The Future of the Army Reserve - Discuss

[Barry]

the commanding officer of the reserve cavalry units are RDF officers with PDF officers posted as 'staff officers' to advise the OC's.

My former OC is a RDF Cmdt.

Thought this had been implemented across the board as part of the Re Org where RDF officers were to take ownership of their units...hence the need for Lt Cols across brigades.

Nope, FARs and battalions still have a PDF Commandant as CO. It's even been known to have a PDF Captain as acting CO.

[Goldie fish]

Do LSB units still have a PDF C.O?

[smegers]

I'm fairly sure that my unit is the only reserve COE unit with RDF Comdt.

[concussion]

AD are the same, battery commander is an RDF Comdt, no PDF in our unit bar a cadre sgt and gnr.

[Barry]

AD are the same, battery commander is an RDF Comdt, no PDF in our unit bar a cadre sgt and gnr.

A battery is only a subunit - your CO is PDF.

[DeV]

the commanding officer of the reserve cavalry units are RDF officers with PDF officers posted as 'staff officers' to advise the OC's.

My former OC is a RDF Cmdt.

Thought this had been implemented across the board as part of the Re Org where RDF officers were to take ownership of their units...hence the need for Lt Cols across brigades.

The only units that have PDF COs are Inf Bns, FARs & the LSBs (CO of the RLSB is the 2ic of the PDF LSB I think).

The 4 Lt Colonels are the EOs (Executive Officers (2ICs) of the Brigades, answering to the OC Bde RDF.

RDF sub-unit / unit commanders are expect (as they always should) to take responsibility for their units.

On the other hand history will show that during times of rescession that attendance and commitment to the RDF increases.

Not sure this time! There are still a lot of part-time jobs out there and a lot more people looking for them! Also people will be putting more effort in a job to make sure they still have a job!

[concussion]

Yep, sorry, got distracted there and submitted my post. :redface: I was meaning to ask, what rank are other RDF sub-unit commanders? I assume they're commandants but isn't a sub-unit commander generally a captain?

[boforgunner]

yes but he's the ADR commander.Lt Col..... the only fully integrated unit in the DF! whatever docman says!!!!!

[DeV]

In the Army Reserve

Major units - Infantry Battalions, Fd Arty Regts & LSBs - Commanded by PDF Commandants (title is Commanding Officer (CO))
Minor units - all other corps units and sub-units (ie companies/batteries within major units) Commanded by RDF Commandants (title is Officer Commanding (O/C))

In comparsion PDF major units are commanded by Lt Colonels.

[turbocalves]

Again, more of the "My unit is better than yours. Assessments in the Irish Army mean very little. I've been through 3 of them now (infantry) and know that unless you get a bad report back with some good points, then it wasn't worth considering. I've seen glowing reports written about units who could barely hold a rifle safely. I'm not saying your assessments were good or bad, just that assessments can be very problematic as a barometer of ability.

how come everytime some body uses anecdotal evidence of their experiences within the reserve, you start cryin thats its bragging???

how else do you suppose people should support there argument????

[Steyr Fan]

Turbocalves: prepare for incoming

[concussion]

Something that needs to be addressed is accountability, for all ranks. Time and time again troops don't turn up when they say they will and there is very little done about it.
These same people are then taken along on tactical weekends or full time training and consequently everyone is held up while classes are re-done. Not only are the dedicated people getting less training, they're sitting through a lecture they've already given up their time to attend when they could be off doing what they actually turned up for. This is also completely frustrating for instructors too - if I've made an effort to put together a class, why should I have to give it again for those who only show up when they're getting paid for it???

The RDF will never do anything more than it does now unless it radically improves it's professionallism across the board. There are excellent reservists around but as an organisation this is sorely lacking.
Some things which may (or may not ) be beneficial

• Ensure that people know that when they agree to turn up, they do - or else. If they can't handle that then maybe they should reconsider being in a military organisation. Too many people get away with not bothering their arses and cosequently someone else has to pick up after them.
  
