Military driving licence

Lockstep

Was wondering if someone could explain how a miltary driving licence works in the RDF.

Are you insured while driving,
once you've earned a full military licence and apply for a civilian licence how does this work

etc


Any help at all is greatly appreciated

Rew

You have to get your civie licence before you can go on the Army course. Your insured to drive mil vechiles that your qualified on and required to drive for your duites.

Lockstep

Rew wrote: »

You have to get your civie licence before you can go on the Army course. Your insured to drive mil vechiles that your qualified on and required to drive for your duites.

Really?

The way that the guy who gave me the application form told it, after about a year of training I'd have a full military licence which would allow me to send off for a civvie license

Wishbone Ash

This may be of interest to you:

Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 1999

30. (1) An application by a person for a driving licence shall be accompanied by a certificate of competency where the application relates to a category or categories without limitation or to a specified type of vehicle belonging to a category in respect of which the applicant is not or was not for any period within the period of ten years preceding the date of application the holder of a driving licence issued by the competent authority of a Member State of the European Communities or of the European Economic Area.

(2) Notwithstanding sub-article (1) of this article a certificate of competency shall not be required to be submitted with an application for a driving licence where—
(a) the application—

(i) is made by a person who holds, or held at some time within the period of one year preceding the date of application, a driving licence issued by a State declared by the Minister to be a recognised State for the purposes of these Regulations and who surrenders such licence to the licensing authority with the application,

(ii) relates to a category or categories without limitation, or to a specified type of vehicle belonging to a category, in respect of which the applicant holds such licence, and

(iii) is accompanied by a statement by the applicant that such licence is a genuine licence, or

(b) the applicant is a person who as a member of the Defence Forces as defined by the Defence Act, 1954 (No. 18 of 1954) within a period of five years prior to the date of application held a permit issued by the Director Cavalry Corps or the Director Supply and Transport Corps to drive vehicles of the category to which the application relates and whose application is accompanied by a certificate by either such Director that the applicant is competent to drive vehicles of that category, or

(c) the applicant is a person who as a member of the Garda Síochána within a period of five years prior to the date of application held a certificate issued by or on behalf of the Assistant Commissioner (Training) in the Garda Síochána to drive vehicles of the category to which the application relates and whose application is accompanied by a certificate by or on behalf of the said Assistant Commissioner that the person is competent to drive vehicles of that category, or

minidazzler

kickoutthejams wrote: »

Really?

The way that the guy who gave me the application form told it, after about a year of training I'd have a full military licence which would allow me to send off for a civvie license

The thing about the Year of training is fairly wrong in the RDF. I know guys in Transport 2 years (since finishing recruit training so really three years) and they have not done the courses yet.

miss no stars

The army can either train you from scratch which leads to the above OR you can be in a unit that isn't cavalry or transport and apply to do an AF154 course. You already need your license to do that course and on completion you're allowed drive whichever military vehicles you're qualified on.

Wishbone Ash

Do the Defence Forces categorise vehicles in the normal manner, eg, B, C, D, C+E, D+E etc.

(Excuse my ignorance but I know nothing about military matters).

arybvtcw0eolkf

miss no stars wrote: »

The army can either train you from scratch which leads to the above OR you can be in a unit that isn't cavalry or transport and apply to do an AF154 course. You already need your license to do that course and on completion you're allowed drive whichever military vehicles you're qualified on.

No matter what unit your in RDF or PDF you have to undergo a driver's course and on successful completion of the course your awarded an AF154. After 1 year holding the AF154 you can apply for an exemption from the civilian driver's licence test.

This is not an automatic exemption as you'll need 1 full year clean driving record. Plus for motorcycles you'll need an AF154B and so on for other vehicles.

When you are an army driver you drive on (whilst on duty of course) defence forces insurance, but you drive on your civilian licence. This is an important point and should be remembered (for reasons I'm not going into here).

If you commite a road traffic offence your civilian licence can, and will, be endorsed.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Do the Defence Forces categorise vehicles in the normal manner, eg, B, C, D, C+E, D+E etc.

(Excuse my ignorance but I know nothing about military matters).

Yes they do.

Lockstep

Mairt wrote: »

No matter what unit your in RDF or PDF you have to undergo a driver's course and on successful completion of the course your awarded an AF154. After 1 year holding the AF154 you can apply for an exemption from the civilian driver's licence test.

This is not an automatic exemption as you'll need 1 full year clean driving record. Plus for motorcycles you'll need an AF154B and so on for other vehicles.

When you are an army driver you drive on (whilst on duty of course) defence forces insurance, but you drive on your civilian licence. This is an important point and should be remembered (for reasons I'm not going into here).

If you commite a road traffic offence your civilian licence can, and will, be endorsed.

Thanks mate,

I'm applying to Logistics (Supply and transport)
Do you know roughly how long it usually takes to successfully complete the course and earn the AF154?

arybvtcw0eolkf

kickoutthejams wrote: »

Thanks mate,

I'm applying to Logistics (Supply and transport)
Do you know roughly how long it usually takes to successfully complete the course and earn the AF154?

With the RDF I wouldn't have a clue, sorry.

Gunny Hartman

Just to correct you there Mairt, you can now apply for your certificate of competency immediately after you have passed the test for your 154.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Gunny Hartman wrote: »

Just to correct you there Mairt, you can now apply for your certificate of competency immediately after you have passed the test for your 154.

