An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir September / October 2024 www.military.ie/magazine 24 | Can you give me a brief description of your career so far? On 19 November 1985, I started my career in the Navy. I had recently reached the age of 18 and was in my final year of secondary school. I made the decision to enlist in the Navy following a successful interview. My recruit training com- menced that November on the Naval Base and concluded in April 1986. It was a challenging but rewarding experience at that time. Seamanship branch was the branch I was assigned to after initial recruit training. I completed training in gunnery and seamanship before embarking on my first posting on a naval ship, LÉ AISLING. From LÉ AISLING, my career progressed in a consistent manner, with two years on sea going units followed by two years ashore in various naval appointments. To advance my career I completed my professional military courses including the Potential NCO Course in 1990, Standard NCO Course in 1999 and the Senior NCO Course in 2003. Sea rotations on LÉ ORLA happened in between these courses. To this day, the Seamanship Branch is still my branch in the Navy. What made you decide to join the Navy? My father enlisted in the Navy in the early 1960s and served for approximately 13 years. As a young man in Cobh, I would have observed the Navy ships entering and exiting Haulbowline. That was the catalyst that initially piqued my interest in joining the Navy. After growing up by the sea, with the Naval Base in close proximity to my home and hearing many stories of life in the Navy, I was simply drawn to the sea and the opportunities it entailed. As well as that, I was more interested in an outdoor career that was more physical and engag- ing than a job in an office. What has been your proudest moment so far in the Navy? I have a few instances in which I am exceedingly proud. This year will mark my 39th year of service in the Defence Forces. Some of the people I joined with in 1985 are still serving today, and they are very close friends and colleagues. We have been in service together for nearly four decades. Next year will be a year of great significance to us as it will be our 40th year in service. I am extremely proud of this. From a career perspective, the first ship I joined as an Ordinary Sea- man was LÉ AISLING. It was a good learning period for me as I had to put all the training I received into action. In 2008, as a Petty Officer (OR5) I returned to LÉ AISLING as BOSUN. I had the responsibility of the Seamanship personnel on board, all deck evolutions, mainte- nance of deck equipment and ships overall appearance. In 2012, I returned to LÉ AISLING in the Senior NCO position, COXSWAIN. Therefore, in total I have served six years on LE AISLING, transitioning from the most junior appointment to the most senior NCO appointment. I can still recall my first COXSWAIN, Chief Petty Officer Christie Murphy. I remember the manner in which he treated and cared for others. So when I took up the position of COXSWAIN in 2012, I wanted to ensure I made the same impression on individuals during their time on board the ship, that they were consistently treated with respect and dignity. In recent years, I have been particularly proud of my involvement in the delivery of the two Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) the Navy acquired from the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). I was a member PEOPLE OF THE DF JOHN MCCORMACK NAME SCPO RANK NAVAL SERVICE SHORE OPERATIONS UNIT 1985 YEAR JOINED LÉ AISLING X3, LÉ ROISIN X1, LÉ ORLA X3, LÉ EITHNE X1, LÉ AOIFE X1 SEA ROTATIONS On a career course in Germany In New Zealand on the IPV's

• Cover