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  • #16
    We did radio training with "Army Radios" with a Base set too (well they are the army radios I got as a child but they had the desired effect)
    We do tactic talks on a black board and arc of view training with Picture things we got from COY HQ.
    There is nowhere we could use to do the section attacks even without weapons - the park is too small.

    We do:

    Foot Drill (not much marching as we have no where)
    The Radio Course
    Tactic Lectures
    Weapons Training from Photocopies
    Grenade training using a Board Diagram
    The ark of view thing.

    We do what we can.

    [MOD: Edit]
    Assurance is credable and to be credable you'v got to show you can do it!!

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    • #17
      You just can't do in two hours what you can do with a working day. You're just finished setting up when you have to pack up again.

      Training nights can be useful, if very slow. Training days are much better. And that should be a full training day, not transport, lunch, training for 2.5 hours, transport, home.
      Take these men and women for your example.
      Like them, remember that posterity can only
      be for the free; that freedom is the sure
      possession of those who have the
      courage to defend it.
      ***************
      Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like.
      ***************
      If you're not ready to die for it, put the word freedom out of your vocabulary.

      Comment


      • #18
        We have a quick parade/inspection, usually a bit of foot drill, lessons & a quick dismissal, this gives us around an hour and a half for training. Thats enough time for 2 complete lessons on most subjects, lots of time if you prepare properly!

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        • #19
          My theory is that weekly training is for theory and field days/weekends are for practice. Putting all your effort into one is not healthy for the unit.

          Comment


          • #20
            Would agree with that Docman, as obviously you can't do a range practice or an exercise on at training parade, at least not easily. Training Parades cover things like visual training and JD, but due to the amount of time being put into field days/weekends the training parades are suffering from both lack of numbers & content, therefore the troops aren't getting the theory, and know very little when they have to put it into practice.

            For example, my unit held our christmas competitions in Kilbride in January, I set the map reading test. Test involved the following:

            Orienatnate the map
            Show exactly where you are
            Show where a grid reference is on the map
            What is at this grid reference for a position
            Give compass bearings to 2 different locations
            Measure a distance along a road
            Measure a distance "as the crow flys"
            What is the Climb/Decent between 2 points

            This is all basic stuff, while my Company didn't fair too badly (although not perfectly by any means), the other companies involved were generally bad. For example, Pte 3* from one company was sure we were around 15-20 km from Kilbride.

            Comment


            • #21
              Posted by Docman

              "My theory is that weekly training is for theory and field days/weekends are for practice. Putting all your effort into one is not healthy for the unit."

              Fair enough. My view is that training nights are a waste of time, and full time intial training, one weekend a month & one month a year is the way to go. This could give effective training of over 45 days a year; that's equivalent to over two months of five day weeks, which (I suspect) is more than most PDF get. Put in long hours ont he one weekend a month, and you can increase the effective number of training days by another 10 days.

              The important part is the inital training. If people start off up to scratch, all you need is revision & incremental training. This could give one hell of an effective & efficient reserve.
              Take these men and women for your example.
              Like them, remember that posterity can only
              be for the free; that freedom is the sure
              possession of those who have the
              courage to defend it.
              ***************
              Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like.
              ***************
              If you're not ready to die for it, put the word freedom out of your vocabulary.

              Comment


              • #22
                I was talking about the situation that we currently find ourselves in with weekly training and field days.

                Much more training is required and while your solutions are good, Jag, they are unlikely to happen anytime soon. I'm trying to give Brian real advice that he can use today, not stuff that he may be able to do in a few years.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Point taken. Supid question Brian, is this a "if I was CO" kind of theorhetical question, or are you in a position to do something about it?

                  If the latter, get a training programme & stick to it. Stop it from becoming an utter fantasy only, and you will be half way there. Don't abandon the programme because only a few turn up; reward them by giving them the planned lesson. If people think they are missing nothing by not turning up, why the hell would they turn up?

                  For tactics, walk through/talk through on the night, ought to make the weekend smoother. (as if I knew anything about tactics).
                  Take these men and women for your example.
                  Like them, remember that posterity can only
                  be for the free; that freedom is the sure
                  possession of those who have the
                  courage to defend it.
                  ***************
                  Liberty is being free from the things we don't like in order to be slaves of the things we do like.
                  ***************
                  If you're not ready to die for it, put the word freedom out of your vocabulary.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Interesting about the UK approach. Should we abandon the need for weekly parades in favour of that approach?

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      As our training becomes more advanced, the less you can fit in to 2 hours or less. Field days is where the real learning is done. Better again, weekend training once a month. Same hours, but a lot more to show for it.


