An Cosantóir

| 19 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE However, by the 1970's the Cadet School had taken on a more recognisable form with all training taking place in the Curragh. To this day the Cadet School continues to produce leaders of Character and Competence through physically and mentally demanding training, while its graduates' have gone on to prestigious and fruitful careers in the Defence Forces and beyond, their faces continue to be immortalised in the halls of the Cadets Mess. THE IRISH TIMES DEBATING COMPETITION – 2/LT TOMÁS SHERRY (COMMISSIONED TO 12 INF BN) The Cadet Syllabus places great emphasis on communication skills and public speaking as an integral part of effective command and leadership, with marked assessments as a part of the course. Every year the Cadet School takes part in Irelands most prestigious debate competition, with participating teams from across most third level institutions in the country. Six cadets went to the first round and 3 qualified, one team of two consisting of Cadet Faherty and I, and Cadet Kellegher qualifying as an Individual; while proposing the motion that "US democracy has failed". Cadet Kellegher went on to represent the school in very fine fashion, reaching the grand final held in Belfast where she argued eloquently that "Dialogue is Dead". ADVENTURE WEEK - 2/LT CHRIS MCCLOSKEY (COMMISSIONED TO 7TH INF BN) Throughout my time in the Cadet School, there were many enjoyable activities and challenging exercises, but Adventure Week stands out as the highlight for me. During a warm summer week, our class was split into groups and sent across the country to take part in a range of adventurous activities, including rock climbing in County Dublin, clay pigeon shooting in County Kilkenny, kayaking in County Carlow, and scuba diving off the coast of County Clare. We were pushed to face our fears, step outside our comfort zones, and pick up new skills, some of which have since become hobbies. It was also a chance to bond as a class, with plenty of laughs and great craic both in and out of the water. Marking the halfway point of our cadetship, it was a much-needed change of pace and a week none of us will forget. OOTW – LT RÍAN FLEMING (COMMISSIONED TO 3 INF BN) Among the many ground exercises completed during the cadetship, none is more highly anticipated than Operations Other Than War (OOTW). Exercise Redspot began on 4 November 2024, with the 100th Cadet Class and 12th Potential Officers Course deploying to the Forward Operating Base in Kilworth to conduct peace support operations. Throughout the first week, Cadets were assessed across a range of appointments and taskings, including vehicle and recce patrols, key leader engagements, and personnel recovery missions. The exercise also provided valuable exposure to some of the assets available within the Defence Forces, notably Sitaware — the battle-tracking software used to plan and monitor operations in real-time. Week two saw a shift in tempo as we deployed to the Slieve Bloom Mountains to conduct counterinsurgency (COIN) operations. The week commenced with a physically demanding infiltration over the rugged terrain of Wolftrap Mountain. Following this, we established our foothold in the AO in the form of multiple harbour areas within Glenregan Forest. From these positions, we launched successive patrols aimed at gathering intelligence on an audacious and elusive enemy. The tactical complexity of the environment was of a level beyond what we had experienced in any exercise up to that point. IED threats and the odd key leader engagement turned ambush kept us in a heightened state of alert throughout. We executed a broad spectrum of operations—including OPs, CTRs, FIWAF, and culminating in an efficacious raid on the enemy stronghold. CHRISTMAS LEAVE PERIOD 2024 - 2/LT MATTHEW KELLY (COMMISSIONED TO 28 INF BN) As Christmas Leave 2024 approached it marked a significant time for the class. Major test appointments had been completed and much of the built up stress over the course of the cadetship had been worked through. Events like our Christmas dinner and culture passes allowed for the class to bond closer than ever before and reminisce on our achievements to date. Providing a Christmas event in the Cadets Mess for children of the local National School helped diversify our daily tasks even more, while also bringing something new and exciting to the school and local community. Our Christmas dinner gave us a reminder that our last few functions within the Cadet School were at most only a few months away. The idea of commissioning at the time became more exciting as the days went on. Finishing with a celebration in Galway, we went our separate ways for two weeks back to all corners of Ireland and beyond. Cadets were able to spend this time with their families of whom they had seen very little over the previous 15 months. It was such a special time as family and friends were key in supporting us throughout our training, as much as we may have taken it for granted at times. It allowed us to return the favour in many different ways. Returning back across the cattle grid in January 2025 brought much excitement to the class. The imminence of once more sharing holiday stories for possibly the last time of the cadetship was a noticeable milestone. Three final months lay ahead. Overall, this period was highly memorable as not only did it mark entering our final phase of training, but also allowed time for us to thank and pay respect to all of those who played an instrumental part in shaping and developing us. It is these people who provided much needed support that kept everyone driving forward.

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