first female FCA personnel were trained
(MPs, Signals, Tpt, Medics only initially) in 1990/1
As for unit selection, certainly consideration needs to be given to use of
personnel's civvy quals, if possible (a review of the candidate's enlistment
form - maybe also a more widespread questionnaire needed in addition
to flesh out information ?), to ensure suitable candidates go where required
Contrasting to this, as mentioned previously, some people want a CHANGE
from their civvy jobs, e.g; driving all week, so don't want to be driving at the
weekend too
The system currently is for units to recruit independently, so folks will go
where their interests / mates are. How efficient the units are will dictate
retention, but that's another discussion
If the system was to change, candidates would be going in with their eyes
open to the fact that they would not be guaranteed their first choice,
bit like the PDF in that respect. In fact, I can think of a mate who was
ex 7 FAR, enlisted in the PDF, was banging on about "I'm going to 2 FAR"
He ended up getting 2 Cav Sqn, did his five years and went back to his
old RDF unit. Barry and Turbocalves will know who I am referring to
I asked him approx a year into his service, on meeting him one evening
in the Bks, how he liked 2 Cav Sqn - his reply was that he loved it
Another consideration when posting personnel under such a system is the
geographical one. Not being a full time job, with some personnel not
having access to a car or being close to public transport, posting someone
from say Limerick to 31 Res Cav Sqn, would be a daft idea, as retention
would suffer in the long run
"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)!"
Another consideration when posting personnel under such a system is the
geographical one. Not being a full time job, with some personnel not
having access to a car or being close to public transport, posting someone
from say Limerick to 31 Res Cav Sqn, would be a daft idea, as retention
would suffer in the long run
Yes - to the title of the thread "Should recruitment to the RDF be changed".
i strongly agree fitness tests should be part of the requirement.
i however also feel that travel overseas with regular units should be feasable.
and if extra travel (to parade nights and weekends etc) is involved then this will no doubt be paid for at public expense, so travel should not be an issue unless it is an extremely time consuming journey.
RGJ
...Once a Rifleman - Always a Rifleman...Celer et Audax
Centralised definitely but at what level?:
- unit
- barracks
- brigade
- all army
AFAIK you apply to the GR at local level and it processed at that level with training at local/regional and centralised level.
It is also depends on the future organisation of the RDF. Personally I'm in 2 minds - centralised definitely either at unit/barracks (multi-unit) level or brigade level.
Definitely brigade level.... the larger the pool of recruits standards can be more rigidly enforced etc... logistically it should be easier to organise.
I went into an Italian restaurant and ordered dessert and they gave me tiramisu and a blindfolded horse and I said No, I said mask a pony (mascarpone)
That would never work sending people to whatever unit. People join to do what they have an interest in, you can't exactly expect a person who wants to drive all the time be sent to the infantry unit, it wouldn't be long to have them 'go f**k this, this isn't what I wanted to do'. I know rifleman first and all that crap but, it is volunteering after all, if your not doing what you enjoy, you'll leave.
Most RDF recruits dont realise when they are joining up that there are different corps in the RDF, I think put them where they are needed and once there is a vacancy they can apply for it, this could also result in an increased standard of corp unit personnel due to the fact that they are fully aware of what skill set they would like to achieve
I went into an Italian restaurant and ordered dessert and they gave me tiramisu and a blindfolded horse and I said No, I said mask a pony (mascarpone)
Ah you see of course with this approach you'd be told if for example if you can't make it to a barracks under your own steam in good time, you're probably not what we want. Why should it serve the guy applying - who cares about him ? he's the one who wants to serve.
This is all well and good Trell, but the RDF doesn't offer enough to compensate for the sacrifices that an individual makes in order to serve his/her country under those conditions.
There's no weeknight pay, no expenses, no employment protection and no operational role to work towards. The RDF is also competing for members against local college clubs, GAA, football, mountaineering, airsoft clubs etc. All of which do exactly what they say on the tin, seldom have the associated bullshit often found in the RDF and offer a sense of competition in the mix.
I agree that you're there to serve the RDF, not the RDF serving you. However, a structure of accommodating certain individual requirements needs to be addressed too seeing as the RDF is asking for an ad hoc voluntary commitment, not full time positions.
Why should it serve the guy applying - who cares about him ? he's the one who wants to serve.
The RDF isn't exactly turning people away as it is, so why put in more obstacles to retention? It works in the PDF because if the unit you're based with is far away they'll give you accomodation in the barracks, but making a RDF man commute a stupid distance when there's another unit closer is just moronic.
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