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  • #16
    Originally posted by Flamingo View Post
    How about if that reservist had served 10 years in the AC and was qualified to service it? Or whats wrong with NSR personnel knowing the ins and outs of every part of a ship, and having the working knowledge that intimate contact with machinery gives them.

    There's a difference between the Core of Skivvies and personal learning new skills, or keeping old skills. A peacetime army (or indeed any army) has a long tail. Employing people sensibly in that tail is much more useful than just thinking of everyone in the reserve as PBI.

    The big limitation with the NSR is that they only have a Seamanship Branch.

    No Mechs/Commops/ERAs etc.

    If they had certain civilian skills that could be identified early, there could be an opportunity to have them recognised and usable as an NSR sailor on FTT.

    I think it may have been mentioned about a "Specialist Reserve" capability last year for Overseas etc.

    Comment


    • #17
      No shortage of ex AC who would go into an Air Corps Reserve and no shortage of aircraft mechs in general, who would join a Reserve, if they thought it would keep them current and expand their skillset and most importantly, pass their skills on to a new generation. Lots of people would join the Reserve if they got to use their skills, instead of just doing endless guard duties. This has always been a bone of contention, the recognition and use of civvy skills. In this current time of furloughed skilled mechs and pilots, it wouldn't hurt to use their skills for weekends for money. No point in having a Reserve unit in Baldonnel that doesn't interact with the prime user of the site. As for the remark about painting or lubrication, those are important skills to have, be it a ship or a truck or an aircraft and it would show a Reservist that there is more to the Reserve than just infantry or gunner skills. My experience of decades of giving official and unofficial instruction in technical tasks is that people are always receptive and enthusiastic about learning new technical skills, even if they are mundane tasks. If a reformed RDF emphasised access to technical training as part of the draw for new recruits, it would only benefit.

      Comment


      • #18
        Looking at the set up off similar militaries reserves the commission may find that a reduction of a BDE of PDF, could allow for an increase in the RDF by a factor of 4. They then could be used on a part time basis to fill the role of the cut BDE. This could include a reserve element for AC and increase the NSR above the WP limit of 300 to approx 450. Reintroduce grat for all those who have completed all KPIs and allow 14 days FTT. Cadre are there to process the administration and perhaps induction/career trg.

        Comment


        • #19
          Originally posted by batterysgt View Post
          Looking at the set up off similar militaries reserves the commission may find that a reduction of a BDE of PDF, could allow for an increase in the RDF by a factor of 4. They then could be used on a part time basis to fill the role of the cut BDE. This could include a reserve element for AC and increase the NSR above the WP limit of 300 to approx 450. Reintroduce grat for all those who have completed all KPIs and allow 14 days FTT. Cadre are there to process the administration and perhaps induction/career trg.
          That would have a significant impact on overseas!

          The current size of the DF isn’t sufficient to complete the current taskings at home or overseas (plus the Government wants to increase the number of troops overseas). You’d be looking at a few hundred RDF having to be deployed overseas annually (not a bad thing if you put the measures in place to allow them to go (eg matching civvy income).

          The absolute minimum size of the army is 2 Bdes (manned Bdes)

          Comment


          • #20
            Originally posted by GoneToTheCanner View Post
            No shortage of ex AC who would go into an Air Corps Reserve and no shortage of aircraft mechs in general, who would join a Reserve, if they thought it would keep them current and expand their skillset and most importantly, pass their skills on to a new generation. Lots of people would join the Reserve if they got to use their skills, instead of just doing endless guard duties. This has always been a bone of contention, the recognition and use of civvy skills. In this current time of furloughed skilled mechs and pilots, it wouldn't hurt to use their skills for weekends for money. No point in having a Reserve unit in Baldonnel that doesn't interact with the prime user of the site. As for the remark about painting or lubrication, those are important skills to have, be it a ship or a truck or an aircraft and it would show a Reservist that there is more to the Reserve than just infantry or gunner skills. My experience of decades of giving official and unofficial instruction in technical tasks is that people are always receptive and enthusiastic about learning new technical skills, even if they are mundane tasks. If a reformed RDF emphasised access to technical training as part of the draw for new recruits, it would only benefit.
            Ah, that changes it a bit, you want to utilise "skilled" reservists, who may already have had training on type. I know many years back I was offered casual work changing seat pitch on certain airliners. (working with suitably qualified technician). Mentioned it to an Aero Engineer friend, who almost had a stroke on the spot at the idea of some randomer(with unrelated aero tech skills) working on any part of the fuselage, supervised or not. As you know airside is not a place for those who don't know what's going on.
            We had the chance here years ago to push the reserve towards a more skilled CSS organisation. The opposite happened, and we ended up with the current situation where everyone is either Infantry, Artillery or Cavalry, at ever decreasing formation size.
            Equally in the past I know of people with civvy maritime quals, in deck, engineering and comms areas who were actively discouraged from joining the reserve as their skills could not be incorporated into the organisation. It changed to some extent, but not much. Surely the NSR should be screaming for the Tanker 3rd Eng with six months leave a year? (No, he's an NCO in an infantry Unit). The Truck driver? (No, we have no use for him here - he should try an army unit).
            I know in the UK for years their reserve (not TA) leaned towards a more logistics role, and actively recruited those with technical skills. For the periods of line unit activity, such as brigade exercises etc, they were able to draw on a large skillbase of HGV drivers, heavy plant operators and technicians, as well as logistic specialists to keep the "tail" on the road, while the line units were able to utilise it's full strength in exercise mode.
            For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