• Increase unit training - seven to eleven once a week and two field days a month instead of this pathetic half seven to 10. By the time parades are had and weapons taken to and from stores theres only time for 2 classes. In fact, make the 2 field days an overnight, get them into barracks and have a proper training weekend instead of this 'knock off at dinner time' malarky.
  
• Have units provide troops for barrack guards and stand-to's on a regular basis. Eg, they have to provide 2 bods once a fortnight or something. It's not CIT but it's a start.
  
• Someone said that PDF should conduct recruit and 2* training - I think that's an excellent idea and one which would really sort out the wasters, even if it was one or two PDF NCO's working alongside RDF instructors.
  
• Fitness tests for everyone. Period.
  
• Fitness test for recruits. There's about 4 months before they're sworn in, that time could be used to get them ready to pass a fitness test. I've said it before, it would probably mean recruitment takes a huge hit to begin but I believe if the RDF is taken seriously by the public then you'll get more dedicated people - as it is there are some good ones but how many bad ones. How many recruits are still there 2 years later? One in ten I reckon. And it's not always the good ones that stay.
  
• More time on the ground.
  
• More stringent TOET's - weapons handling is appalling.

To be honest, more of everything but a lot of what I've said is quite feasible if the will and support was there.

[turbocalves]

good post concussion,

tbh i wouldnt be interested indoin CIT gaurd duties etc, but if it was the price to pay to get an improved reserve then i suppose it would be a small price to pay,

i know that Reservist in holland have done security at the port in rotterdam so its not somethin thats purely fantasy...

[Chief Bubblewrap]

Someone said that PDF should conduct recruit and 2* training - I think that's an excellent idea and one which would really sort out the wasters, even if it was one or two PDF NCO's working alongside RDF instructors.

I agree with every point you made with the exception of the above. Where I'd agree that recruit training is nowhere near the general standard it should be, I think that the reserve is capable of mirroring the resulting standard of privates from PDF training. There are a number of points i could make here but i'll just make two;

Accountability - if you have a good CS, the Sgts will be kicked into shape, who in turn will kick the Cpls into shape, who in turn will make sure that they do their job properly, and train and maintain troops. If only one person in a weak link in this chain, they should be removed until they can do their job. In short, let's get rid of this half-arsed attitude to EVERYTHING. It's starting to happen in my unit, and the results are fantastic.

Fitness - Following on from above, make the CS responsible for the Sgts fitness, the Sgt for the Cpl, and the Cpl for the Ptes. Fitness is incrediby important, if only from a health and safety point of view.

Make the fatties run.
If they won't, make them crawl.
If they won't, make them swim.
If they won't, problem solved.

[Docman]

how come everytime some body uses anecdotal evidence of their experiences within the reserve, you start cryin thats its bragging???

how else do you suppose people should support there argument????

No, it is just you using anecdotal evidence.:wink:

Anecdotal evidence - well entire college courses are built around how to back up arguments. You can't write a serious college paper unless you can properly back it up.

Basically, your anecdotal evidence is that of merely 1 small part of the overall scenario. You have no idea what are the circumstances confronting the senior NCOs, officers, other Corps. It is easy, but unproductive, to make a judgement based on your own personal experiences with little or no knowledge of the overall situation.

As for being unable to back up an argument with nothing other than anecdotal evidence.... doesn't make for a argument that will last 5 mins against any type of scrutiny.

[DeV]

How do the PDF unit assessments & MREs work?

[Truck Driver]

This is dangerous.

You can't expect NCO's to operate at their peak with only 2 hours sleep the night before.

God help them if they have to drive home from the training and fall asleep at the wheel

Saw a fantastic BA video around this very subject.

Must get a copy from the School

The driver ends up nodding at the wheel, colliding with an oncoming car, and the
consequences of the resulting court case.....

Should be mandatory viewing for all DF drivers before upcoming exercises

[Traumagod]

Do LSB units still have a PDF C.O?

