An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir September / October 2026 www.military.ie/magazine T he Potential NCO Course is conducted annually in Q1 in 1 BTC. The course offers an important opportunity to translate the Defence Forces' cultural change priorities into daily practice for prospective students seeking to make the jump from Private to Corporal. Conducted over 20 weeks in three modules, the course develops a Private soldier into a Corporal capable of commanding a section across the spectrum of military operations. Cultural change is treated not as a separate lesson, but as a leadership behaviour to be demonstrated, practiced and reinforced throughout the 20 weeks' training. The approach adopted for the Potential NCO Course in 1 BTC reflects the 2025 Value Our People Survey. It deliberately preserves the strengths identified by personnel who participated in the survey: teamwork, camaraderie, friendship, pride in service and a strong sense of purpose. At the same time, it addresses concerns around overwork, feeling undervalued, resistance to change and work-life balance. 1 BTC Instructor Cadre continue to model the culture expected of future NCOs: professional, respectful, inclusive, well organised and attentive to the welfare of individuals. This while also remaining underpinned by the DF values. Throughout the course, soldiers are afforded additional time at home through remote working, for example, undertaking a full instructional table on unmanned vehicles and elements of Military Instructor Training on the Moodle Virtual Learning Environment. Suitable academic and reflective tasks are completed away from 1 Brigade Training Centre, giving students greater flexibility without reducing the required standard. Moodle has been a force multiplier throughout the course in terms of allowing students complete formative assessments from home while also affording flexibility to instructors who can grade the same assessments from home also. Communication between staff and students has also improved over previous courses through the use of Moodle, with the ability to upload training programmes and announcements to the course with relative ease. Travel time is also factored into the programme on Mondays and Fridays. This practical adjustment acknowledges the demands placed on personnel and their families, supports modern ways of working and demonstrates that operational effectiveness and reasonable flexibility can coexist. The same principle applies to staff. Instructors are rostered and afforded time off to ensure that working patterns remain aligned with the Working Time Directive. Protecting rest, managing hours and sharing the instructional burden make delivery of tuition more sustainable. It also provides students with a visible example of responsible people management. The students on the course learn that care for subordinates includes planning workloads, recognising pressure and taking timely action rather than waiting for welfare problems to emerge. Cultural change is also advanced through participation, recognition and shared responsibility. Healthy competition between sections is encouraged during physical training, generating motivation, identity and camaraderie while keeping improvement and teamwork at the centre. Student appointments, peer instruction and decision-making exercises progressively increase responsibility. Constructive debriefs, regular feedback and opportunities for reflection encourage students to identify their own learning needs, speak honestly about performance and act on advice. This is especially through of the major command appointments throughout the course. Strong performance and improvement are recognised, while shortcomings are corrected consistently and respectfully. These measures support the formal training objectives: developing leadership and instructor skills, preparing students mentally, morally and physically for the rank of Corporal, applying the Military Decision-Making Process, and promoting respect, loyalty, selflessness, courage and integrity. Ethical conduct and care for individual soldiers are not simply discussed; they are embedded in how the course is scheduled, led and assessed throughout the demanding 20-week training cycle. Ultimately, the course demonstrates that cultural change does not mean lowering military standards. It means achieving them through leadership that listens, communicates clearly, recognises effort, safeguards wellbeing and remains accountable. By experiencing this approach across all three modules, students are better prepared to reproduce it within their own sections and will be in a strong position to reproduce it in their home units. The result at the conclusion of the Potential NCO course is not only a qualified Corporal, but a junior leader equipped to strengthen trust, performance and culture across the Defence Forces. 26 | ARTICLE BY CAPT JOE EVERETT EMBEDDING CULTURAL EMBEDDING CULTURAL CHANGE CHANGE ON THE ON THE POTENTIAL NCO COURSE POTENTIAL NCO COURSE

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