Irish soldiers see deaths, injuries & gun battles - seek compensation

[absconded]

Sounds to me like there are a lot of people here who know absolutely nothing about the PDF (Oglaigh na hEireann). Lapsedmethodist is an exception. If you stopped displaying ignorance you might learn something from him.

[Wakeupcall]

I am going to get a roll of sellotape. Then I am going to join the army. When I arrive out in a conflict zone I will sellotape my eyelids open so that I do not get the chance to miss any of the violence. Then I will return. Once my court case is over I will remove the sellotape and withdraw my half a million compensation from the bank. Then I will buy new eyes, because my old ones will be very dry.

[lapsedmethodist]

. I am going to join the army.

Good luck with that !!!

[IrishTom]

I blame the drill sergeants in the Curragh camp. They ******************** them up for life down there.

there are no such things as drill seargents in the Irish army ya flute.

[IrishTom]

Facetious post that. Soldiers have to be taught to fight and kill; it's not a natural instinct. For example, starting with the American civil war where only about 15% of soldiers fired their weapons through WW1 where about 55% fired their weapons, now 95% actually fight as trained. The psyching up is " unnatural " and should be accompanied by a psycological debriefing. America has huge problems with their veterans, because they tend to pay them off and forget about them.

Add to which, you don know what your reactions will be until it happens. Add to which UN work is done under different Charter which basically barely allow soldiers to defend themselves.

EU operations will be much more practical.

just to inform you, the defence forces training is now a joke, it is gone all politicaly correct and there has not been a proper recruit training platoon in the last 8 years, these days recruits in the Irish army are given red and yellow cards, if the training corporal shouts too loud or the recruit feels intimidated he can give the NCO a red or yellow card, red meaning that particular NCO can not talk to the recruit again, a yellow one acts as a warning, it is an absolute joke and results in a lower statndard of soldier at the end.

[lapsedmethodist]

just to inform you, the defence forces training is now a joke, it is gone all politicaly correct and there has not been a proper recruit training platoon in the last 8 years, these days recruits in the Irish army are given red and yellow cards, if the training corporal shouts too loud or the recruit feels intimidated he can give the NCO a red or yellow card, red meaning that particular NCO can not talk to the recruit again, a yellow one acts as a warning, it is an absolute joke and results in a lower statndard of soldier at the end.

I can asure that the officer cadets have drill sergeants and no red or yellow cards.
The first seven months is a kind of hell; especially for the younger ones who came straight from school and didn't have RDF experience. I'll ask about the cards- metaphorical or otherwise, but I think your confusing the anti-bullying measures that Cloonan went on about.

[absconded]

just to inform you, the defence forces training is now a joke, it is gone all politicaly correct and there has not been a proper recruit training platoon in the last 8 years, these days recruits in the Irish army are given red and yellow cards, if the training corporal shouts too loud or the recruit feels intimidated he can give the NCO a red or yellow card, red meaning that particular NCO can not talk to the recruit again, a yellow one acts as a warning, it is an absolute joke and results in a lower statndard of soldier at the end.

Tom, you are picking up on one aspect of recruit training which has been introduced for very good reason. Oglaigh na hEireann produce some of the best soldiers in Western Europe (therefore the world), I know military people who have served with many nationalities and will attest to the fact that although less well equiped the Irish soldier is the one to have beside you in a critical situation. Gritty bastards. And that includes soldiers trained in the last 8 years!

[IrishTom]

I can asure that the officer cadets have drill sergeants and no red or yellow cards.
The first seven months is a kind of hell; especially for the younger ones who came straight from school and didn't have RDF experience. I'll ask about the cards- metaphorical or otherwise, but I think your confusing the anti-bullying measures that Cloonan went on about.

the A7 charter anti-bullying is a load of cods wallup, believe me im sure i know more about the Irish army than you or your son i know this may sound arrogant but suffice to say i know what im talking about.

the cadets get off easy compared to the way Recruit training in the Irish army was pre A7 and this is the period were Irish troops had a good name, most new soldiers are frankly wasters because they are allowed slip through the net, in the past they would have been weeded out in weeks, now almost any waster can pass the training wether there up to standard or not.

[IrishTom]

Tom, you are picking up on one aspect of recruit training which has been introduced for very good reason. Oglaigh na hEireann produce some of the best soldiers in Western Europe (therefore the world), I know military people who have served with many nationalities and will attest to the fact that although less well equiped the Irish soldier is the one to have beside you in a critical situation. Gritty bastards. And that includes soldiers trained in the last 8 years!

Absconded the Permanent Defence Forces (official name) have got a good reputation as soldiers but this reputation was built up years ago before all the politicaly coreect A7 rubbish came into effect, the troops now are not trained properly through no fault of there own or the NCO`s it is the fault of the beurocrats and PC heads who know nothing of the demands of soldiering.

if a recruit is not pushed to there mental and physical limit they will react badly under battle conditions this is fairly obvious.

I believe any training NCO who joined the army pre 2000 will tell you the training in the army has suffered dramaticaly since A7 came into effect, resulting in any oul toe rag or waster passing out, although there are a few exceptions and a few decent lads coming through that is the exception not the rule and purely down to the individual.

also to correct you the Irish Soldier these days are much better equiped than most other soldiers in the west including the brits.
I believe you must be confusing ordinance such as Arty, Cav, and heavy weaponry and technology which are below par, but the individual equipment of Irish army personell is much better than most.

[lapsedmethodist]

the A7 charter anti-bullying is a load of cods wallup, believe me im sure i know more about the Irish army than you or your son i know this may sound arrogant but suffice to say i know what im talking about.

the cadets get off easy compared to the way Recruit training in the Irish army was pre A7 and this is the period were Irish troops had a good name, most new soldiers are frankly wasters because they are allowed slip through the net, in the past they would have been weeded out in weeks, now almost any waster can pass the training wether there up to standard or not.

No Tom... the cadets course is now two years work packed into fifteen months. And while I admit that there's a degree of draging the backwards forward, the ensuing pressure on the cadets whom they feel to be good is then increased.

However the standard of drilling etc has fallen; as witness the 1916 easter ceremony. Using the RDF and no offence to them in other ways, isn't a great idea unless they're drilled for weeks in avance.

I've got photos of my lad and his buddy hauling telegraph poles up hills and the pain on their faces wasn't put on for effect I can promise you, as my lad is very -too - proud to pull sh1t like that.

You'll see soon enough... there'll be a reduction to two divisions, loads of barracks sold off, and it'll be modernised.