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THE RESPONSE BY members of the public to last night’s airing of the RTE documentary, ‘Recruits’ is largely to be welcomed.
At last the Irish public are finally getting a real insight into the reality of the training involved in becoming a member of a modern adaptable western European military force.
The fact that so many are shocked at what on first impressions seems to be a deluge of harsh treatment is to be expected among a population that has very little engagement in, or comprehension of, what is required for military life in an operational setting.
Why all the shouting and swearing?
Viewers should remember that this is a programme which has been designed to inject a bit of shock factor and has been edited accordingly. In the next episode the viewer will see an evolution in the relationship between the instructors and recruits where there is less shouting and more mentoring.
So, why all the shouting and swearing and hardship? The simple answer is to create a shock factor in the early days of recruit training, to remind the recruit what it is they have signed up for.
They are seeking to become professional soldiers and will be expected to work in some of the most hostile parts of the planet. Central to the skills the recruits must learn, is the ability to be able to maintain resilience in the face of extreme pressures that will not be experienced by their civilian peers.
In general, the idea is to initially create an atmosphere of pressure and indeed fear. The reaction is sought to escalate the recruit’s interdependence and sense of team. Them against the world, because undoubtedly they will find themselves in situations where those resources will be called upon.
These recruits will eventually find themselves dealing with situations similar to what faced the Defence Forces in the Golan Heights in Syria, Chad, Liberia and many other tough postings.
It works
The core elements of recruit training is to instill within the recruit an ability to work efficiently under pressure and as part of a team. Having experienced both recruit and cadet training, plus many other forms of military and crisis management training, I can attest to its effectiveness.
I still feel an intense bond with the fellow soldiers I underwent training with, as we knew we could trust each other when times would be tough.
Despite what people may think, particularly the ‘hurlers on the ditch’ who have never served or who served in a more gentler era, the Defence Forces are operating at a time when the resilience and adaptability of soldiers has never been more necessary.
It should be understood, it was training like this that produced soldiers who acquitted themselves at the Siege of Jadotville in the Congo in 1961, the Battle of At Tiri in Lebanon in 1980 and the rescue operation on the Golan last year mounted in the face of Islamic militants.
Military life is tough
I would ask people to reserve rushing to judgement and watch the second episode next week. Remember that none of the young soldiers in the documentary, despite the litigious culture we now live in, lodged any complaint as to being bullied or treated harshly.
The reality is with upgraded training and fitness standards we now have a military that is fit for purpose. We are not a war-fighting nation, but we are committed to working with our European neighbours in putting in place security and stability in less fortunate parts of the world.
Therefore we owe it to our soldiers to ensure they are equipped both physically and psychologically with the tools to protect themselves and see the hard times through.
Certainly, my generation’s experiences in the forces were if anything, harsher and more spartan. This wasn’t always for the best.
The new system of training has been assessed over the years by both civilian and military experts and has been the subject of input by one of the leading anti-bullying experts in the state, Dr Eileen Doyle.
At one point the training was considered to have been too sanitized and recommendations were made to re-inject greater reality into the training.
The bottom line is military life is tough going, particularly in the early days…but then the realities of life in an operational setting are equally as tough, perhaps even tougher.
The days of soft soldiering in Ireland are long past…if they ever indeed existed.
Declan Power was a former career soldier and author of ‘Siege at Jadotville’. He continues to work as an independent security and defence analyst.
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Generally speaking, people don’t have a real understanding about the magnitude of information capture that happens. Every personal or private thing you have ever mentioned in a phone call, a text message, or an email…. Exists somewhere. Bring concerned about Facebook privacy is laughable by comparison.
And as we know, surveillance drones are being introduced to Ireland next week for added Orwellian g8 delight.
It occurred to me that if a person was as paranoid as western govt’s seem to be, and as immune to self-criticism, not to mention violent and threatening towards those who might disagree with them- well, they’d be on serious medicine for psychosis.
But hey, at least Ireland is more enlightened. I mean, our political system doesn’t have psychotic tendencies, does it?
; )
Of course there is no terrorist organisation active in Fermanagh to be watched now is there…and sure while you are at it ignore totally the usefulness of air support in tackling criminals who have zero respect for civil liberties
The Irish Air Corp also operate Israeli manufactured ‘drones’. Though not of the (direct) killing machine variety. Here they are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbiter_UAV
Cheers for link Brian…uav’s offer cost effective immediately available air support to police aswell as military. ..being used by some constabularies in UK & being evaluated by their national procurement agency. Perfect for back up in rural Ireland.
There are many possible benefits to both use of drones and surveillance of data. I think the issue is the lack of public debate on the issue of privacy. They own the content of our private text messages, they own the right to our d.n.a. Who the flock are these people who shepard us and peep into our lives? Tbh, seeing how the western power players use the resources at their disposal, which could be used to really shape a wonderful world, I personally just don’t trust them not to use the information gathered to simply snuff out the increasing levels of dissent.
