Best Practices

[HavocIRL]

And it damn well was ridiculous. And Havoc, every recruit learns how to fill a mag and strip the weapon in the dark, or should do. Also, those two "unfortunates" who lost their rifles were ordered to place them in the sleepings bags or between them in the bivvi. They didn't and it was their fault, and my fault as they were in my maneuver group and I should have checked.
The level of training, or lack thereof, shocked me that night. White lights, falling down bivvis, and at times a complete lack of patrol drill. Who knew "contact right" might mean we have contact with the enemy to our right?

The privates in question did have their weapons between them in their bivvi. The officer was just determined to make an example. I personally knew he was going to try and do something like that so I wrapped my arm up in the sling. I agree though that we should have gotten more training before going out that night. I think they were hoping to get training done while we were out there.

[Jimmy C]

And got rained on? And cold?

More cold than rain,why?

[Troddyn]

aa

[Craterus]

Troddyn/HavocIRl....Hush up!,those are not the types of stories to be broadcasted on the internet about your unit,however if theres any other "interesting" stories about your unit im sure everybody would like too know just dont be suprised if your laughed at in barracks

[Troddyn]

aa

[Joshua]

Troddyn/HavocIRL....Hush up!,those are not the types of stories to be broadcasted on the internet about your unit

Would it be better if this type of thing was swept under the carpet?

I am just guessing, but perhaps the target audience is internal and if so ...bullseye. I'd imagine that this page has been printed (like one or two others before it ) and is sitting on an intray in Bray.

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Any chance of getting back on topic. ie the positive aspects/ideas?

[DeV]

Through my company (usually an officer, NCO and private) spending a week visiting all the schools in our area, having contacted them in advance, large numbers of people have been turning up looking to join. Although those numbers have reduced in the last few years, it still works.

The problem is getting all the paper work filled in, waiting on security clearance, audiograms (which are often cancelled) and medicals. The major problem is then waiting on an army number and getting them a uniform. AND KEEPING THEM!

[Docman]

Try and recruit people over the age of 17..... Maybe recruiting people in their early twenties onwards might yield more results. I don't know where you'd do it, though. I doubt many employers would let you recruit their staff, if they had a say in it.

Have to disagree with this one. While you do tend to get a lot of people when you go into schools and a lot disappear quickly, if you put in enough work and have a proper training programme, you will usually end up with a good no. that stay. We found that if you hold off on the paperwork for 2/3 weeks, you usually get rid of all the time wasters. Then you are putting less paperwork. As for going for more mature recruits, it doesn't work. You will get maybe 1 or 2 a year if you are lucky. What I have found to work is getting them young, give them proper training and you hold on to them for a loooong time.

Another thing that I think could help in retaining the new recruits past the boring "fill out these forms and wait in this room for two hours" bit

We got around this by training the recruits together while 2 sgts filled in their paperwork. They would pull away one recruit at a time while the remanider trained (Yes, we train recruits from Day 1 rather than wait for their paperwork to go through, but only in Drill and military law. Their paperwork come through before we move to the Steyr).

Make sure people know how to do it before they have to do it.

One of the reasons for doing Exs is that you learn what you need to do... beter to make mistakes on an Ex than in the real thing. But what I have found to work is to actually have an Ex specifically for Recruits. The Ex starts with a couple of hours of practical training (this is how you set up a bivvy. Now go away and do this and we will look at them), and then moves onto proper section in attack etc. Usually the experience helps to prevent mistakes on a Bn Ex. Even a sunday in the woods helps.

They can make all the mistakes they want, get inst

A lot of the problems you are stating are problems with the units not doing things the way it is supposed to be done.

[Come-quickly]

Collectivism between units is a big must for recruitment IMHO, for a start all but one unit in our barracks is grossly understrength and greater co-operation would allow considerable efficiencies in training both line and corps personnel and for recruiting purposes.
Units should be sharing ranges up to capacity, I know there is politics to be had and practical obstacles to be overcome, but none that can't be.
Units should avail of each others personnel for admin tasks on annual and other full time training (what private or young corporal isnt looking for some extra weeks or weekends of activity?).
They should also train collectively were needs coincide both in terms of lectures/barrack lessons and field exercises.
What is wrong with this organisation that we cant take a coy minus on the ground without some bright spark ignoring specialisations and throwing personnel scattershot into tasks they arent trained for?

