RSC Ballymena

[Dagon]

Anyone out there been to the recruit selection centre in ballymena?
I have horrible visions of incredible strictness and getting sent home in shame, though that’s just nerves

[GARRYOWEN]

What unit do you intend to join ?

[Dagon]

1st Battlion Royal Irish Regiment.

I'm suprised anyones answered a post this old

Life has gotten in the way of my application process though i've since done the BARB and all that.

[barrybudden]

Dagon do not join the 1st Bn Royal Irish. They are a bunch of no hopers, when I was in 45 cdo our battery went to Canada with them and couldnt weight to get back. They fought among other and with anyone else. They had poor soldiering skills and did not want to go on exercise, they would pull the wipers of their armoured vehicles so they could go and get them fixed etc. They were in Armagh a couple of years ago and no one liked them, not even the locals. One lad from Carick shot himself and one was raped by another soldier, apariently it wasnt the first male rape in the Bn either. The company in Dungannon were unable to get on with the home service boys and a few alagations were made.

You judge for yourself, but I wouldnt go anywhere near them.

[Contractor]

I was in Belize with 1 R Irish in 1980, generally good set of blokes, all mad of course.

Just shows how units are judged at different points in time I guess.

[sp10122]

Beacuse you are from NI there's nothing to say you have to join the Royal Irish. Are you set on joining the infantry?

Some regts recruit from generally from their local area and some, such as the Paras, recruit from anywhere. The Regt I was with in NI for 6 months was from South England but we had jocks and all sorts amongst the guys. I think if you're a good bloke, people couldn't care less where you're from.

[Dagon]

Barrybudden when were you in canada with them? Have to say I haven't heard anything particulary bad about them before. Also been told they did alright in Iraq.

sp10122 I know that I don't have to join a particular regiment, and i'm not actually from northern Ireland, i'm from the south... . I looked around at a few different regiments before deciding what one to go for.
And ya I'm set on joing the infantry, I have a burning urge to go crawling around in the dirt getting shot at

[GARRYOWEN]

Join the RAMC.

[barrybudden]

Dagon, I wasn't in Canada with them but some of my friends from 7 Spinks battery RA were. It must have been about 1996 or 1997 as far as remember. I dont know about Iraq but the TA boys who went out with them said that they were sort of treated as 2nd class. I don't think they did much except guard prisoners and humanaterian things.

Search for Paul Cochrane he was the lad who shot himself.
I dont know much about the rape but it definately happened as one of my mates was barman that night and saw the young lad go out with the man who is now locked up in Magilligan

www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/05/69357.html
web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR450122003?open&of=ENG-2EU

Do yourself a favour and join the Paras or Royal Marines or some decient unit.