An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir January / February 2026 www.military.ie/magazine 24 | WHAT PART OF THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT DO YOU MOST ENJOY? I enjoy the variety that the unit offers and the small working group that we have. Everyone helps everyone. HOW IS THE BTC ENVIRONMENT DIFFERENT TO UNIT LIFE? We are fortunate in the way we are allowed to forecast our plans for the year ahead allowing for our own planning in our personal lives. HAVE YOU LEARNT ANYTHING ABOUT YOURSELF WHILE WITH THE BTC? Yes, I have learned to concentrate and push on my strengths. I have learned to adapt different instructional methods to use. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS AN IMPORTANT QUALITY AS A LEADER? One of the most important qualities I would think is adaptability. To adjust to changing circumstances and new challenges we are faced with in the DF today. ANY ADVICE FOR NCO'S THINKING OF A FUTURE IN A TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT? Ask questions and ask for help if you need it! Take the time to prepare before doing something and be confident. WHAT'S AN IMPORTANT TAKE AWAY FOR ANY INSTRUCTOR? Nobody knows everything, we are always learning and finding new ways to do things. Experience speaks volumes so learn from other instructors. WHAT PART OF THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT DO YOU MOST ENJOY? I love the variety. We could be running a course that has over 50 students and takes place over the course of several months with lots of different elements such as a PNCO course or it could be a one- week PMS Unit Level Users Course with 10 students. You interact with all ranks and units of not only the Army but also the NS and AC which keeps the training environment really interesting. HAVE YOU LEARNT ANYTHING ABOUT YOURSELF WHILE WITH THE BTC? Instructing and being a student on various courses over the years has taught me the type of techniques that allow me to learn more effectively. In turn it makes me more aware of how other people learn in different ways and I can tailor my lessons to reflect that diversity of learning styles and hopefully make my instruction more effective. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS AN IMPORTANT QUALITY AS A LEADER? I think one important quality of a leader is the ability to communicate an idea clearly, so that everyone involved understands not only the overall concept, but also their role and the role of others within it. ANY ADVICE FOR NCO'S THINKING OF A FUTURE IN A TRAINING ESTABLISHMEN? Apart from the obvious stuff like know your subject matter and general physical fitness, I think it is really helpful long term to get familiar with how courses are administrated e.g. how they are created and advertised, how do you book lands, ranges, rations and ammunition etc. Find out where all the relevant information can be found e.g. Training Syllabi, TI's, TC's, Admin Instructions etc. There's a lot of planning and work that takes place behind the scenes before a course is even advertised or a list of student names is released and if you're tasked with organising some aspect it's good to know where to find the correct information. FAVOURITE QUOTE? "It's pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brain falls out. "– Carl Sagan PEOPLE OF THE DF TRAINING INSTALLATION - 1 BTC NAME: NAME: RANK: RANK: SERVICE: SERVICE: UNIT: UNIT: LAURA HARRIS JACQUELINE SHEEHAN SGT CPL 15 YEARS 25 YEARS 1 BTC 1 BTC B rigade Training Centres are the units where soldiers are made and career courses sculpt leadership, the emphasis on excellence and exacting standards remains essential. Training environments set the tone for discipline, resilience, and the development of capable leaders who will shape the Defence Forces for years to come. Historically, women have not been predominant in these training institutes, and they still represent only a fraction of the community. To have four women involved in training soldiers and mentoring junior leaders is a meaningful first, so we took a moment to recognise the value they bring as colleagues, leaders, and equals in the workplace.

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