What do you think of Irish people joining the BA?

[bunny shooter]

RGJ fair dues to ya 20 years in the same job and still love it Your a lucky guy

[RoyalGreenJacket]

RGJ fair dues to ya 20 years in the same job and still love it Your a lucky guy

thanks bunny, like i said mate it's not all roses and i've been close to jacking it in a few times but i saw sense and i'm still loving it however i manage to see through the smoke alot better now.

when i joined at 17 - i loved it so much i would have done it for free and getting paid was just a bonus!

but having been married for 15 out of my 20 years in the army i can safely say 'the Brits' look after us very well indeed.

RGJ

[RoyalGreenJacket]

excellent post Vanguard - i'm with you all the way

the kit now is amazing - i had a play with the new Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun last week - serious bit of kit!

soldiers need a good war to sort their kit out - and the Brits have been in the thick of it for the past 5 years - now we have some of the best kit in the world.

RGJ

[sofa]

excellent post Vanguard - i'm with you all the way

the kit now is amazing - i had a play with the new Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun last week - serious bit of kit!

soldiers need a good war to sort their kit out - and the Brits have been in the thick of it for the past 5 years - now we have some of the best kit in the world.

RGJ

From reading the web site www.defenceoftherealm.co you would be given the impression
that there is a lot of problems with the suitability and quantity of the gear that they are given to fight with in A-stan,

[RoyalGreenJacket]

it's not an ideal world we live in and we can't always have what we want when we want but we do a pretty good job in the Brits.

there is always room for improvement but overall the kit we have now is much much better than that 5 years ago before Telic. even the US Army now recognise they are slow to adapt compared to the Brits.

RGJ

[Truck Driver]

....I had a play with the new Benelli M4 Combat Shotgun last week - serious bit of kit....

This is reviewed in this month's issue of Combat and Survival magazine.
On the same subject, NEXT month's issue features an article on the Irish
deployment in Chad....

[knocker]

there is no problem with recruiting in the british army - retention is the big issue and it always will be

[RoyalGreenJacket]

From reading the web site www.defenceoftherealm.co you would be given the impression
that there is a lot of problems with the suitability and quantity of the gear that they are given to fight with in A-stan,

anyone who takes one moment to look at this website will see that it is definitely not 'pro-army' or any involvement in any of the conflicts we serve in despite the title of the site.

of course they will criticise EVERYTHING we do!

i'm in the British Army, I've been there, done the job and got the t-shirt and it's not perfect but we are getting there and we DO have great kit.

A2's with ACOG sights and bi-pod legs, Binelli Combat Shotguns, SIG pistols as personal side arms in addition to our A2, personal night vision, osprey body armour, issued Camel-baks, Personal Role Radio's for EVERY man, Bulldog, Mastiff, Jackal, Panther, Husky, Warrior and the mighty Challenger 2 to name but a few - even British Army (not Royal Air Force) Apache Longbow gunships.

why would i not want to join an army with all this equipment and puts it to good use in conflict?! better that than have to escort prisoners or cash all over Ireland or have to go overseas wearing the dreaded Blue UN Beret and the restrictions it brings on any soldier who dons it (this is NOT a dig at the Irish Defence Forces).

RGJ

[Hello Alaska]

The fact that the Brits have done and continue to do so well with what some people claim to be bad kit or to have been bad kit, speaks volumes about the character and training of the lads that are serving in the Brits IMO.

[Vanguard]

Vanguard

irish soldiers have kit as good if not better then their british counterparts, in many cases eg comms, APC's, far better.

If the british army is so good why can they not get enough british recruits.

The British armies record speaks for itself,its second to none in the Falklands they had SLRs which did not fire on fully auto, boots which fell apart, webbing which could not be dried out, not enough helicopters, etc, etc.

Did not stop them winning though did it. Its never had all the gear its needed ever, its ethos is built on improvising and overcoming its installed in training, its not about the gear its about the attitude, its about fighting battles and winning against the odds, what gucchi gear did the scots guards have on Tumbledon fighting at close quarters with fixed beyonets.

[rod and serpent]

there is no problem with recruiting in the british army - retention is the big issue and it always will be

Due to the recession, the army can now pick and choose who they want in their ranks.Some units are almost fully manned .

[RoyalGreenJacket]

you are right Serpent however any lads (and ladies) reading this should also realise that when you join the British Army it's YOU who decides what YOU want to join - so long as you 'make the grade'.

unlike the Irish Army where you apply and are accepted into 'the Army' and then the Army decides how to employ you - when you join the Brits - you tell them from the outset what trade you want to be and even what Regiment and you will get what you ask for (with some exceptions).

big big difference there.

RGJ

[hedgehog]

I think its a size thing ( Isnt it always)

we couldnt operate in a manner like that

for a start the cushier units would be overflowing

and as it is 4 Bn have enough bodies

[knocker]

rod

you say some units are nearly fully manned - but fro how long ? its easy to take a snapshot and say its good to go. Its the same line the top brass wheel out but its not reflective of the satus ie not taking into account how many of the units men have signed off

[paul g]

rod

you say some units are nearly fully manned - but fro how long ? its easy to take a snapshot and say its good to go. Its the same line the top brass wheel out but its not reflective of the satus ie not taking into account how many of the units men have signed off

Indeed, there was reports in the papers at the weekend to the effect that the British army will loose three infantry battalions in the next round of cuts. It appears that while the Df is talking some pain at the moment, the british army is also facing cuts in spending longer term.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/06/21/British-army-faces-drastic-cuts/UPI-24281245594537/

While i acknowledge that many feel loyal to their regiment and think that their kit is world best (although having an APC that was designed in the 1960's like Bulldog, no matter how updated simply doesn't compare to a Mowag), you have to bear in mind that the defence forces has changed out of all recognition in the past ten years, undertakes many overseas missions, and is still transforming and while there is a recruitment embargo at present, it won't last for ever.

As for undertaking peace support misions, as opposed to combat, and cleaning up the mess, well there is an intresting article in this month's British Army Review by Major SN Miller of the BA intelligence corps that talks about the failure in Afghanistan by the British army.

I'd still advise those who see soldiering as a long term career to consider the defence forces. This is after all an irish Defence Forces Discussion board, and should not encourage potential recruits, its future, to join overseas armies.