Our Coy OC is an RDF Captain. However,our PDF CO, a cmdt, is also i/c of our parent unit in Athlone and the BTO West Bde.

[concussion]

The driver ends up nodding at the wheel, colliding with an oncoming car, and the
consequences of the resulting court case...

Our unit has a policy that everyone can be dropped home after a weekend regardless of whether they drive. That takes care of the late nights then

[luchi]

Our unit has a policy that everyone can be dropped home after a weekend regardless of whether they drive. That takes care of the late nights then

but if everyone is out on this late night ex who is dropping you home?

[DeV]

Saw a fantastic BA video around this very subject.

Must get a copy from the School

The driver ends up nodding at the wheel, colliding with an oncoming car, and the
consequences of the resulting court case.....

Should be mandatory viewing for all DF drivers before upcoming exercises

It should be mandatory viewing for all those detailing drivers (especially drivers that also have to undertake training as well as their detail).

Our unit has a policy that everyone can be dropped home after a weekend regardless of whether they drive. That takes care of the late nights then

To their door? (it shouldn't be transport is only supposed to be provided to unit locations or as detailed). Who drops the driver(s) home!?

[concussion]

but if everyone is out on this late night ex who is dropping you home?

The REMF's
Oh no I didn't!!

Seriously though, not everyone who goes on an exercise is going to be up all night - that includes anyone who's going to be driving back from the exercise.

To their door? (it shouldn't be transport is only supposed to be provided to unit locations or as detailed). Who drops the driver(s) home!?

They drive themselves home from barracks.

[concussion]

I'd go as far as to say that from the point of view of a recruit, the RDF induction training program appears to have been written by a million monkeys on a million typewriters!! There appears to be no structure to inital training, lessons are often duplicated and/or appear to be put together ad hoc and those recruits who have absolutely no military experience are quickly left confused and disinterested.

The problem again is that you will never,ever have the same class week after week. It's completely soul-destroying to go over the same thing again because people missed that class and it's vital for going to the range or whatever. Ideally (ha!) everyone should know that if you miss x class you don't fire. I know people have jobs and other commitments and there should be some lee-way of course, but this endless repition means no-one gets the training that they should. At the end of the day, if people can't commit to the RDF, why are they in it???

Before people start jumping on me on this; I am only referring to induction training! As yet, I've had no visibility of the 2* and 3* training practices.

Prepare to be disappointed The same stuff will happen. Yes, you'll get through the syllabus but keep an eye on how many classes are repeated in order to cater for everyone...

[coffee]

Sleep deprivation, that serves no purpose other than to be seen as "hard" is pointless.

everybody gets a full nights sleep on friday. On the saturday gpmg firing (not strenous) will be done till 3 after that revision of tactics dinner then a little bit more. from 7:00 after recieveing orders we will be on our own time to prepare route cards and the like (get rested etc). PNCOs might be coming but this is a test for NCOs before we start teaching night nav to the troops (though they have completed how lessons on how to "see" at night) we will finish around mid day then go home.
Docman the point I am trying to make is that if my officers can do it, therefore so can others even if there is a load of shit above them. BTW none of our coporals are drivers and it is these that are being tested. Any overnight ex we have done (are OCs stay on the ground with us BTW hear that isn't generally done) drivers are always properly rested.

[DeV]

Sleep depreviation is a face of a soldiers life!

everybody gets a full nights sleep on friday. On the saturday gpmg firing (not strenous) will be done till 3 after that revision of tactics dinner then a little bit more. from 7:00 after recieveing orders we will be on our own time to prepare route cards and the like (get rested etc). PNCOs might be coming but this is a test for NCOs before we start teaching night nav to the troops (though they have completed how lessons on how to "see" at night) we will finish around mid day then go home.

You are obviously a lot better organised (and have the troops to do it quickly). Liking the idea of midday finish!!!

They drive themselves home from barracks.

So the potential for accidents is still there. Statistically most accidents happen close to the destination.