An Cosantóir

wwwwwwwwwwww An Cosantóir July / August 2026 www.military.ie/magazine T he journey to becoming a naval officer is designed to test every aspect of an individual's character. My own path through the Naval Service began with a two-year cadetship in the Operations Branch, incorporating three months of basic army training followed by an intensive period of sea training. I then spent a further two years at sea as an officer under training, understudying the roles of navigation, gunnery, and operations officer. This period culminated in the successful completion of my watchkeeping examination. Through these experiences, I have come to understand that leadership and resilience are inseparable. The ability to lead depends on the ability to endure, adapt, and recover from pressure. Training in the Defence Forces is intentionally difficult, not as punishment, but as preparation. It builds the mental and emotional strength necessary to make sound decisions and inspire confidence in others when conditions are most challenging. Resilience in Training Resilience first revealed itself as a necessity during the army phase of cadetship. Those early months were relentless. The physical demands were significant, long marches, constant drills, little rest, and continual assessment. Fatigue became a constant companion, and the smallest mistakes often carried disciplinary consequences. However, it was precisely through this intensity that I learned the difference between endurance and resilience. Endurance is surviving the moment; resilience is learning from it and continuing with purpose the next day. At sea, the nature of resilience shifted. The physical demands lessened, but the mental demands increased sharply. The maritime environment is unforgiving, and the requirement to be technically competent across multiple domains, navigation, seamanship, communications, and warfare, meant there was never time to become complacent. Every evolution, from entering harbour to launching a boarding team, was a potential examination of both skill and composure. The constant cycle of assessment and feedback could easily have been discouraging, yet it taught me a crucial truth: resilience is not a single act of toughness, but a sustained pattern of self-discipline and recovery. It is about acknowledging mistakes without being defined by them. Leadership Lessons from Each Stage Army Training: Discipline, Teamwork, Endurance, and Humility Army training stripped away individuality in a way that was humbling and essential. It forced me to see leadership not as personal ambition, but as service to the team. Leadership began with reliability, the quiet confidence that others could depend on me when they were tired, hungry, or uncertain. I learned that orders carry weight only when backed by example. Teamwork was not optional; it was survival. Endurance came from shared hardship, and humility came naturally when even the most basic task could expose weakness. Sea Training: Responsibility, Technical Mastery, and Reliance on the Team When I transitioned to sea training, the emphasis shifted from following to leading. Responsibility replaced instruction. Every task, from taking a radar fix to plotting a course, carried real operational implications. Technical mastery was no longer academic, it was a prerequisite for safety. 12 | LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP AND RESILIENCE AND RESILIENCE ARTICLE BY S/LT CONALL KIERNAN

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