Grand, I done mine in 1989

Gunny Hartman

Mairt wrote: »

Grand, I done mine in 1989

Time to retire so is it?


Don't worry my heals were together when I said it!

peasant

Interesting how systems differ ...

When I did my compulsory stint in the German air force (same time as Mairt ), even though I had my civilian licence for several years then, they wouldn't let me near a vehicle before I went through air force driving school all over again ...BCE licence with all theory tests and daily lessons in two months.

This could then be transferred into a civilian licence for a nominal fee later.


Anybody ever had to drive a truck and trailer while wearing a gas mask?

Part of the test, that was ...

arybvtcw0eolkf

peasant wrote: »

Interesting how systems differ ...

When I did my compulsory stint in the German air force (same time as Mairt ), even though I had my civilian licence for several years then, they wouldn't let me near a vehicle before I went through air force driving school all over again ...BCE licence with all theory tests and daily lessons in two months.

This could then be transferred into a civilian licence for a nominal fee later.


Anybody ever had to drive a truck and trailer while wearing a gas mask?

Part of the test, that was ...

Same system operates here in regards to having a drivers licence before you do the army course.

I've never drove in a gas mask, but I've drove with a flakjacket and helmet during IDF shelling of South Lebanon

Lockstep

Mairt wrote: »

Same system operates here in regards to having a drivers licence before you do the army course.

Really?

THe guy who gave me the application told me that I could get a license through the military, then apply for a civilian

arybvtcw0eolkf

kickoutthejams wrote: »

Really?

THe guy who gave me the application told me that I could get a license through the military, then apply for a civilian

Ok, maybe I read you wrong.

But if your in the defence forces and already have a civilian drivers licence and you want to become an army driver you still have to successfully complete the army drivers course.

Lockstep

Mairt wrote: »

Ok, maybe I read you wrong.

But if your in the defence forces and already have a civilian drivers licence and you want to become an army driver you still have to successfully complete the army drivers course.

Thanks.

Can I work for a military licence despite not having a civilian one?

Nuttzz

you can but the rdf isnt a short cut to getting a civie licence, it will be at least 2 years before you get your army licence (154) the transport lads always have loads of recruits who are 17-18 because the spin them the line they can get an army licence, then when they actually join up the only driving they do is when the nco's take them for a test drive around the square

Lockstep

Nuttzz wrote: »

you can but the rdf isnt a short cut to getting a civie licence, it will be at least 2 years before you get your army licence (154) the transport lads always have loads of recruits who are 17-18 because the spin them the line they can get an army licence, then when they actually join up the only driving they do is when the nco's take them for a test drive around the square

Damn those military recruiters.

I was literally on my way to meet the infantry sergeant when I bumped into the transport guy.

He convinced me with all his fancy stories.

Could it be less than 2years if I put in lots of hard work and training days?

Nuttzz

in a word, No

join now, 2 months to do the paper work, do a recruit camp in the summer, pass out at the end of the year as a 2*, 2* star next summer and then on to 3* that september, thats when the driving starts the army moves at its own pace

that said once you get driving the opportunities open up to drive jeeps, mini buses and HGV's, as i said the army driving licence isnt an option to short circuit the civi system

however once you get to the bigger vehicles it has real value to you in civi life, but you have to look long term, you have to ask yourself why you are joining, i have seen a lot of teens join the transport to get a crack at driving however most dont get past the recruit training stage as they arent their for the military experience they are there for the licence.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Nuttzz wrote: »

in a word, No

join now, 2 months to do the paper work, do a recruit camp in the summer, pass out at the end of the year as a 2*, 2* star next summer and then on to 3* that september, thats when the driving starts the army moves at its own pace

that said once you get driving the opportunities open up to drive jeeps, mini buses and HGV's, as i said the army driving licence isnt an option to short circuit the civi system

however once you get to the bigger vehicles it has real value to you in civi life, but you have to look long term, you have to ask yourself why you are joining, i have seen a lot of teens join the transport to get a crack at driving however most dont get past the recruit training stage as they arent their for the military experience they are there for the licence.

In short.

Regardless what corp you go into your a rifleman first driver/medic/singaller/engineer etc second.

And that goes for the PDF too.

Even in the PDF you'll wait your turn for a driver's cse, and even at that you might not qualify on all vehicles.

Lockstep

Nuttzz wrote: »

in a word, No

join now, 2 months to do the paper work, do a recruit camp in the summer, pass out at the end of the year as a 2*, 2* star next summer and then on to 3* that september, thats when the driving starts the army moves at its own pace

that said once you get driving the opportunities open up to drive jeeps, mini buses and HGV's, as i said the army driving licence isnt an option to short circuit the civi system

however once you get to the bigger vehicles it has real value to you in civi life, but you have to look long term, you have to ask yourself why you are joining, i have seen a lot of teens join the transport to get a crack at driving however most dont get past the recruit training stage as they arent their for the military experience they are there for the licence.

Ahhhhhhh crap.

Although I do have no problem with being a soldier. I wouldn't have applied to the logistics if they didn't offer the chance to train as a soldier. I'm considering applying to the cadets but going for thr RDF first to see if the military is for me.

martinr5232

Go for infantry if you want to know about soldiering.