Actually it’s the Army and not the Air Corp that operate the UAV and they lost one in Chad (myth has that it tried to fly home to Curragh) in 2008.
Anne…please…snuff out increasing levels of dissent! Are you for real…where do you think we are DPRK? When terror attacks take place and “lntelligence failures” are flagged its blue murder…now when “democratic governments” make efforts to protect their citizens its “not enough debate” try debating in DPRK or even Belarus
@Colm . ..When was the last terrorist attack on the Republic? Yet Shatter now has the right to switch off the Internet and shutdown mobile phone networks when ever he feels like it. Either we are private citizens or we are not. What use was all that online snooping to the US security services when the Boston bombers were able to avoid it without raising a sweat.
@colm
Democracy? Well myself and the rest of the ‘civilised’ world clearly missed the debate! I don’t want my information, calls and texts trawled by an A.I so, being a ‘democracy’ can you tell me where the opt out clause is? I’m sure a democracy wouldn’t snoop on civilians without their consent.
And when you say terrorism, do you mean something like the dubious 9-11 attacks that so conveniently set bush and Blair up for their illegal war in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Ps. In case you missed it, America is a corporatocracy, the days of democracy are long dead.
Also, shame they treat whistleblowers like criminals. Most of us who still have the capacity for free thought think they do the world a great service. Always bothers me that they keep turning up dead shortly afterwards. Nasty coincidence that, in a democracy . . .
Dubious attacks on 9/11 that set up illegal war in Iraq & Afghanistan. ..are you living in a tin foil house? 9/11 put vack the illegal war in Iraq as the attacks originated in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. ..Taliban were given opportunity to hand over AQ terrorists but refused. AQ militants assassinated Shah Masoud 2 days BEFORE 9/11 simply because they knew it would spark retaliation and that he was the Norther Alliances best a d most popular leader.
Btw…how good were womens rights under Taliban…how open were they to education? Indeed im sure Malal Yousufzai might be abke to enlighten you to how “legal” a regime and how respectful they were of basic human rights
People in 1930s appeased a dictator and millions died.
Yes Iraq war was illegal…bit Bushs piss poor attempts to link ot to 9/11 failed dismally.
Im now so bored with so called free thinkers who in reality are brainwashed
Omagh…and numerous failed attempts on this ISLAND since. There are still subversive elements wedded to the usurping of the lrgal authorities of this sovereign indrpendant nation
For attention of Martin
Oh and Martin..no defence is impregnable…but good intel does save lives. As Iv said before. ..your freedom of speech freedom to criticise and protest is gaurded by those in khaki desert camo and blue and the spooks. Im not asking you to like it but would prefer you direct your ire at the threats to YOUR freedoms from outside than constantly sniping. Some attitudes on this site reek of smugness.
The emporer has no clothes and still people pretend & even try to convince others that its all ‘normal’.
Why all this show of swagger? Why not hold their little party in a secret desert location? Lot of pompous posturing on a very public stage.
You know they are putting up fake shop front to pretend to them that life here is rosy.
AND can’t wait to see bush and Blair done for war crimes. That would make my decade!
I see you prefer the rhetoric of empty vessels to actual debatw…you ignore my agreement that Iraq war was indeed illegal…you ignore the fact that 9/11 interfered with Bush and Cheneys plans for Iraq…you ignore the recent history of Afghanistan. .which up until 1980s was a growing thriving mildly secular soviety overthrown by a communist coup led by NajiBullah and propped up disastrously by Brexhnezs USSR…cue mistakes by CIA and birth of Al Qeeda.
You ignore the HORRENDOUS human rights abuses by the Talivan in Afghanistan and NW Pakistan. You see debate is more than slogan throwing.
And you ignore in your parting shot re war crimes Vladimir Putins record in Dagestan Ingushetia Chechnya and Georgia. Why no marches for those victims?
And yes the area around Lough Erne is being tidied up to show as best a view of Ireland as possible for world media…and NO..democratic leaders should not have to hide away in a desert. Thats s funny view of democracy you appear to espouse
“1970′s as opposed to 1980s” typo
So its was the CIA then that created Al-queda.
I can just see the NSA web crawlers reading this post now that i used those two key words. Crap hi guys! hope its a nice day there in Virginia.
Oh and womans rights seriously !!…..Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain….No civil rights issues in those countries I suppose. If you are going to use those arguments you can’t be siding with countries that are guilty of the same crimes.
And finally before I hit the hay…..No one in kaki is defending me from anything if you believe that ,I’d ask you to put down the joystick turn off your playstation and stop swallowing the simplistic foxnews view of this world that makes people come to such black and white conclusions.