Corps units have skills that infantry need, and infantry units carry out training that can benefit Corps personnel even if only by letting them carry out tactical training on a realistic scale instead of being a lone CIS coy in the middle of an imaginary battlegroup.
It doesnt have to be a brigade exercise, just close co-operation from junior NCOs up to unit commanders.

Finally for recruiting, we've all seen people come to infantry units that belonged in the medics and Signallers that lost interest as soon as the emphasis switched to CIS tasks, so why not co-ordinate recruitment between local units; hold more impressive recruiting events and then try and encourage people to make a somewhat educated choice in the first place.

[The Joker]

Is there still a ban on recruiting in schools?

[Roger McGee]

(Yes, we train recruits from Day 1 rather than wait for their paperwork to go through, but only in Drill and military law. Their paperwork come through before we move to the Steyr).

We start them off with answering any questions they may have and then go into map reading which is non-military but very much related to what we do, it's also a bit more interesting than drill and military law it gets them more enthusiastic from the go. However we are very stricked about what information they are aloud here or get at before they have been cleared through.

Is there still a ban on recruiting in schools?

I didn't realise there was a ban on recruiting in schools. However a lot of units are trying alternatives to schools as they're becoming less effective. Probably something to do with a lack of ('17') year olds in 5th year and 6th years worried about exams.

[Docman]

We start them off with answering any questions they may have and then go into map reading which is non-military but very much related to what we do,

Map reading is not part of the recruit syllabus. I'm finding that 8 months of wed nights is not enough time to cover the entire syllabus. Every night of training is vital and none can be wasted on non syllabus items. Also, we have not had a problem with people becoming bored of drill and law. They have been told what lies ahead of them, what is expected of them and when they will be doing things. They have a goal to aim for. They seem to have no problem with the "boring" drill and law as they know it is merely a step on the way to weapons and tactical training.

Is there still a ban on recruiting in schools?

Someone has been feeding you a line to save them from having to do some work.

[Roger McGee]

Map reading is not part of the recruit syllabus.

Their not recruits until they've been security cleared by the guards and sworn in, we don't teach anything that is military until this process is complete. We're simply given them something to do while they are waiting on their paperwork to come back.

Is a 2* not expexted to know how to read a map? I was though map reading as a 'recruit'.

[Docman]

Their not recruits until they've been security cleared by the guards and sworn in, we don't teach anything that is military until this process is complete. We're simply given them something to do while they are waiting on their paperwork to come back.

The difference is that Military law is not a restricted item. DA54 is available online as is many other parts of military law (and organisation). Personally I found that you will not complete the recruit syllabus in time if you do not start training straight away. There is no need to do anything restricted until they are sworn in. Why do map reading (parts of which are restricted and not available to the public) when there is things on the Recruit syllabus that you can do? Why waste the time?

Is a 2* not expexted to know how to read a map? I was though map reading as a 'recruit'.

Map reading is part of the 2* syllabus. It is not on the recruit syllabus. You may have been taught it as a recruit but it was not, and is not, on the recruit syllabus.

[Docman]

Their not recruits until they've been security cleared by the guards and sworn in, we don't teach anything that is military until this process is complete. We're simply given them something to do while they are waiting on their paperwork to come back.

The difference is that Military law is not a restricted item. DA54 is available online as is many other parts of military law (and organisation). Personally I found that you will not complete the recruit syllabus in time if you do not start training straight away. There is no need to do anything restricted until they are sworn in. Why do map reading (parts of which are restricted and not available to the public) when there is things on the Recruit syllabus that you can do? Why waste the time?

Is a 2* not expexted to know how to read a map? I was though map reading as a 'recruit'.

A 2* must show proficiency at map reading before promotion to 3* but is not expected to know how to read a map until after his or her star tests on map reading. Map reading is part of the 2* syllabus. It is not on the recruit syllabus. You may have been taught it as a recruit but it was not, and is not, on the recruit syllabus.