An Cosantóir

13 of the bridge, modern engine rooms, the speed of the ship, improvements all round." Brendan was back ashore in 2001 and then promoted to Petty Officer a year later before another unique opportunity arose. He served overseas with the UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea where he worked in UN HQ with a multi-national force. Back home he was posted to NCO and recruit training. "It was an important role being the first point of contact for people who joined the service and developing them into service men and women. You have to get it right because it is their foundation training." It is here where we instil the Navy's values and ethos in the individual and the next generation of leaders, ensuring the future is bright for the Navy. In 2004 Brendan was posted as Petty Officer to the Navy's flagship, the LÉ EITHNE. This resulted in a career highlight when in 2006 they went to South America for a three-month deployment, including celebrating the anniversary of the Irish- born founder of the Argentinian Navy, Admiral Browne. It is these Foreign Deployments that really show how adaptable naval personnel can be. One minute you are conducting your day to day job and that evening you could be attending an event promoting Ireland as a place to visit or do business. This is one example where the slogan "join the navy and see the world" rang true for Brendan. Another spell ashore in recruit training followed before promotion to the rank of Chief Petty Officer and a return to sea on the LÉ AISLING where he served as Coxswain. "I also had the privilege of serving under the first female commanding officer of an Irish Navy ship, Lt Commander Roberta O'Brien". THE CAREER OF SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER BRENDAN MADDEN Brendan on inspection in the Naval Base Halbowline. Back ashore saw Brendan take on a new role as Senior NCO in the Officer Training School which he found very fulfilling. Again, Brendan used his military experience and training to help train the next generation of Naval Officers. In 2012 he was promoted to his current rank, Senior Chief Petty Officer, and a spell as Coxswain on the LÉ EITHNE, the senior appointment at sea for enlisted personnel. Then it was back ashore and a posting to Fleet Operations Readiness, Standards and Training (FORST). "We are like the quality assurance for the ships at sea," he explained. Another overseas opportunity arose in 2016 when he served in a logistics role with the Defence Forces UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. This rotation to UNIFIL saw Brendan spending time away from family and friends at Christmas, a reality for many members of the Navy and Defence Forces. Returning from Lebanon, Brendan was posted to his current role - Senior Chief Petty Officer in the Naval College – where he said he has responsibility for "making sure everybody is doing what they are supposed to be doing." It is here in the Naval College that Brendan and his fellow instructors ensure the high standard required for life in the Navy is set in recruit training, but also maintained in the other courses carried out by serving personnel's Continuous Professional Development (CPD). Brendan is currently in the process of preparing for another deployment with NATO, this time to Kosovo and the KFOR mission there. It's tough knowing that I am going away from my family but it's similar to going to sea. It's part of life in the military and it's a job that no two days or deployments are the same. Brendan serving overseas. Brendan taking part in one of the DF road races. Brendan's recruit platoon.

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