[Article] RDF to join PDF missions soon

Vorsprung

Reservists to join full-time soldiers in UN missions

Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent

Members of the Reserve Defence Force will soon be deployed with full-time soldiers in United Nations missions in international trouble spots such as Darfur and Liberia, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieut Gen Jim Sreenan, has said.

The most able of the 13,000 reservists will be "hand-picked" and deployed on a strictly voluntary basis. They will be paid for their service.

In an interview with The Irish Times Gen Sreenan said he believed reservists would help to alleviate pressure on the 10,500 full-time soldiers, as the Defence Forces became more involved in increasingly "complex and robust" missions overseas.

He rejected suggestions that increased participation in such missions and in UN battle groups compromised Ireland's neutrality, saying international military deployments were vital to securing the working environment in developing countries for NGOs and other agencies.

"With military force you can develop security. But as Kofi Annan has said, there is no development without security, and there is no security without development."

While many missions would be dangerous and volatile in the future, such risk was necessary.

"People are inclined to think that 'ah, we're going to go in because it's safe'. But if it's safe, what's the point in going in? There's no need."

On equipment, he said immediate priorities were the replacement of three vessels in the Naval Service fleet and the acquisition of light tactical vehicles for overseas missions.

Gen Sreenan said Army intelligence officers and the Garda had to remain vigilant to the threat posed by Islamic extremists in Ireland who, he said, might seek to launch an attack on Britain from here.

The Army's intelligence service was a lot more active now than before the attacks in the US on September 11th, 2001, he said.

"There's a threat on our back door, in the UK. And there's always a danger that people would use Ireland as a back door to the UK.

"You only have to look across the water in England to see what has been happening since 9/11. You only have to look at the Continent and see what, in Madrid in particular, has happened. One would be very foolish to presume that something couldn't happen here," Gen Sreenan said.

He said that while the Army deafness compensation controversy had been damaging to the Defence Forces, he believed they had now "climbed out" of much of the negativity.

The military parade at Easter had been very well received by the public and he had received "a flood of letters" from members of the public after it. "There was a tremendous reaction to it."

Linky

Just thinking, there's nothing here about employment protection for those RDFs who do end up going over, are there plans in the pipeline to bring in some sort of legislation that will stop them losing their jobs?

Takeshi_Kovacs

I just wonder what context will these RDF personnel. They will obviously need a lot more training, and i very much doubt they will be on the front lines. I wonder if the very able and willing reservists be given the chance to join the PDF even if they are over the age of 25?

Manic Moran

Presumably these will be taken from the Intergrated units. They'll be given more training, with greater co-operation with PDF units than the non-integrated RDF.

NTM

Steyr

I told you........didnt i.....

Dave!

What would they be doing, answering telephones? They'd hardly have them doing the same sh*t as the PDF, would they?

Still, interesting developments.

Manic Moran

DaveMcG wrote:

What would they be doing, answering telephones? They'd hardly have them doing the same sh*t as the PDF, would they?

Should do, particuarly as an integrated unit. The equipment gap has reduced drastically in the last few years, and it only makes more sense for the deployed RDF personnel to use the same equipment on deployment as the PDF they are deployed with: The Army doesn't need to muck around with multiple supply lines and excessive logistical requirements supporting two different types of equipment when they can just say "Here, Mick. Use this thing."

NTM

cushtac

Steyr wrote:

I told you........didnt i.....

Back in 2000 I was part of a group of FCÁ personnel addressed by a brigadier, he told us that reservists would be serving overseas within five years. Just because the CoS makes a vague statement on the matter (what's his definition of 'soon'?) doesn't mean it's imminent.

The single biggest obsticle to reservists going overseas is employment protection, yet the CoS makes no mention of this at all. I doubt IBEC are going to bend over & accept such legislation without an argument, so negotiating it isn't going to be a quick affair. Until this is sorted out the RDF
can't even begin to train properly for overseas.

Steyr

cushtac wrote:

Just because the CoS makes a vague statement on the matter (what's his definition of 'soon'?) doesn't mean it's imminent.

I never said it was Imminent

cushtac wrote:

The single biggest obsticle to reservists going overseas is employment protection,

I agree with you there, but still i told you, so yall can eat some humble pie...Bitches:D

arybvtcw0eolkf

Lets see what PDFORRA have to say on the matter also.

Personally I wouldn't like to serve oversea's with part time soldiers.

If the PDF are under pressure then let the RDF do the regimental duties which are taking up valuable time and resources.

