Recruit Camps & Alcohol.

[Icaris]

Where you do your recruit camp is also important. I recently helped out a recruit camp at a barracks and while it was hard i felt my platoons recruit camp was far harder because it was held at a camp(Scatch etc). They were allowed to drink on the last night which i felt was fair as it served as a reward for a hard week.

[DeV]

Scratch is not on the FCA Recruit Syllabus, therefore they should be doing it.

Recruit camps should be held in barracks, as they have a proper square, and training room.

My own recruit camp was a Command affair in a PDF barracks close to the border. The was plenty of space on the square and roads around the barracks. The accomodiation & food was excellent (4 meals a day). No one had to guard or kicthens. Good mess facilities (snooker table etc). The standard of the training rooms however was poor, but at least they existed, unless most camps.

The craic was mighty. There was around 100 recruits from ALL units in the Command. It was run by the 8 Inf Bn, but a good few instructors were provided by the other FCA Inf Bn in the East.

[Slaphead]

Scratch is not on the FCA Recruit Syllabus, therefore they should be doing it.

I don't object to it,in fact I would have liked the exprience,however if it's not on the syllabus why should it be taught?

[kermit]

Originally posted by DeV
Scratch is not on the FCA Recruit Syllabus, therefore they should be doing it.

That's ridiculous. There are a lot of things not on syllabi that are done on courses. You can do them, as long as the rest of the syllabus is done, just not be examined on them.

Originally posted by DeV
No one had to guard or kicthens.

You were on a course, therefore, you shouldn't be doing them anyway. Unless, of course, it's on the syllabus to do understudy or the like.

[JAG]

If integration is being pursued, why have an FCA recruit syllabus at all? Just figure out a way to teach the recruit syllabus to reserve recruits?

Are FCA recruits meant to be examined?



Having separate PDF and RDF syllabi is crazy. One DF, one syllabus.

[Joshua]

Originally posted by JAG
Are FCA recruits meant to be examined?.

To become a 2*, recruits must pass a "Star Test." These tests are "restricted" so I am unable to elaborate. Common sense will tell you that you are tested on the syllabus.


Regards etc

[kermit]

JAG: you try and fit a 16 week syllabus into 1 full time week, and a year of 2 hours on a Wednesday night.

[JAG]

Moan Moan, whine whine

Well, if NCOs were motivated to do training days in barracks at weekends, that might help. You have two days a month and seven extra per year, that's 29 days- equivalent to six weeks full time training. Plus 2 hours for 44 weeks per year is another week and a half equivalent of 12 hour days.

You could crush a 16 week syllabus in there. With difficulty admittedly, but it could be done within existing resurces if the will was there.

Most impediments to having a professional reserve are, I'm afraid to say, the attitude of the members. I mean, there's another thread devoted (partly) to a debate on whether people should be allowed spend annual training pissed every night. The fact that there are enough people against the idea of banning alcohol during full time training speaks volumes about dedication of those people. Complaining about lack of training time while squandering the valuable time that is available by spending it in the mess is pure, unadulterated, bullshit.

The military day for full time training is from 07-00 to 23-59. The ONLY time I have spent even one day working to that time on camp was on Pots. Most other camps I have been on, the day started at 07-00, finished at 19-00 at the latest.

Not directed at any individuals, before anyone gets offended. Just a general gripe.

[Slaphead]

yes I agree there should be be standardisation across all elements of the the DF

[Jimmy C]

I dont agree that the debate as to weather drink should be allowed is one related to devotion. I have come in for many very boring unpaid voluntary days , purely because I like doing my bit, and still agree with drink being dished out to RDF of their own time.

[Slaphead]

As long as it does not interfer with ones duties I think drink is grand

[Roger McGee]

"JAG: you try and fit a 16 week syllabus into 1 full time week, and a year of 2 hours on a Wednesday night."

The Eastern rdf pots course fits the 4 month pdf syllabus into two weekends and 3 weeks of training.

I personally think give recruits the full 16 week training it can't be that impossible to do, change a few laws (which has to be done anyway as part of the integration) to give reservists job security. Chance's are that recruits will be coming out of school anyway so won't have that problem. It wouldn't be too much unlike the years service that the Germans have to do.

I think that the problem with the standard of all ranks in the reserve is due to the fact that we never actually got proper training from the start all we ever get is bits and peaces here and there, if we got a good foundation from which to build we would be a much more effective outfit i.e. our 16 weeks.

[FMolloy]

The Eastern rdf pots course fits the 4 month pdf syllabus into two weekends and 3 weeks of training.

You're off your head if you think that an FCA pots course comes close to measuring up to a PDF one.

[The Joker]

Well actually I comes close. The do a month or so of MOI where as we do 1 week. They also prepare for other duties that we dont need to such as cash escorts etc. The course is just shorter but covers all the necessary points.

[DeV]

The current E Bde FCA Pot NCOs Course, covers all the major elements of the PDF course, that are covered in 4 month course. The FCA just spends less time on each element.

Now back to the thread, RDFRA actually submitted an idea to the RDF review to have a 6-8 week full time recruit camp.