An Cosantóir

13 of a hot satisfying meal after hours of hard work in a cold and wet boarding operation cannot be overstated. Those talented Chefs are not just confined to the galley either; they are also key emer- gency response team members, who will don body armour and crew a general-pur- pose machine gun or breathing appara- tus as an immediate fire-fighting attack party within minutes of hearing the pipe. Technical Recruitment, Retention, and Regeneration Cell. To complete the tasks outlined above, the Navy requires skilled engineers, tradespeople, and Chefs. It has been repeatedly stated that even the most modern warships are rendered redundant in all their technical sophistication with- out a crew. The Navy is acutely aware of this fact, and recently they created the new Technical Recruitment, Retention, and Regeneration Cell (TRRRC) with, as the names implies, one of its primary tasks being the recruitment of technical specialists. These specialists, both com- missioned and enlisted, are being sought through a variety of entry systems; direct entry, technical trainees who are more commonly known as apprentices, and general enlistment. The current focus of the TRRRC is on the Direct Entry (DE) process. Direct Entry. This is the mechanism by which a person who holds a civilian qualification applies to join the NS. They are enlisted for an initial period of training which includes basic military training, then dependant on specialisation, they will have to satisfy specific specialist training requirements before they then advance to a posting at sea. Chefs enlist at the rank of Able Rat- ing, while Engine Room, Hull, Electrical Artificers and Radio Radar Technicians ventive maintenance by the Chief (ERA), to the actual physical maintenance being completed by the Petty Officers (POs) and ratings. Both the Engineer- ing and Communications departments have similar fundamental structures in regards to their maintenance require- ments. Emergency Response is the third vital part, which is delivered by an entire crew response; however, it is co-ordinat- ed, managed, and led by the engineering team. Every sailor is a marine fire-fighter, and fire remains an ever-present threat at sea. If a fire or flood occurs, then it is only by the immediate action of trained response teams, coupled with the rapid response of all sailors onboard, each turning to their designated role, and applying themselves without stint, which will enable the ship to fight, and to win. Another underappreciated aspect of keeping that warship at sea, is that sail- ors require sustenance. Good food is a force multiplier, and without question skilled Chefs are as vital to a ships com- pany as any electrician or engineer. The importance of a varied and appealing menu onboard is not just the need to keep a sailor fuelled for what is physi- cally demanding work; it also serves to preserve morale. The restorative power BE MORE WITH THE NAVAL SERVICE Tradespersons and Engineers lead the firefighting response. 2 Pipe: A message delivered over the ships intercom system is called a pipe. Certain pipes are to this day preceded by a pipe on a Bosun call. The most common that remain in use are The Still, The Side, and The Carry- On. A call is an ancient hand whistle, which was used to communicate orders in a series of whistles, to carry over a noisy wind-swept deck where the human voice would not suffice. Emergency pipes are often preceded today by a particular warning alarm bell.

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