An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 13 The Reserve Defence Force BY SGT WAYNE FITZGERALD V olunteering with the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) affords an individual the opportunity to learn new skills through different courses and camps through- out the year, while still pursuing their full-time occupation in 'civvy street'. The RDF's main function is to provide support to the Perma- nent Defence Force (PDF) in fulfilling its various roles, such as defending the state against armed aggression and aid-to-the- civil-power (ATCP) operations. This is done in a variety of ways, including assisting with training exercises and augmenting Naval Service personnel on fishery protection patrols. In 2005 the land element of our volunteer reserve forces, formerly known as An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil (FCÁ), was given the more modern title of the Army Reserve (AR/ Cúltaca an Airm) and the naval element changed its title from An Slua Muirí to the Naval Service Reserve (NSR/Cúl- taca na Seirbhís Cabhlaigh). Almost 100 years after the forming of the Irish Volunteers (Óglaigh na hÉireann), the completely volunteer RDF under- went another re-organisation in March 2013 in line with the Single-Force Concept, which embedded the RDF into PDF units, ensuring a single chain of command and allowing scope for greater collective training and operational effec- tiveness. In the AR existing RDF units were disestablished and the personnel posted into RDF companies/batteries/ squadrons within PDF units. The NSR was reformed into the Dublin Unit Naval Service Reserve (DUNSR), Limerick Unit Naval Service Reserve (LUNSR) and Waterford unit Naval Service Reserve (WUNSR). In the 2015 White Paper on Defence the government recognised the part played by the RDF and committed itself to retaining and developing the reserve. Chapter 8, para- graph 7.6, states: 'The Government recognise the valued public service given by volunteer men and women of the RDF to the State.' And later: 'Reserve forces can offer a cost-effective means of mitigating this risk and Ireland has retained a Reserve Defence Force in one form or another since the foundation of the State. The Government recog- nise the important role that the First Line Reserve (FLR), Army Reserve (AR) and Naval Service Reserve (NSR) have played in contributing to Ireland's defence capability, and, in particular, to the spirit of voluntary service that has been the hall-mark of members of the Reserve.' On 13th July 2018, Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mel- lett DSM announced the appointment of Col Brian Cleary, Director Combat Support & ISTAR, to oversee the RDF. This appointment has been well received by the Reserve De- fence Forces Representative Association (RDFRA). Volunteer military service has a long and noble tradition in Ireland and its value is also recognised in many other countries throughout the world. General James H Doolittle, a Reserve officer in the US Army Air Corps who was recalled to active duty during World War II, famously said: "There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer." If you are interested in joining the RDF, keep an eye on DF social media platforms for announcements regarding recruitment. Applications are only accepted through www.military.ie. "In seeking freedom, and in volunteering to fight for it, the hopes of the women and men who formed Óglaigh na hÉireann were to awaken 'the light of hope' and offer a liberating vision in what Liam Mac Uistín's poem describes as 'a desert of discouragement'." President Michael D Higgins speaking at the Garden of Remembrance on 24th November 2013, the centenary of the foundation of the Irish Volunteers Supporting the Frontline

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