The US miltary has not defended freedom since April 1945. That great bastion of democracy with such brilliant noble leaders like John Adams , Andy Jackson, JQ Adams , has been turned into a corpocracy with facists leanings and reduced the constiution into nothing more than a lament for what could have been.
Listen …I don’t use xbox or psgames. If you think that you are not being defended by military police and intelligence agencies. ..well you really are a sad case.
Re womens/human rights I was referring to the assertion that the invasion of Afghanistan was illegal in international law which it clearly was not…it was in response to an act of war which was planned and directed from.there. you are a typical empty vessel..ignoring all other points except ones with which you can attack however tenuous the US UK and or Israel.
You ignore the original destabiliser of a mildly secular and prosperous Afghanistan which led to Mujahideen who in turn were infiltrated by bin Laden and who were well trained by Bush snr.
Regards war crimes you ignore Putins policies in Dagestan Ingushetia Chechnya and Georgia and his countries continuing arming of the Syrian govt while at all times since conflict started vetoing UN efforts to try to get a compromise.
Hi Colm M
Lets just take your points one at a time:
“Listen …I don’t use xbox or psgames. If you think that you are not being defended by military police and intelligence agencies. ..well you really are a sad case.”
Protecting me from who?? What invisible enemy have I got that I didn’t realise? Who did I or my country offend that would make them want to kill us? Answer NOBODY
Lets face it you are only taking about Islam because you are anti Islamist simply because you believe what your told about a complex world wide Muslim terrorist network. Well its a LIE. Anti western Islamic groups do exist that are so small and so unsophisticated
that could be easily dealt with if they weren’t needed to continue the lie.
Your next point:
Re womens/human rights I was referring to the assertion that the invasion of Afghanistan was illegal in international law which it clearly was not…it was in response to an act of war which was planned and directed from. there. you are a typical empty vessel..ignoring all other points except ones with which you can attack however tenuous the US UK and or Israel.
What are you on about fella, you can’t make up other people arguments where did I mention the Afghanistan conflict or UK or Israel read the comments a get out of your own head for a minute.
You say Bin Laden planed and directed 9/11 from there. Where’s your proof of that, The FBI said they had no case against him to be able to prosecute him for 9/11. You are treating hear say as fact. I think that’s clears up who the empty vessel is.
Your next point:
You ignore the original destabiliser of a mildly secular and prosperous Afghanistan which led to Mujahideen who in turn were infiltrated by bin Laden and who were well trained by Bush snr.
Bin Laden was working with the Bush’s in the 80′s who were arming him and the Mujahideen they took him from obscurity and build him up as a leader, after all the Bush family and the Bin Ladens were in business to together through the oil company Arbusto and Salem bin Laden. To say they were infiltrated by him is disingenuous he was a tool of Rumsfeld. see link:
http://rense.com/general14/bushsformer.htm
Your final point:
Regards war crimes you ignore Putins policies in Dagestan Ingushetia Chechnya and Georgia and his countries continuing arming of the Syrian govt while at all times since conflict started vetoing UN efforts to try to get a compromise.
Ahem…. I also never mentioned Putinor indeed any of these subjects..maybe as I said read peoples posts before tapping away with such venom.
Jeez Martin…so you are the expert on worldwide Islamist terror….where have you been….
Dont bandy accusations at me of being anti Islamic sir…you have ZERO basis.
Goodbye
Goodbye Colm M don’t trip over that tail between your legs now.
Yawn…could be thunder in the air…careful with that tin foil hat…at least be more careful than you are with your baseless allegations of Islamophobia.
Point out what I said that requires a tin foil hat??????
Look..at this stage Im bored with you but try this…you deny the existence oc s worldwide terrorism problem. Of course these groups are disparate..of course ghey dong have a “gchq” but they are linked…to deny this is total ignorance.
You have accused me of bring an Idlsmophobe wigh not s scintilla of evidence yo back up your bsseless and quitd frankly insulting allegstion.
You try to deal with a geopolitical issue in isolation…you ignore thst I am in agreement with you re Bush and Bin Laden..yet you ignore the source of thr Afghan problems. .NajiBullah’s coup encoursged and ultimately bavkrd by invssion by USSR…Afghanistan was a thtiving mildly secular society prior to Leonid.
You chose to deal with human rights exclusively as they apply to USA…but ignore equal abuses in countries where justice is just a concept.
The west is far from perfect…I realise that and I sir am far from quiet about its faults but I am grateful for my freedom of speech which despite your ignorance of thd real world is gaurded for us all by those brave enough and selfless enough to do so
Sorry I don’t mean to be insulting but the syntax is almost impossible to read with all the typo’s.
I accept you live in dreamland where the current and the past US administrations put your interest and safety above their need for Oil and wealth. Thats fine you can tell yourself all day long it won’t make it true. They talk about fighting for peoples freedom daily while denying it to same people daily. Including the guys and girls that are stuck in a desert fighting for oil companies, banks and vested interests instead of at home ready to defend those very people (which is their real duty under the constitution) who are being hounded out of their homes by the same banks & vested interests.
