The situation in similar organisations to RDF

[DeV]

There are a number of threads which dicuss:
the time commitment required by members of the RDF,
payment for training, and
getting time off from work

So what is the situation in other similar forces

UK TA - independant units (eg Infantry)
27 days (including weeknight parades, weekends, and 15 day camp)
all training is paid
employers are not obliged to give members time of for training, only mobilisation

Australian TA
1 weekend per month + 2 weeks per year (weeknight parades appear to be optional)
they are paid for anything over 3 hours
employers are obliged to give unpaid leave for training
(inital fulltime training of 7 weeks + trade training of 2 - 7 weeks - which can be done as modules, so long as it is done within 18 months)

New Zealand TA
20 days (including weeknight parades, weekends) camps appear to be optional
all training is paid
work leave is available with employers consent

US National Guard
1 weekend per month + 2 weeks per year
(althought there is at least 9 weeks full time inital training)
employers must give unpaid leave for training

By comparsion - Ireland's RDF
48 hours of training
full-time training is paid but most weekends are not
most members have to use holidays to attend

[California Tanker]

Canada's reserves seem to have an 'option' to go on camp. I've seen TV adverts for their exercises.

NTM

[ODIN]

i this the aussie or us model looks best on paper....its what i'd personally like to see

[irishrgr]

From what I know, I think the US is a great model. All training is paid and your employer is required to let you off for any training. We have a bloke at work wo was gone for two years on a course and he came back to work as if nothing had happened. I met some TA lads in the Middle East, they told us an employer of certain "protected" jobs could prevent a soldier from mobilization under English law. They said this was typically jobs like firefighters, police officers, prision officers and so on, mostly public sector. If Ireland wants a meaningful reserve they will have to change the laws. Volunteering is good, but you can only ask so much of people. Retained firefighters in Ireland are paid for all their training, so why not the troops?

[DeV]

I can't find definite information on the Canadian Reserves on the net but:

Depending on their role / unit they have to complete 30 to 45 days training annually (including evenings and every 2nd weekend).
They are paid for any training over 6 hours.
Employers are not obliged to give time off for training.

Recruits undertake a 20 day course followed by another 20 days of skills training.

[hptmurphy]

as gerry maguire said...show me the money....I'll do all the training you want...i'll even sell my soul but please remeber I've got a wife and three kids to provide for and an employer who dosen't give a shit about army reserves and time off. In facT If I look for enough time off the'lly sack me. Great start for a committed reserve.

Now sell me a committed reserve!

[Goldie fish]

Anyone in the reserve should be committed long ago...

To the psychiatric hospital....

[madmark]

it wont happen because if it does berty will have anoyed the only people he cares about .
the people with all the money

[JAG]

Just to get my broken record/holistic mantra impression in again:

"One weekend per month,
One month per year"

The level of success of the RDF re-org will be how long it takes before an RDF soldier can deploy in a similar timeframe to his PDF counterpart

[petergriffin]

I agree with the idea of providing in law for employers to be obliged to release reservists for training etc,but I do not believe there is any will at government level to implement anything of the sort. There is a certain obsession with man-days and the exceeding thereof when dealing with the RDF, and anything which would cause more reservists to present themselves for training camps would be most unwelcome by those who control the purse strings in the DOD(ie the money grubbing civil servants in Renmore!)

[Tank]

The system on the continent is even better. Most armies don't have separate RDF units anymore and reservists can do loads of time with their parent unit, including going abroad. For example the German Army does not have RDF force- they're completely integrated. They have a requirement to do at least 2 weeks service a year in one go. No evening or weekend camps though. Only the full time stuff.

All duty is paid for. Employers are obliged to give up to 6 months unpaid leave per year for military service. Social Welfare will take care of financial commitments like mortgages and pay the difference between your normal wages and the army pay.

I know the Swedish, Norwegian, Austrian, Dutch and French Armies operate a simalar system.

[ELVIS]

You say the US national guard does one weekend a month and two weeks a year. I saw an interesting program the other night about the Arkansas national guard who were called up to Iraq. They were the biggest sham of a reserve force ever! They couldn't march, had practically no weapons training and they were for the majority terribly unfit. They all had to leave wives and families to do an 18 month tour over there. I can safely say that from what I've seen of the FCA, which isn't a whole lot, that some of the good infantry units would be approx 10000 times better than the national guard. And they were in real combat situations.

[sandman]

From what i understand 80-90% of the US national gaurd are not fit for combat of any kind

[FMolloy]

From what i understand 80-90% of the US national gaurd are not fit for combat of any kind

What evidence are you basing that on?

[sandman]

some random information that ive heard being thrown around