                      Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by Goldie fish View Post
                        As our training becomes more advanced, the less you can fit in to 2 hours or less. Field days is where the real learning is done. Better again, weekend training once a month. Same hours, but a lot more to show for it.
                        Spot on, even a days (or 2 days training) in barracks once a month would be better than once a week training....however people just don't like to give up a Saturday morning in bed
                        "Attack your attic with a Steyr....as seen on the Late Late Show..."

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Originally posted by kermit
                          Some units have abandoned weekly parades altogether in favour of training weekends.
                          Granted. But not everyone's work patterns are Mon-Fri 9-5, off for the weekend.
                          Then there is also family committments. Questions which would have to be asked at
                          the outset would be:

                          How many training weekends would you have in the year?
                          Would you be guaranteed of getting the equipment needed for training?
                          This factor in particular could well throw such a weekend up in the air if this fell
                          down.
                          Sunday bus services in urban areas often do not start until 10 am or so.
                          This can be a problem for the 17-18 yr old recruit who depends on the bus to get to Bks for an
                          08.00 start.

                          A former member of 21 Inf Bn who was in a senior position in Dublin Bus instituted a
                          'Reservist' bus pass, issued to members of E Bde FCA in the Dublin area.

                          This is going back a few years ago now, at this stage. Dev should be able to confirm the fine
                          details of this.

                          The only requirement was that the holder had to be in uniform to use it, to ensure
                          it was being used legitimately. But of course, the small few started to abuse this, and it was pulled.
                          I think I'd just joined up when the scheme was axed.
                          As regards the arrangements rurla units make for bussing in their troops, I wouldn't be familiar with this,
                          as I was never in this scenario.

                          Originally posted by concussion View Post
                          Spot on, even a days (or 2 days training) in barracks once a month would be better than once a week training....however people just don't like to give up a Saturday morning in bed
                          I don't have this problem. For some reason, I struggle to get up early for work,
                          or almost any other thing. But when it's the RDF - ding ding - I'm out of the scratcher
                          like a light. So my missus says anyway
                          Plus I've been doing this for a while now, so I know what's expected.

                          It's something to do with working shift, I think. Shift workers are placed into two
                          categories - Owls and Larks.
                          Owls are good at nights, but feel trashed doing days.
                          Larks are the opposite. I'm the former, I think.
                          Last edited by Truck Driver; 5 September 2007, 00:34.
                          "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)!"

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            The training parades would still be required for admin & recruiting etc - ration indents, hire / req of transport, estimated attendance, req of stores, application for field day/weekend, application for use of lands etc (many of these required min 21 days in advance, how come we sometimes get 3/4 days notice??).

                            Also how would this effect the min number of hours that have to be done to remain effect (especially for those enlisted during the year)?

                            Some basic lessons can be done on training parades to free up time on weekends. What if the battalion/bde has events organised on that weekend or on the other 2+ weekends in the month?

                            Before my time TD.

                            Not all areas of the country (including urban areas) have a regular enough bus/rail service.
                            Last edited by DeV; 5 September 2007, 16:36.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              To make this work you would need to have an agreed calander of weekends, that didn't change at short notice, so that people could plan around.

                              This should also take into consideration Bn and Bde tasks coming up in the next 6 months.

                              You could have different cycles i.e Recruits do their 6 x monthly parades plus camp, but are not available for duties or other tasks until after their training. 2-3 star could have allocated to them additional "duty" weekends on top of their training weekend, and so on. NCOs and officers would still have to do some (but not all) weekly parades so as to get the administration done.

                              Of course this would require planning, organisation and commitment.
                              Last edited by Bravo20; 5 September 2007, 11:52.

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                              • #30
                                I still think training nights have their place. However my unit is based in barracks and training facilities and equipment don't tend to be that much of a problem, so I can understand not everyone is that fortunate. Chatting to lads from rural units I was fairly surprised how little they had seen of the rifle, quite sloppy compared to us, whereas their footdrill tended to be top quality. Considering how quickly someone can get cheesed off of constant footdrill I was fairly impressed with their level of commitment.

                                You still need weekly training parade just to maintain interest. You mightn't be doing as much in the two hours but it's alot different being involved with an organisation on a weekly rather than monthly basis. Theory, as Docman said, should be the focus here, though it can get into the practical areas with things like first aid.

                                The ideal would be a meaningful weekly training parade, a weekend once a month and your annual camp, but that requires a lot of commitment and while the soldier in question might be happy to give it, the spouse/employer family mightn't be!

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