            Comment


            • #21
              Dev’s thoughts on RDF:

              Maintain the current SFC concept, with cadre for admin & logs support within all units with RDF. All AR Inf Coys to be same size, min of 2 AR sub units in each Corps unit with staff in HQ.
              Admin to be streamlined to be made more user friendly and achievable (across the DF)
              Requirement to alter everything from DFRs to TIs to make them more user friendly and achievable (across the DF)
              Provision made for active recruitment of those leaving the PDF into the AR & NSR
              More centralised joined up approach to training of reservists (while also facilitating access to PDF courses (and PDF on RDF courses).
              Consideration giving to payment for all training plus annual gratuity
              Active targeted recruitment of specialists and recognition of their qualifications.
              Pay equality with PDF
              Many amendments to secondary legislation and AIs
              Promote full use of full spectrum of capabilities of DF IT systems (IKON, PMS etc)

              Comment


              • #22
                Just to correct a detail from above, the TA had specialist units who had civvy skills the army wanted, but had a reduced commitment of two weekends and two weeks a year. Rather than being regional, they were administered by a central HQ. I was one for a few years.
                'He died who loved to live,' they'll say,
                'Unselfishly so we might have today!'
                Like hell! He fought because he had to fight;
                He died that's all. It was his unlucky night.
                http://www.salamanderoasis.org/poems...nnis/luck.html

                Comment


                • #23
                  My view is that the local militia idea (LDF) of a "outposts in large towns " reserve is not required. There is no place for it in the white paper and no real need for it in the defence community. The one and only time is Paddy's Day for flag parties and maybe a couple of other marching bodies during the year.

                  Before someone comes in and tells me RDF are doing some duties I know well they are in the Army but not in the other branches , and if you've been around for a while the duties are only temporary. There's also no real call for stevedore capacity * strong backs * cos you can buy it in faster

                  Specialists are what's required and it has to be major centres only where the specialists are. My view : Medics, IT, transport for the surge capacity, NSR retained, and an AC reserve be created with actual techs on it. ( legislation is there for it on the books already) but 2012 reorg and empire building put paid to the last trial

                  To be clear : kill all the other reserves but those - we're at such a low level its easy to do now. 2005 and 2012 reorgs sucked balls but they proved we could go into a new world . However neither reorg fixed the systemic problems.

                  A force that is never used properly will wither and die. The reserve has never in my time been used at all or mobilized.
                  Last edited by trellheim; 17 January 2021, 14:08.
                  "Are they trying to shoot down the other drone? "

                  "No, they're trying to fly the tank"

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    The idea of a unit in each large town may not be a runner, but there should still be a physical presence of some sort. Otherwise you limit your recruit pool to the area in the vicinitynof your permanently manned post. It may no be obvious to those in Dublin, but the larger counties outside Dublin struggle to get the numbers because the Barracks are away from the main roads (I lived in limerick for 5 years before I had cause to pass Sarsfield Barracks, Renmore is equally off the beaten track. Less said about Collins Barracks .
                    neighbourhood the better.
                    Your potential recruit probably has no means of personal transport. Its 100 miles from Collins Barracks Cork to the west of the county. Removing the local centres (even when most of the west Cork units trained in a Cork City barracks) removed a huge recruiting pool.
                    For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      There is no shortage of people looking to join, the problem is the process (you have a Bde that thinks that from application to attestation being over a year is acceptable, while in a different Bde they are starting 2* training in that period). And that person who is waiting a year will tell 6 others and within a few years you have destroyed your recruitment pool.

