TA training

[mr_cc]

I will soon be joining the TA, and one of the things which was stressed to me during my little chat with the recuitment officer at my local unit was... "if there is any kind of large scale conflict involving uk troops anywhere in the world, you WILL be going"

I understand that because the unit is part of the RLC, it will be in demand during any conflict, due to the way the army has been changing. (and I know almost all of the guys from my local unit were mobilised - although a lot refused to go, and left the TA altogether)

My question is, did anybody here get mobilised from their local TA unit, and did they feel like they were adequately trained to do the job.

At the moment my only concern about joining the TA is will I be able to do a proper job when the shit hits the fan, despite not being a full time professional soldier.

Cheers,

Pete.

[old scaly back]

Nearly all of my old unit have been, are in Iraq at the moment.
The T.A will be more involved than the past as the Army are short of personel.
As for training.
The training you receive will be backed up by further training just before you go.
If i remember right i think its about six weeks intensive training that includes sorting out paper work,weapon handling,extra kit issue etc.
I would guess at 80% chance of going.
It is said the British will be there for a further four to five years.
R.L.C. are very important for moving supplies so you will be needed.
Being as you will be new to the Army life it could be difficult.
But there is a good back up from fellow soldiers who WILL look after you.
Its somthing to discuss with family at home who will worry.

[lew]

Mate, if you have those concerns and don’t want to go don’t join... the training I’ve had has been ok, I wouldn’t compare the level of training to anything like what the regulars get though...


Just my personal opinion, although its bloody good fun...


lew

[old scaly back]

mr_cc
just to add,ive got a mate coming back from Basra on Sunday.
If you want any serious questions answering ,you can ask me.
He phoned me on a sat phone a few weeks ago and he seemed o.k.
It is putting a strain on his marriage,but he said the Army had said they would pay £6000 to any T.A. wanting to go full time.
He also said that he would like to stay on or go somewhere else
He was on the T.V. a few weeks ago helping rebuild schools.
God help the schools ,he works as a chippie for Wolverhampton council.
His job out there was helping set up the mobile phone network.
But most of the T.A. are just helping out or making numbers up.

Like i said before, dont just think of yourself.
Talk to your family because its not a drinking club anymore.
You are a soldier(or will be)so you have to take the rough with the smooth.
Unfortunately the rough is not nice.
Any worries P.M. me.

[mr_cc]

Well the good news is that I dont have a wife, kids or anything. My parents are pretty supportive about it.

And Ive pretty much come to terms with the fact that I will be putting myself in a potentially dangerous environment. (In fact at this stage, I would welcome being mobilised. Get me out of the crappy job for a bit, and save a bit of money)

As I said, my only concern was that I could be sent to Iraq after only a few weeks worth of training, and being totally underqualified to do a job. (ok, im only going in as a driver, but we hear about convoys being ambushed almost every day)

Just out of interest, how much training should I expect to get from the time I join up, to the time I get mobilised, assuming that I get mobilised as soon as possible.

Also, I put my application forms in about a month ago. How long is it supposed to take to get started.

[old scaly back]

This is only my opinion.
It can take quite a long time,im talking months rather than years.
When i joined we had to do six weekends which were usually every other week end.
You would then have to go away for a two week course.
There might be a waiting list to get on it.
I wouldnt be suprised if it took a year.
Mind you i know they are short and might push you through.
I would phone the unit you are going to and ask.Just say your works need to know so they can organise there time table.They should have an idea of when your courses run and the chance of you going.

You would NOT go as an untrained soldier as you would be more of a menace than help.
Dont think that as soon as you sign up you will be off.
Once trained you may go you may not.Its all to do with manpower.
You could volunteer.But then you could be put with anyone.

Ive known people to make a carreer out of the T.A.(me included).
There is possible day work where you go into the barracks as if it was a day job (9 to 5 ).Thats usually specialist units,Signals,Engineers etc,where work is needed on vehicles,painting,getting ready for inspections etc.
Or you can go on what used to be called S Types.
This was where you went to a unit in England or more likely abroad and you would make the numbers up.
My mate has probably more medals than some regulars from going on S Types( Yugoslavia,Kosova,Cyprus and just got back from the Gulf plus his long service and the Queens jubilee.)

I think everyone worrys when they go to a war zone.
Im not saying its not dangerous,but put it in perspective,when your times up you will not be able to do anything about it.
Wheather its crossing the road in England or driving in convoy in Basra.
You will trained to a military standard.
Its up to YOU how good that is

[RMP]

YOU WILL BE POSTED WITHOUT DOUBT! I HAVE BEEN IN 9 YEARS AND DONE 2 TOURS - BOS AND OP TELIC/IRAQ, THE NATURE OF THE TA HAS CHANGED A LOT AS OF LATE. THIS IS GOOD IN AS MUCH THAT YOU ARE LESS A S.T.A.B AND TAKEN FAR MORE SERIOUSLY NOW, BAD IF YOU ONLY WANT TO PLAY AT IT.

