An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 29 The CIS TTS (Phase 1 through Phase 7 inclusive) is of 45 months dura- tion (3 ¾ years). Students will qualify as Gp5 CIS Technicians (CIST) on successful completion of the Course. Phases 2 through 6 are conducted in partnership with IT Carlow, where the student will complete a Bachelor of Engineering (Ordinary) Degree in Electronic Engineering (Military Communications Systems). Successful applicants are required to complete CIS CommOp (Communications Operative) course in their first year on the scheme and CIS Corps technical tests for advancement in their technical grade. On successful completion of the near 4-year course students will be on T5 Tech Pay, requiring they then complete the relevant CIS Corps technical tests for advancement to T6. The CIS TTS is open to Pte 3* or equivalent ranks and NCOs. Successful NCOs on the scheme will revert to the rank of Pte 3*. With that in mind there are currently 56 CIS Trainee Technicians from 1st years to 4th year now under instruction in the CIS School in the DFTC. An Cosantóir recently visited some of the final year students to see how their projects were getting on. Speaking to the CIS School's Chief Instructor Comdt Eoin Scanlon, he told us, "This is a unique opportunity for soldiers to move into the mod- ern, fast-paced world of information technology. Successful candidates will graduate with a fully accredited degree in electronic engineering and move into a dynamic and technologically fast-paced Corps. As gradu- ates, all CIS technicians rely on their TTS education to be self-motivated, technically competent and up to speed with modern communications technology. Their final year project is a great start on this path, as auton- omy and research are inevitable features of future work. The standard of projects this year is impressive. The vast majority of work undertaken this year is self-selected and extremely innovative – an accurate reflection of the high standards of academic excellence achieved over the past three years by each student." We then visited the students at their workbenches to get a run through on some of their projects. Sgmn John Lucey, 1 CIS, 16-years' service John transferred from 4 Inf Bn to 1 CIS on the 2012 reorg. He has already completed a CommOp course and applied for the TTS in 2015, where he sat an interview and completed tests, 6-weeks of maths and physics with only the top 13-16 getting offered places (depending on how many applicants). "I'm building a two-tier security system, with a hard circuit to secure an armoury. It has a camera and will be aimed at reducing workload by detecting movement with live feed video sensors and motion sensors. I'm looking at a camera that can see through small objects, and it will have a pressure switch and pressure sensors too. The two modes will be user and engineer – which will have a password- protected area. The 2nd tier will be a WiFi enabled camera that can detect entry to a secure area, from a switch on a door and take a picture and send it to the operator/security. The image and data can be stored on a server or protected website." Pte Jennifer Byrne, 3 Inf Bn, 6 ½ years' service "I did physics and maths in my leaving cert. My project was to monitor atmospheric conditions like humidity, temperatures and light exposure. My idea was for use in a pharmacy, which requires cold storage and room temperature control. I spoke to the pharmacist in the Curragh Military Hospital so I could plan my project. It was a password protected fridge, that if someone enters the password incorrect 3 times, or electricity failure or if the temperature is outside of the required conditions the fridge sends a text message to a controller or the Medics/MP duty room. The message will have a time stamp and instructions on what is the next course of action." Sgmn John Lucey Pte Jennifer Byrne

• Cover