Nirvana.....

[JAG]

[MODPLIT FROM OTHER]

How about Field Hospital Coys made up of professionally qualified personnell as per Rod & Serpents territorial army unit- 204 Field Hospital Coy, further info available from google or the MOD.

Oh, wait, that could never work, how fcuking ridiculous am I being you'd never get any professionally qualified people to join a reserve force in their civvie job, you can't expect reserve personnell to be qualified to do their jobs.......

According to some- you gonna rise to the bait of reinforcing your previous statements in light of evidence to the contrary or are you going to lurk this one out?
1: I don't have a hatred/dislike for the DF. I want to see the DF with vastly greater resources training, deployment and discipline. I believe reserve forces are the future of modern defensive systems, and it pains me the that the RDF when I was in it was nothing but a money vacuum and contributed nothing whatsoever to the DF, and only took away from PDF resources in terms of cadre staff.

From what I've seen on this board there are improvements effected and in the pipeline, and I hope that the RDF will be an organisation I will be proud to rejoin before I'm too old. Unfortunately, I'm not overly optimistic about that. I hope to be proven wrong- I like being proven both a cynic and wrong, it means the world is a better place than I think it is.

In the meantime, I can broadcast my opinions on this board in the vague hope that a lightbulb or two would go off in someone's head and even one, teeny, tiny little improvement will be made because of that.

2: Tried and failed, as some on this board know and (at least) one person on this board was a part of that attempt. I succeeded in kicking up enough of a fuss, I hope, that wrongs have/will not be repeated. Not in a position to confirm whether this is the case, but a certain post match discussion with a certain someone indicated to me that this is the case. But the guy could have been deliberately filling me full of shit.

I like to think I may have made some miniscule positive difference, but if I did it was probably in the manner of my leaving the FCA rather than my actions while I was a member- because they certainly made no difference whatsoever good or bad. I was told recently that my name still isn't mentioned by a certain someone.

Which I take as a good sign. Because, I have said so very often the RDF should not be easy, it should be hard and it's members should be dedicated and PAID and:

It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club. It is not a social club.

[CQ2]

Oh, wait, that could never work, how fcuking ridiculous am I being you'd never get any professionally qualified people to join a reserve force in their civvie job, you can't expect reserve personnell to be qualified to do their jobs.......

Two doctors and four nurses in our unit (reserve). Do they count as professionaly qualified JAG?
And personally i feel that losing our Medic identity by becoming a logs btn is a small price to pay considering that we are been dragged from the dark ages and finally learning how to be more professional from classes given to us by pdf medics.

[JAG]

CQ2, sorry, I was baiting another member of the board who claimed previously professionally qualified civvies would never want to use their skills in the RDF, and medical professionals avoided medical units like the plague, so they could get away from the day job- an attitude that RDF shouldn't be required to be professional that I hugely disagree with.

And who hasn't posted here yet, oddly enough. Lurk lurk lurk lurk.....

Entire Territorial Army field hospital units, which mainly consist of professionally qualified (R&S???), have deployed and are due to deploy again to Iraq & Afghanistan. The attitude of some is that such units would be comprised almost entirely of those without the necessary qualifications- if such a unit were deployed people would die as a result.

[The Joker]

CQ2, sorry, I was baiting another member of the board who claimed previously professionally qualified civvies would never want to use their skills in the RDF, and medical professionals avoided medical units like the plague, so they could get away from the day job- an attitude that RDF shouldn't be required to be professional that I hugely disagree with.

And who hasn't posted here yet, oddly enough. Lurk lurk lurk lurk.....

Whats you point...

[JAG]

No, I am not worried about the name change. Thats all it is. We will still be medics. We will still be expected to carry out a job. We will still train along our PDF counterparts. So whats the difference?

Most people in the RDF medical coys aren't medics, they're gloriied first aiders (unless they've sprouted a whole lot of EMTs in recent times, which I somehow doubt). There is a world of difference, the prime one being who I'd trust to take care of me in case of serious injury, and who would get punched.

If your qualification doesn't stand in civvie street and the PDF, then it's not a qualification. It's an "I woz 'ere" certificate. Try going to a private ambulance service or the EHB (or WTF it's called now) say you're an RDF medic and ask for a job- see how far you get in the recruitment process. Now try as an ex-PDF medic; I expect you'd get much further down the path.

My point, BTW, was in the paragraph you decided not to quote. That RDF medical coys could and should be a whole lot more than they are. And that calling people who aren't medics medics will result in corpses.

(And before I get the "things have changed" bit, I recently had a chance encounter with someone who advised otherwise).

