An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir November 2018 www.dfmagazine.ie 38 | PAUL ROCHE TECHNICAL SUPPORT UNIT (TSU), NAVAL SERVICE RESERVE (NSR) LIEUTENANT (NS) N aval reservist Lt (NS) Paul Roche is presently tasked with recruitment for the Naval Service Reserve (NSR), "this is challenging but a vital part of the NSR, as new recruits are the lifeblood and the future of the NSR so it is criti- cal to get it right." Lt Roche has been trained in the Candidate Manager System and has also received further training from J7 branch on interview techniques. Included in this task is being the Point of Contact (POC) for NSR content on the Defence Forces' website www.military.ie. Paul makes himself available for this duty two Monday mornings out of every month. "Not all tasks can be met during this time so I complete a lot of phone calls and e-mails while off base in personal time." He added. "Work in the Technical Support Unit (TSU), is very interesting as the tasks can be so diverse. This has included reviewing training syllabi, delivering training course content, carrying out a small boat survey, flood water relief operations review, sail training, damage control and firefighting, ceremoni- al duties and being available for seagoing relief as I hold a Naval Watchkeeping Certificate." Paul said he views the NSR as a second career due to the en- hanced learning opportunities which complement his profes- sional work life. Paul's main career is with P&O Ferries where he is serving as Senior Ship Master and responsible for up to 8,000 passengers a week during the summer. P&O Ferries has been very supportive of my reserve commitments down through the years, granting additional leave and being flexible in adjusting work commitments. www.poferries.com Paul has been at sea since 1985, "One thing I've learned is that the maritime environment is very unforgiving, even for pro- fessional mariners. I was on board LÉ Róisín (P51) when tasked with a Search and Rescue (SAR) Mission for the air crew of Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 116 in 2017. It was a very steep learning curve, providing invaluable experience in command and control for crisis response in maritime SAR operations. The professional- ism and seamanship demonstrated by the Officers, NCOs and Ratings in tough sea conditions were exemplary; from the initial task, co-ordinating the search and rescue response, to launching and recovering boats safely. As an additional officer I was able to contribute my experience and training to support the com- mand team having previously been involved in other Search and Rescue Missions." Paul explained that there are certain maritime skillsets transferable within the Merchant Marine and the Naval Ser- vice. Ship handling, navigation, ship stability, SAR training and international maritime regulations are all common, and with a little orientation training, can be aligned with NS procedures. "The world class coastal navigation skills I've picked up in the NS enhance those of my Merchant Navy job. However, there are significant differences as I found during training evolutions on LÉ Róisín. It was very clear that the ethos of the Naval Service is to maintain the fighting platform whereas in the Merchant Marine the preservation of life at all costs is the fundamental principal, even if it means losing the ship." Other aspects of Paul's career can contribute to the Naval Service. He recently completed a Master of Science Degree in Maritime Management where Naval Officers contributed to his thesis on task unrelated thought (which effectively consti- tutes mind wandering) affecting ship handlers. The completed thesis was circulated to Naval Command and he delivered two technical papers at conferences which were well received in both the maritime and aviation industries. An Cosantóir hopes to publish Paul's article on this topic soon. Paul's volunteer work also includes working at the United Nations Headquarters of the International Maritime Organi- zation (IMO) as technical advisor for the Nautical Institute. "Sitting on the Technical Working Groups required working with delegates from different governments such as the UK, USA, Rus- sia, China and Germany to name but a few." From 2011 to 2014 Paul was an external examiner for Nauti- cal Science in the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), where he had excelled in his undergraduate degree. "I have spent 33-years in the Reserve Defence Forces and the training received and experienced gained has been invaluable to my personnel and professional development. However, for me it has always been about the people and of lifelong friendships, both PDF and RDF, during my service that I value the most."

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