All I ask is you open your eyes about why all this snooping on peoples private lives was how Earnest Roam and his pals rose to power. If there is no more private citizens there is no more democracy.
Look..after the news I got today I couldn’t care less whether you are bothered to decipher my syntax. Likewise not wishing to insult you which has never been my intention but I refute your suggestions re me living in dreamland…it is you who thinks you exist in a utopia that does not require defending. Anyways as I alluded to…Iv bigger fish to fry and intensively more important to me than this topic or site.
Slan
Oh it was Ernst Rhom who was the head of the Sturmabteilung wing of the NSDAP and they gained power by clever use of ballot box and unscrupulous politicians who thought to their cost that they could control Adolf Hitler. It was when foot was in door they started their snooping. Of course Herr Rohm didnt last too long afterwards. The difference in the democratic west is there are checks and balances. That is something that I suggest you open your eyes to
Oh and Martin. ..for a person who professes a wish not to insult me…labelling me an Islamophobe without a scintilla of evidence is a pretty damn stark and clear insult in my book…syntax clear enough there for you sir?
Americans have no one to blame but themselves for this Orwellian nightmare.
The geriatric convention that is the US government needs to end.
Now we know why the second amendment is there
This isn’t a US problem, this is worldwide. The Irish government is already trying to censor criticism on online social media. They are trying to curb our rights to freedom of speech.
Do tell us how they are attempting to do this? I’m all ears. Remember that there is no right to free speech on social media (given that ultimately they are privately owned) and even so the right to free speech is not an unfettered one or one without consequences.
The EUSSR is still working on internet control and Enda is standing ready with his trousers neatly folded over his arm awaiting the instructions.
Mort, just call them the bloody EU. This EUSSR nonsense makes you look like a wackjob.
Nothing?
@Killian
Merkel’s 4th Reich has earned the title of EUSSR, I can’t undo that. Plus calling it the EUSSR annoys the hell out of its fans.
I’m not a fan, I just think it’s a bit silly.
Brian, there is no such thing as truth, only perception, you might see corporations however I only see buildings, workers and products. The rest exists in your mind, on computers and pieces of paper, exactly the same as money. You ever see the matrix, red pill or blue pill?
There is nothing private when posting online…. But sadly what can be done to stop governments snooping into private lives????
Are Google and Microsofts data centres in Dublin not governed by stricker European laws? How does mr Hawkes moniter these laws?
Good article here:
http://humanrights.ie/civil-liberties/grozdanova-on-us-surveillance-leaks/
All Comms now end up being sent by microwave over the air. If it is in the air it can be captured and stored. Why are people surprised by this & they are the same people who attack the security forces when some idiot blows himself and God knows how many more up. This ” expectation of privacy ” was a stunt thought up by the legal eagles to make money, nothing else. Always remember ” engage brain before opening mouth” you never know who is listening & someone always is.
Why was Mr Hawkes not concerned when names named under dail privilege. ..or is there something im missing
I think you answered your own question.
iv got my tin foil hat on
Well use it to cover yourself !
This spying moved up a gear under the Clintons who thought that military intelligence could all be gathered electronically.They were wrong and many agents in places like Iran were captured, tortured and killed as a result of being abandoned. The animosity between the Clinton and Obama camps is going to fuel this story and heads will roll.
“The animosity between the Clinton and Obama camps is going to fuel this story”
- Doubt it, Clinton wants to keep the Dems strong for next election so will play it cool but still be able to Distance herself from this Orwellian nightmare the Clintons will pin to Bush and Obama. One thing about this scandal that is shocking, is XBOX one, with its always on Camera, the US Gov can under PRISM S Microsoft access, literally spy at you in your own home with a system that can not only record or stream video but also tell what gestures you’re using, what emotions you’re expressing, what you’re saying and how many people are in the room, very 1984.
“The telescreens (in every public area, and the quarters of the Party’s members), have hidden microphones and cameras. These devices, alongside informers, permit the Thought Police to spy upon everyone and so identify anyone who might endanger the Party’s régime…”
Obama was keeping the seat warm for Hilary to take over until he developed his god complex and messed things up and they sure have fallen out recently so they will continue to stab him in the back. BTW Hilary and Samantha were best pals until they too fell out.
All this was predicted in the 80s even in books such as “big brother”
was the book called big brother i thought it was called nineteen eighty four
1984 warned us too but the Irish still can’t seem to wake up and realise criminals run the world
no girls run the world have you not herd the beyonce song
Peter, the brainwashing worked on you then lol Maybe you start listening to John Lennon and get ready for a summer of love
@peter your right mate yeah it was called that
sound
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