Failing that, increase the numbers serving in the PDF because this scenario was predicted a few year's ago when the government first put an embargo on recruitment (which was thankfully lifted) then cut back troop numbers to their present levels.

Btw, there's lots of PDF members wishing to serve oversea's, we don't have a shortage of volunteers!. We have a shortage of troop numbers serving in PDF units, and allowing RDF members to serve oversea's will just take up more places on a trip which PDF members would normally volunteer for and serve in.

Sort'a like 'the culchies are coming to take our jobs again', lol.

Steyr

If we are trained properly then its all good **** it if the T.A can do it then so can we Mairt you need to lose these anti RDF feelings you have.

Manic Moran

Steyr wrote:

If we are trained properly then its all good ****

An important, if only partially relevant 'if.' As Cushtac says above, the employee protection is going to have to be mandatory, not only for the deployment, but for routine training.

Personally I wouldn't like to serve oversea's with part time soldiers.

Why not? Afraid they'll make you look bad?

Something that the Americans and British have only recently and grudgingly admitted is that their reservists tend to be better at PSOs than their full-time soldiers. There's actually a pretty obvious explanation for it if you think about it.

What is a PDF troop going to be better at than his reservist counterpart? I submit it's going to be his military job. I think it's reasonable to say (and yes, I know there can be exceptions at crew or section level), that a PDF unit is going to be better at warfighting than an RDF one. They practise it a lot more. A PDF artilleryman is probably going to be more skilled with his piece than his RDF counterpart, just from sheer usage. PDF troops will likely be more fit than their counterparts. They may practise their marksmanship more. And so on and so forth.

How many company-in-attack operations have been carried out in Liberia? How many platoon-in-attacks in Kosovo? Many fire support missions carried out by the gunners? I submit there have not been particularly many. Competence in such scenarios is required, but need not be overemphasised: It's not a daily requirement. So, you send a regular army infantryman or gunner or whatever on a peacekeeping mission. He's trained as a warfighter first, a 'practical' skillset second.

You send a reservist on a peackeeping mission, his primary skill is not warfighting, or even "Aid to the Civil Power." It's I.T. It's construction. Could be social services or childcare. Teaching. You might have electricians and plumbers. Tailor. Farming. Skillsets which are highly varied, and which have a practical, daily usage when interfacing with the local population and helping them get a leg up after whatever circumstance resulted in the requirement for peacekeepers to be sent there in the first place. And if circumstances require it, they have a decent grounding in combat techniques, particularly if the training levels are increased as I believe they're supposed to be.

I think you should give them a chance and see what they're made of. The other countries have been rather pleased by the results, despite the insitutional inertia of looking down on the 'amateurs.'

NTM

Steyr

Well said MM well said indeed Sir.

Maskhadov

this will just bring us in line with the rest of Europe and the states. about time IMHO

Maskhadov

what beret will they be wearing ?

Hagar

Blue?

Bam Bam

If the reserve do go overseas. If its a UN mission they'll be wearing blue. If its a NATO mission, like Kosovo, then they'll be wearing green.

Hagar

We haven't joined NATO yet, have we?

Bam Bam

Kosovo is a NATO mission.
There was talk a while ago of the Irish presence in Kosovo being illegal or some such.
Wonder what became of that in the end?

Flying

bigjimthefirst wrote:

Linky

Just thinking, there's nothing here about employment protection for those RDFs who do end up going over, are there plans in the pipeline to bring in some sort of legislation that will stop them losing their jobs?

This is pure speculation and unworkable, the RDF are neither trained correctly nor commited enough to be sent oversea's. Unless there is a dramatic changing from the current drinking and walter mitty club that it is there is no hope.

That is from me a person who has been in two armies one being here in the PDF.

It makes me laugh when these wannabe commando's want to soldier but when put up to them they cant hack it, especially the idiots we go into recruit platoon's that needed to be reprogrammed from Bullsh1t mode to real soldier mode!

This idea has been thrown around for the last 30 years and IMHO it will never happen

Flying

Bam Bam wrote:

Kosovo is a NATO mission.
There was talk a while ago of the Irish presence in Kosovo being illegal or some such.
Wonder what became of that in the end?

Kosovo is a joint NATO/EU mission, our presence is not part of NATO the same as the Morocans etc there or the swedes !

Manic Moran

Bam Bam wrote:

Kosovo is a NATO mission.
There was talk a while ago of the Irish presence in Kosovo being illegal or some such.
Wonder what became of that in the end?

Nothing, UNIAMIK: United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) applies. KFOR is sanctioned by the UN, although it is not run by the UN. (Hence no blue berets)

NTM

Bam Bam

Fair enough.