My other point was to provoke a response which would tell if previous if previous opinions that systems successfully operating in other similar countries (US & UK reserve forces) could not work here had changed. And waiting.............

[Goldie fish]

JAG, Things have changed. You shouldn't take it from a second hand source. They could be as cynical as you,and just told you what you wanted to hear.

Best thing you could do is join a medical unit,see how things are done,then make comment.(being in one back in the last century doesn't count.)

[yellowjacket]

Most people in the RDF medical coys aren't medics, they're gloriied first aiders (unless they've sprouted a whole lot of EMTs in recent times, which I somehow doubt). There is a world of difference, the prime one being who I'd trust to take care of me in case of serious injury, and who would get punched.

I'm surprised at that comment tbh. If I was injured, I know I'd be glad of the assistance of any competent person, be it a basic first aider or a consultant surgeon. I wouldn't feel like "punching" anyone just because I didn't deem their qualifications high enough to make them worthy to treat me.

There some muppets at every level, and that no doubt includes EMTs and surgeons, their existence shouldn't detract from the efforts of the majority of genuine people.

[JAG]

I presume therefore Goldie that you are never going to post on the Gardai again? And it's not quite that long ago BTW.

YJ, don't get me wrong- if someone knows what they're doing I don't care what qualifications they have. But if I was knocked down and someone from my old unit came over (unlikely let's face it ) with a few notable exceptions, they would be given the options of either A: fcuking off or B: being screwed, by me, for assault & battery in the civil & criminal courts.

[The Joker]

Most people in the RDF medical coys aren't medics, they're gloriied first aiders (unless they've sprouted a whole lot of EMTs in recent times, which I somehow doubt). There is a world of difference, the prime one being who I'd trust to take care of me in case of serious injury, and who would get punched.

If your qualification doesn't stand in civvie street and the PDF, then it's not a qualification. It's an "I woz 'ere" certificate. Try going to a private ambulance service or the EHB (or WTF it's called now) say you're an RDF medic and ask for a job- see how far you get in the recruitment process. Now try as an ex-PDF medic; I expect you'd get much further down the path.

My point, BTW, was in the paragraph you decided not to quote. That RDF medical coys could and should be a whole lot more than they are. And that calling people who aren't medics medics will result in corpses.

(And before I get the "things have changed" bit, I recently had a chance encounter with someone who advised otherwise).

My other point was to provoke a response which would tell if previous if previous opinions that systems successfully operating in other similar countries (US & UK reserve forces) could not work here had changed. And waiting.............

Jesus where to begin....Firstly the medical course is regconised by the PDF. The EMT course has NOTHING to do with the medics course PDF or RDF.

Secondly, neither PDF or RDF qualifications stand up in civvie street, the only qualification which does is EMT which is run outside the army. So they are doing a civvie course. Try going to a private company and saying your a PDF medic and ill expect you will get the same response.

Finally, I have told you before that things have changed, I am not going to go throught them again. I would say that you are out of the game to long now to have any real idea of how the unit works, and whats going on.

OH YEAH.....why must everything we do be compared to the UK/US forces? Can we not do things our own way?

[hptmurphy]

JAG I'm one of those who you tried to bait...yeah if the qualified people want to be buttonholed into their own job albeit ina DPM uniform at a fraction of the pay so be it...but there are those of us who wanted to some beyond our civilian employment...now sorry what was your excuse for bugging out...had the DF reached its quota of arseholes!

[Goldie fish]

I presume therefore Goldie that you are never going to post on the Gardai again? And it's not quite that long ago BTW.

The difference is I am in regular,almost daily contact with friends of mine within the gardai. You'll find I am usually asked my opinions on the Gardai here, I don't see people asking you about your experiences in the medics...

[Gasplug]

or history for that matter

[Turkey]

As for the law.....................?

[madmark]

Most people in the RDF medical coys aren't medics, they're gloriied first aiders (unless they've sprouted a whole lot of EMTs in recent times, which I somehow doubt). There is a world of difference, the prime one being who I'd trust to take care of me in case of serious injury, and who would get punched.

jag just for your info since december 1998 rdf medices have being doing ambulance skills course all people in the DF who want to become an EMT MUST DO THIS COURSE first so please dont preach about thing you know nothing about

[JAG]

OH YEAH.....why must everything we do be compared to the UK/US forces? Can we not do things our own way?

Fair enough, I'm out long enough that things MAY have changed completely. As for the quota of arseholes, that was exactly why I left.

In reference to comparing to US/UK forces:

The Territorial Army & USNG went and are going to Iraq & Afghanistan.

The FCA went to the Special Olympics.

What does this tell you?