[df2inaus]

It usually takes about a year to get to that point in the TA, so you'll have become versed in military ways by then. In addition, once mobilised you will be subjected to a month's worth of training at Chilwell to bring you up to speed.

There was an article in the Telegraph about a woman (who happens to be beautiful) who claimed she was sent to Iraq with only 2 weeks' training, which I took to be phase 2 of training. My phase 2 in the TA Signals was a 2-week course at Blandford.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... army02.xml

Woman soldier joins TA exodus after being sent into the Iraq frontline
(Filed: 02/02/2004)

Discontent is growing in the ranks of Britain's part-time Army.

A young female TA soldier with two weeks' basic training was sent to the frontline in Iraq with a nuclear, biological and chemical decontamination unit.

Despite strict rules preventing regular female soldiers from carrying out frontline infantry operations, she was ordered to take part in patrols, replacing paratroopers who were needed elsewhere.


Sarah Masters: 'four hours of training'
Sarah Masters, 27, a project manager with Vodafone, is one of hundreds of members of the TA who are leaving over the way they were treated during the war.

Around 400 TA soldiers have already quit over the lack of equipment that is claimed to have left one without a weapon when he crossed into Iraq.

The war led to the biggest call-out of reservists since Suez with 10,000 troops receiving compulsory mobilisation orders. Around 3,000 are expected to be called out this year.

But many are choosing to leave instead. They complain of being treated like second-class citizens and dismiss the insistence of senior officers that they have no need to fear loss of income as a result of leaving well-paid jobs.

Miss Masters, who served with the Wiltshire Yeomanry, told The Telegraph that she was sent to the Gulf last January, having only completed two weeks' initial training four months earlier.

She said: "I had been on one exercise so I wasn't fully confident in going to war and wanted more training. I wasn't given the training that the other members of the squadron had received." She was sent to war with a respirator that did not fit, despite raising the issue repeatedly with her senior officers.

She said: "Some people had to hand back their body armour or their ceramic plates as there weren't enough to go round. One guy didn't have a rifle issued when he crossed the border.

"There wasn't enough ammo to go round. Some people were lucky and managed to get some off the Americans."

Like many of the regular troops she and a number of other members of the squadron were not issued with desert uniform until after the war. Miss Masters said: "In the end my mum had to order a pair of desert boots and send them out to me. When we had to be in squadron photos, we had to be seen wearing our desert uniform. Anyone who didn't have one couldn't be in the photo."

The squadron was subsequently ordered to take over from the Parachute Regiment mounting foot patrols. "It seemed strange considering the Paras have years of experience doing this and we only had four hours of training. It can be daunting if you have never done this before. You could hear Iraqi AK47 rifles going off all over the place."

Many TA soldiers in Iraq said they suffered financially, and, despite strict rules preventing employers from sacking them, some found their jobs were no longer there when they got home.

With many reservists being called up for action in Afghanistan and then within a year mobilised for Iraq, employers have become less willing to keep them on. One reservist sergeant who works for a major company in the West Midlands returned from Iraq to find his position had been filled and he had been transferred to a lower grade on less pay.

He believes he has no choice but to leave. "Employers are supposed to keep your job open and if they don't they face a £1,000 fine," he said. "What hardship is that for a major company? The MoD don't care. All they want is manpower and when your time is up they just dump you."

Although reservists are supposed to be able to claim back any loss of income due to their mobilisation this is not easy. "I wonder if people are aware that UK reservists receive little in benefits. They are even encouraged to take out insurance to protect equipment we are issued with in case we lose it during combat.

"What is particularly annoying is that our colleagues in the coalition from America and Australia were getting tax-free pay as an incentive. The Aussies are also getting a special overseas allowance, war bounty and danger pay."

A senior Army officer working at the MoD said commanders were aware that many members of the TA were not happy and were seeking better benefits, including pensions.

The officer added: "The fact is that unless something is done soon the number of people within the TA we can call upon will get smaller and smaller and leave us in a no-win situation. We have about 12 months to go before we run out of manpower."

The MoD said it was unable to comment on specific cases but women in TA units were not allowed in infantry roles on combat operations.

Figures for numbers leaving the TA were not available, but a spokesman said reservists called up for long operations were covered by MoD pensions that bring occupational pensions in line with those of regulars and enjoyed the same death-in-service benefits as regular troops. Reservists contacted yesterday insisted this was not the case.

Is it possible she bypassed Chilwell? How could this happen? In my phase 2 I passed the course but never fired live rounds (the 25m range closed for the day and that was it).

I believe two weeks is not enough, surely the army would agree.

[Aldo]

although a lot refused to go, and left the TA altogether

Isn't that illegal, sort of? It was made very clear to me when I joined that after you sign the 4 year contract you have to go when they tell you, otherwise they have the right to lock you up. I only joined a few months ago so it couldn't have changed and I doubt it's something new.