RDF- A positive experience.

[cruise]

:confused: ok, iv been watching this site for some time.... iv read a lot of neg stuff bout the rdf,,,
iv only been involved for 12 mths iv never missed weekly training iv had shitty experiences on camps and amazing invaluable experiences on camps and at training nights. im a 3* and im wondering has anyone else had any good/great/fantastic experiences with rdf??? because i have... and im prepared to put up with what ever mishaps come along because i believe things will get better iv been left without equipment of enough nco's and most other experiences iv read about here.... can i ask... is it not worth it for any of you to be involved in an org that can be as brutal as it is great?? iv made rdf my family and my home iv put hope into it and i can really see a great future for all involved (i mean really involved you know what im on bout) am i the only one here that sees this??? i canty be rdf on my own ya know. maybe you good ppl could share your fantastic experiences with me or your thoughts... if just to give the neg stuff a break. (th9s is my first thread so walk through talk thorugh wit me ... im not here to make enemys)

[Goldie fish]

Well done Cruise. There is still a lot of positive things happening in the RDF, but people prefer to complain about the Negative rather than boast about the positive. I know for example Llorac was involved in an excellent support weapons course run my the PDF. Docman was also involved in a well publicised Career course which was also very successful, and gave the students an opportunity to make use of the best hardware the DF has to offer. Myself and others also recently completed a Cavalry Course to a success level not achieved by our equals in the PDF.

But that doesnt make headlines.

[cruise]

There is still a lot of positive things happening in the RDF, but people prefer to complain about the Negative rather than boast about the positive.

thank you Goldie fish, if we are going to make this org work (the intergration an all) we have to change some attitudes and look at things a lil different. i was ona camp recently where some things got out of hand and a hell of a lot (one is too many) said they were going to leave the rdf after that camp. but we got to train with the pdf for 6 days does that not count for something? we had 7 ppl standing down and just hearing about what they each had done for the org over the many years was an inspiration!
Cmon rdf if we want to even think about matching the fantastic pdf we may bloody act like we want to.....

[Dagon]

Well said. There's a lot of people out there who are enthusiastic about the RDF and want to see it succeed, myself included, they just seem to be less vocal.

[DeV]

I've had some excellent experiences and craic in my 8 years service. The training has to be challenging but enjoyable and take account of the fact that people have lives and jobs.

Maybe the problems aren't so apparent when you are a 3* (seems like a different era to me, but we actually did more and better training (no frills but we got it right) training back then).

Best course I ever did was my Steyr conversion course in 2000 as a 3*, with did tactics at night under PDF supervision (1 cadre & 1 from now "parent" unit). One night the PDF Potential Officers Course were sharing our billet for a few hours rest after they came in off the ground - they thought we were a potential NCOs course at least it was deadly.

Joshua, I remember when I was a 2* doing a pln deliberate night attack in the glen, you were Pln Sgt. We had ammo to beat the band, trip flares, para illums. They the guy next to you turns around just before the off and tells you he has tourettes. Classic

As an NCO it is soul destroying to see the way some people don't just throw spanners in the work, they park JCBs in the works, instead of giving you solutions they give you problems. I would have left long ago but I know that some people in the organisation are trying to improve things and I'm too loyal to my troops to leave.

[Bravo20]

I have been in this organisation for nearly 16 years, and I do not regret it. I have good days and bad days, and I have always said I will leave the organisation when the bad days outnumber the good days. So far this has not happened. Over the years I have met some very good friends, who will be friends for life. The confidence I have that enables me to do my job, get up in front of an audience and speak to them, I attribute to the training and experience I received in the RDF. Over the years I have had fun and challanging camps and courses and adventures that are better left unpublished but usually lead to tears of laughter when reminising with my old buddies in the pub. Is it perfect, (not on your nelly), is there hope? A definate yes.

[trellheim]

another one here, usually reasonably vocal and supportive especially about the re-org. Yes there are problems


go back to the old way ? never.