                      Empower RDF recruitment team to run the whole recruitment process and it will help (GDPR, Candidate Manager, recruitment process training, access to office, phone and email monitored on weekly basis (daily if you can get a PDF person). All that plus the interviewer training completed during recruitment application window.

                      Competition closes, next day the team call them for interviews in a weeks time. Transport provided from Coy HQs to the centralised locations. Concurrent fitness testing (self certified that they are fit for test) and interviews all day (while waiting for interview other admin and security clearance forms are completed).

                      The pre-recruit training then kicks in. Medicals are organised over following month, again transport provided from Coy HQs (that gives time for security clearance to come back (sent to AGS same day as fitness test).

                      Then attestation and start recruit training (planning conducted concurrently with recruitment process) at the very least FTT centralised at least at Bde level.

                      That is all extremely doable with a small amount of effort.

                      The main limiting factor being pre-medicals and medicals.



                      Until this fundamental issue is solved we could establishment of 50 RDF battalions but the strength will never ever increase.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        [QUOTE=na grohmiti;484344]Ah, that changes it a bit, you want to utilise "skilled" reservists, who may already have had training on type. I know many years back I was offered casual work changing seat pitch on certain airliners. (working with suitably qualified technician). Mentioned it to an Aero Engineer friend, who almost had a stroke on the spot at the idea of some randomer(with unrelated aero tech skills) working on any part of the fuselage, supervised or not. As you know airside is not a place for those who don't know what's going on.


                        Some of what has come to pass with regard to "skilled" or "trained" personnel, working on airliners, would make your hair curl. The race to the bottom in MRO airliner maintenance has slashed training to the minimum and some of the people that have been given qualifications are really bad. certain elements of the regulatory authorities have looked the other way, as they are more concerned about collecting fees than keeping a tight hand on the tiller, so to speak.

                        but that's thread drift. When a DF is so reduced in it's manpower element that it takes the entirety of nearly 10,000 people to sustain a fifth of that on overseas duties alone,then it is clearly time to generate a genuinely functional Reserve that actually works. Either use them or kill them off.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Either use them or kill them off.
                          Amen to that. Having rural centres is the tail wagging the dog
                          "Are they trying to shoot down the other drone? "

                          "No, they're trying to fly the tank"

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Originally posted by trellheim View Post
                            My view is that the local militia idea (LDF) of a "outposts in large towns " reserve is not required. There is no place for it in the white paper and no real need for it in the defence community. The one and only time is Paddy's Day for flag parties and maybe a couple of other marching bodies during the year.

                            Before someone comes in and tells me RDF are doing some duties I know well they are in the Army but not in the other branches , and if you've been around for a while the duties are only temporary. There's also no real call for stevedore capacity * strong backs * cos you can buy it in faster

                            Specialists are what's required and it has to be major centres only where the specialists are. My view : Medics, IT, transport for the surge capacity, NSR retained, and an AC reserve be created with actual techs on it. ( legislation is there for it on the books already) but 2012 reorg and empire building put paid to the last trial

                            To be clear : kill all the other reserves but those - we're at such a low level its easy to do now. 2005 and 2012 reorgs sucked balls but they proved we could go into a new world . However neither reorg fixed the systemic problems.

                            A force that is never used properly will wither and die. The reserve has never in my time been used at all or mobilized.
                            Sorry, disliked in error, fat fingers and a sensitive touch screen. I was just swiping up, honest
                            Last edited by Flamingo; 17 January 2021, 23:26.
                            'He died who loved to live,' they'll say,
                            'Unselfishly so we might have today!'
                            Like hell! He fought because he had to fight;
                            He died that's all. It was his unlucky night.
                            http://www.salamanderoasis.org/poems...nnis/luck.html

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by trellheim View Post
                              Amen to that. Having rural centres is the tail wagging the dog
                              You keep saying that, I'll keep saying you are wrong.
                              If done differently it can be a huge advantage.
                              For now, everything hangs on implementation of the CoDF report.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by na grohmiti View Post
                                You keep saying that, I'll keep saying you are wrong.
                                If done differently it can be a huge advantage.
                                Personally I think the idea of rural centres would only work if the RDF could be made a success and possibly even increase in establishment.

                                Any reserve unit with it's own location should be of at least company size. I don't mean company size on paper but barely getting more than a platoon of reservists on the books - I mean genuinely being capable of reaching those numbers.

                                I wouldn't see the point of a reserve centre operating out in west Cork facilitating 15-20 members assuming they all turn up for a night.

                                Comment

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