RDF Recruit Intakes

[DeV]

Should RDF units set a time(s) for recruits to come up and start training in order to maximise numbers, use available resources (NCOs & training areas) to full? or continue as is the case in all units I have come across, taking on new recruits at all times during the year?

I would suggest trying the first option (although I haven't experienced it at work), for example, advertise for potential recruits to come up in January, do the medicals etc in February/March, enlist & issue uniform in April, training May-July, upgraded to 2* after camp (this is just a suggestion)

[hptmurphy]

Thats thge way it pans out for us at the momen ...but given the delays in clearances and medicals means that we must actually processing people in september. Believe it or not ...people brought in at the middle of october are only having their hearing tests on the first of march.....the whole process of enlisting people now borders on ridiculous .

[Truck Driver]

Dev, recruit training from May-July??? That would be meteoric speed for the completion of Reserve
recruit training. Even allowing for field days included with the training nights. There's a limit to the
number of weekend field days people can do, after all, people do have lives outside of work and the
Reserve. Would suggest at the earliest, it would take 6-7 months.
The proposal to centralise recruit training in the Reserve BTC's may well come on in leaps and
bounds with the kick off of the Re-Org proper on Oct 1.

Murf, we are seeing a similar timeline at the moment with our latest intake.... am unsure if they
will be sworn in after completion of medical or whether we ahve to wait for army numbers to come
back.... it's been a long time since I was a recruit, so I can't remember.

[Roger McGee]

If you can get a bunch of them in in October or so and have them sworn in by late December early January, get them on the Easter recruit camp. They've then got Summer camp to keep their enthusiasm going and it also gives them the chance to fire the steyr and get promoted to 2*, camp can also act as a two star camp with training in section in attack etc. Then there's normally an autumn exercise to prepare them for and they are now able to do any exercises the rest of the company is doing. This timetable I suppose you might call it, is the only one I've seen keep up the momentum and interest for recruits, any other recruit camps like summer camp recruit camps just leaves recruits sitting in limbo afterwards and creates twice the workload and time to get them trained and integrated into the rest of the company.

Believe it or not ...people brought in at the middle of october are only having their hearing tests on the first of march.....the whole process of enlisting people now borders on ridiculous .

Are you sure there isn't other variables in these cases, in my own company we can manage to get them through the whole process in about 2 months.

[hptmurphy]

Very sure! as I do the paper work for the potential enlistiees so I am acutely aware of the list of obtacles place the way.

For those inside the pale.......

Outstations even in manned posts have all sorts of problems . ie hearing tests have to be done in Cork or Limerick ...so having an operator available is not always an option . Being based in Clonmel you are always at the back of the queue as I imagine units whose headquarters are in the afore mentioned are given favoured status. A trip to any of these centres requires a 120 mile round trip which obviouls can only happen outside of normal working hours ...not convienient to all..!

[Roger McGee]

I figured that Geography might have had something to do with it.

[DeV]

Dev, recruit training from May-July??? That would be meteoric speed for the completion of Reserve
recruit training. Even allowing for field days included with the training nights. There's a limit to the
number of weekend field days people can do, after all, people do have lives outside of work and the
Reserve. Would suggest at the earliest, it would take 6-7 months.
The proposal to centralise recruit training in the Reserve BTC's may well come on in leaps and
bounds with the kick off of the Re-Org proper on Oct 1.

Believe it or not that is what is recommended by directive, that includes a two week camp

[Docman]

Believe it or not ...people brought in at the middle of october are only having their hearing tests on the first of march.....the whole process of enlisting people now borders on ridiculous .

Our unit started taking on people at the end of september. All were sworn in December 1st. We had no problems getting medicals or hearing tests done (except to get the recruits to show up for them) and Garda clearance only took a few weeks. Our medicals/hearing tests are also done in Limerick.
I was involved in most of the paperwork and didn't hit any snags. Without going into operational details, can you expand on the problems you had?

[trellheim]

HA HA HA try and get that done in Dublin docman ... you'd be tearing out the hair

If you have enough NCOs you can effectively train 2 max intakes a year. "dribble-in "recruitment normally means the training starts [ if it ever properly does ] at the level of the last man in. leaving some G1s who are nearly 2* doing it all again.

[hptmurphy]

Maybe you might come to Clomnmel and have a look. We are dependant on a civvy doctor ....on contract to the army...to carry out medicals. He was due last night but cancelled again! The paperwork end of things has now upped a gear with the mandatory inclusion of photographs on application ( which by the way is actually illegal) . I don't know what actually can be done to speed up due process.....next problem is the few recruits are now starting to go missing due to exam commitments....will it ever end.

[Docman]

Maybe you might come to Clomnmel and have a look. We are dependant on a civvy doctor ....on contract to the army...to carry out medicals. He was due last night but cancelled again! The paperwork end of things has now upped a gear with the mandatory inclusion of photographs on application ( which by the way is actually illegal) . I don't know what actually can be done to speed up due process.....next problem is the few recruits are now starting to go missing due to exam commitments....will it ever end.

Although if you are currently following Army policy in the south, they seem to be discouraging units have more than a handful of recruits.

[hptmurphy]

we currently have applicattions and associated paperwork for a troop which is twenty four so we are meetimg our obligation.Unfortunately they never all appear at once making it difficult to organise medicals and hearing tests...also clothing for those who are sworn in is a factor...we are again dependant on Limerick since the accounts were moved there and again we are bottom of the food chain