An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/1098889
An Cosantóir April 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 12 | ALL ARMS STANDARD NCOS COURSE An Cosantóir April 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 12 | T he Infantry School's NCO Training Wing (NCOTW) has a staff of 13 officers and NCO instructors. Our mission is "To educate, train and inspire the NCO Corps to be leaders of strong character and professional competence, committed to the Defence Forces Values". All corporals from the Army and Air Corps (line) who wish to be considered for promotion to higher rank must pass through this small training establishment, and earn their third stripe. Developing leadership in people is an im- portant job and one we take very seriously; indeed, the NCOTW motto reflects the business we are in: 'Traenáil- imid Ceannairí – We Train Leaders'. The NCOTW is respon- sible for conducting various career courses for NCOs such as: The Senior NCOs Course which is attended by senior sergeants; the robust and challenging Infantry Platoon Sergeants' Course; and the Potential NCOs Course for future corporals. However, the main output of the NCOTW is our flagship course, the All Arms Standard NCOs Course. With 46 successful students, the eleventh iteration of the All Arms Standard NCOs Course (AASC) recently conclud- ed, so it seems an ideal time to offer some observations, reflections, and advice that may be valuable to future students of this important career course. The 11th AASC ran for eleven weeks concluding in early December; the final two weeks being a Range Managers' Course. The attached instructors arrived to the NCOTW three weeks prior to the course to undergo a Specialised Instructors' Course and to prepare their lessons and lectures. As the NCOTW has such a small staff, a course the size of the AASC is impossible without the help of attached instructors. For the students the course started long before the commencement date, with an orientation day a number of weeks in advance. The orientation day outlines what will be required of the students throughout the course. Closer to the commencement date, a written exam and night navigation assessment were conducted in BY SGT RORY BEHAN, INSTRUCTOR, NCOTW, MIL COL AASC students conducting a CASEVAC.