Editing Ulster Defence Regiment (section)

==Personnel==

===Training===
25% of the new recruits in 1970 had no previous military or special constabulary experience. Training was done by a team of regular soldiers attached to each unit headed up by a training major, assisted by former instructors from the armed forces who were recruits themselves.<ref>Potter pp26–7</ref>

The annual training commitment for each part-time soldier was twelve days and twelve, two-hour training periods. Part of which included attendance at annual [[training camp]]. As an incentive, any soldier who fulfilled his training was given an annual bounty of £25-£35, later increased to £150 for the first year, £250 for the second and £350 for the third and subsequent years.<ref>Potter p225</ref> This bounty in modern terms would be worth £1674 per year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/TA_Pay.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=30 July 2013 |archive-date=12 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012151949/http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/TA_Pay.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Pay was also given for training days but this was less than the rate for operational duty.<ref name="Potter p37" />

As with all British military recruits, training started with an introduction to basic battle skills and the book of the same name, which, where possible, was issued to each individual soldier. Instruction was also given on the Army marksmanship pamphlet ''Shoot to Kill''.<ref>Basic Battle Skills. Army Code No. 71090; HMSO ASIN: B0011BLJXE</ref>

Part-time (and later, permanent cadre) soldiers were required to attend an annual camp for a seven-day period.  Camps were located at:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! England !! Scotland !! Northern Ireland
|-
| [[Warcop]], [[Cumbria]] || [[Barry Buddon Training Area|Barry Buddon]], [[Angus, Scotland|Angus]] || [[Abercorn Barracks|Ballykinler]], [[County Down]]
|-
| [[Lydd|Lydd and Hythe]], [[Cinque Ports]]||  || [[Magilligan]], [[County Londonderry]]
|-
| [[Wathgill]], [[North Yorkshire]]|| ||
|-
| [[Otterburn Training Area|Otterburn]], [[Northumberland]]||  ||
|-
| [[Thetford]], [[Norfolk]] ||  ||
|}

These camps not only provided intensive training but they included days out and social events where soldiers could relax and drop their guard, well away from the troubled areas they normally patrolled.<ref name=autogenerated12>Ryder p89</ref>

From 1975 onwards specially trained search teams were created to comb the countryside and derelict buildings for illegal stashes of weapons and explosives.  Some of these dumps were [[booby trap]]ped and particular care and alertness was needed.<ref name=autogenerated12 />

Training continued to be done at each battalion's own HQ until 2 July 1979 when the UDR Training Centre opened at the old weekend training camp at Ballykinlar, County Down.<ref name=autogenerated11>Potter p200</ref> The first recruit courses as the centre for permanent cadre troops were four weeks long and the subjects included physical training, [[foot drill]], assault course, range firing, foot and mobile patrol procedures (including vehicle stops), map reading, signals, first aid and a grounding in legal responsibilities.<ref name=autogenerated11 /> The first recruit course [[Passing out|passed out]] on 28 July 1979 and the salute was taken by Brigadier David Miller, Commander UDR.<ref name=autogenerated11 /> Courses were not just for permanent cadre and included training for:platoon commanders, platoon sergeants, potential NCOs, skill-at-arms, surveillance, intelligence, photography and search updating.<ref name=autogenerated11 />

In 1990 the UDR Training Centre became responsible for all military training in Northern Ireland.  Under the command of a regular army lieutenant colonel seconded to the UDR.  The centre then ran courses for the regular army and [[RAF Regiment]] individual reinforcements on search team training, combat medics, skill-at-arms, and NCO training; as well as the management of the extensive weapon ranges at Ballykinlar.

===Family===
In some cases several members of a family would join the same unit.  This led to husbands, wives, sons and daughters, even grandparents serving together.<ref name=autogenerated9>Potter p381</ref> Whilst this did create a good ''[[Morale|esprit de corps]]'' there were problems created.  Once anyone in a family joined the Ulster Defence Regiment the entire household, even children, had to be educated on personal safety.<ref name=autogenerated9/> The hours were long and soldiers had to forfeit a normal family life.<ref name=autogenerated9/> On duty too there were issues.  Family members had to be split into different patrols and vehicles so that if one unit was attacked an entire family would not run the risk of being killed or wounded at the same time.<ref>Gamble 2009, p131</ref> In 1975 there were eighty four married couples serving and fifty three family groups of three or more.<ref>Ryder p134</ref>

UDR soldiers lived in their own civilian homes,<ref>Potter p311</ref> (except for attached regular army personnel who were given "quarters").

Many lived in Protestant or Catholic [[Enclave and exclave|enclaves]] which put them within easy reach of local paramilitary or community groups. The years 1972–73 saw paramilitary threats from loyalist and republican sources. Of the 288 incidents of intimidation reported, all but twelve were from Protestants who had been threatened from within their own community. Sometimes this was to gain information or to persuade soldiers to join (or remain within) loyalist organisations.<ref name=Potter94>Potter 2001, p. 94</ref> The intimidation included: threatening letters and phone calls, abduction, shots fired from passing cars and off-duty soldiers being assaulted.<ref>Potter pp89–98</ref>

In the early days some even lived in what would later become known as "hard line areas" such as Private Sean Russell of 7 UDR who lived in the [[New Barnsley]] Estate in Belfast.  This led to many UDR soldiers becoming targets for various paramilitary groups whilst off duty and indeed Sean Russell was subsequently targeted and killed whilst at home, in front of his family.<ref name="Potter60" />