An Cosantóir

| 31 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE Recruit Simran Saini was born in Punjab, India and moved to Ireland at the age of 7. She graduated in October 2023 from Trinity College Dublin where she studied General adult nursing. "In my civilian life I work as a critical care nurse in an intensive care unit in Dublin. I play cricket for Phoenix cricket which I enjoy quite a bit. I like to go travel any opportunity I get. I had always been interested to join the Defence Forces. The RDF allows me to be a part of the Defence Forces and also allows me to continue my civilian job. The reason I joined the RDF is because I thought it would provide discipline in my life and it does exactly that. The RDF gives me the courage to push myself further whether it's in terms of physical performance or building important skills. For me the most fun part of training is learning skills that are particular to the Defence Forces, which otherwise would be impossible to acquire in my civilian life. Since I have joined the RDF, I have learnt skills that I can utilise in my civilian life. The most useful skills that I enhanced through the RDF and use the most in my civilian job include time management, organisational and communication skills. The RDF has also provides an environment where I can establish new connections and friendships with people who I would not have the opportunity to connect with in my civilian life. One of the hardest part of training so far was probably getting use to the routine during the first weekend training. However, myself and the other recruits quickly adapted and looked after each other quite well." Being a Platoon Sergeant is a full-time job, however leading a recruit Platoon requires that extra bit of leadership and a full personal dedication. — Sgt Eric Brennan shares his experiences with the Platoon The latest recruits of 7 Infantry Battalion D Company Army Reserve commenced their first weekend of the new RDF recruit syllabus in Feb this year. To date their introduction to life in uniform has been one evening per week, covering the basics of training such as their initial issue of kit, foot drill, and classroom lessons. Normally these troops report to barracks after coming straight from their work, study/education, extra curriculars or after spending time with family in order to undergo hours of training on top of their normal commitments. Individuals from all over Dublin and neighbouring countries travel to Cathal Brugha Barracks just to have the opportunity to put on the uniform and serve. It's fair to say that when an RDF recruit spends their first weekend on programme, they undergo a culture shock. Time in barracks is no longer transient, and from the moment they report in, they get the full military experience and begin to understand the training demands that go with it. The pace of training programme has to be measured and impactful to ensure recruits gain the most from their time during training. The objective of the training staff is to ensure the programme is effectively delivered and that students are brought through to the culmination of passing out where these recruits will be promoted to Two-Star Privates. The RDF recruit syllabus spans a period of 6 weekends and 2 full weeks in addition to regular training nights once per week, but for this cohort of troops they will always remember their first weekend in Feb 2024 when they would spend their first 2 days in green. New terms of responsibility such as Orderly Sgt or Billet Orderly are introduced and being somebody's "buddy" in the buddy system (where two recruits look out for and are responsible for one another) becomes more important than ever. Troops were tasked with reporting in at 0830hrs ready for PT. Quickly check parade was completed, accommodation was assigned, and personal kit tidied away; before they knew it, they were warming up and preparing for a light group run around the barracks. Ranging in ages from 18-35 years old, it's important that troops understand their commitment to fitness and stay on top of their physical ability. For an infantry unit this is hugely important and for some individuals, they would not have had the exposure of group/team fitness before which may present new challenges to them. The weekend quickly progressed into introductory lessons on the Styer assault rifle, foot drill and other lectures such as Duties of the Guard, Care of Hearing and RDF Career Development. In a couple of months' time these troops will carry forward their rifle training, getting the opportunity to test the principles of marksmanship, Immediate Action drills and finally get a chance to squeeze that trigger and put rounds on target. For a recruit this is an unforgettable experience, and no doubt something they will all bond over during their time together. The completion of basic weapons training will form the basis of everything they will take on in the future in their new role and is an exciting milestone to complete. But for now, the experience of first time eating in the mess, preparing billets and uniforms for inspection, learning how to care for and clean for weapons or practicing drill on the main square will be their focus. As the Platoon Sgt, I was extremely happy with the enthusiasm and effort the troops demonstrated over their first weekend. Their new environment is very different from what they are used to, and they only have a short time to acclimatise and assimilate the content the training staff present. For the training staff it is a prideful moment to see troops progressing well and the process of delivering training can unlock experiences which may have fallen to the back of one's mind when we ourselves first walked through the gates. For myself that was over 12 years ago, and I still think of that experience with great fondness. Putting oneself in that frame of mind helps to keep things grounded, allowing training staff to look at things from the recruit's point of view. It's fascinating to see people from all walks of life such as Craftspersons, Doctors and Nurses, Engineers, Barristers, Students etc, absorb the training material and to see it take. I have no doubt that bright careers lie ahead of these reservists, and I speak for all training staff when I say we're privileged to have had a hand in it. While the training gets more advanced, recruits will soon get an opportunity to put the rifle training to practice on their first range session as well as their first two week long Full Time Training. While being a part of Army Reserves requires a fair investment of spare time, being a member of the organisation is a life truly less ordinary. The Recruits are introduced to weapon cleaning Cpl Moloney and Recruit Saini going through weapon details Introduction to safety precautions

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