An Cosantóir

Raising RDF Standards | 23 Proceedings began with an orientation day for potential students, to inform them about the nature of the course and of what was expected of those selected. The day included briefings on IT's, the RDFTA's distance-learning site, and administration in the field. Although only 30 places were available on the course, a pleasantly surprising 53 potential students attended the orientation day The course itself started on 16 April with the first of three weekends that make up Module 1, which mainly com- prises of lectures on a wide variety of subjects including administration, drill, MOI, range management, military law, map reading, leadership and tactics. The aim of this module is to cover most of the theoretical elements of the course and prepare the students for the practical elements of Module 2. The first module also included a num- ber of PT sessions and a navigation exercise. Between the weekends the students had to complete a number of assignments, including making out a route card, the completion of a butt register, a military writing assignment and the planning of a tactical exer- cise. All of these assignments were delivered via the RDFTA's distance- learning website. The students had to be successful in two examinations, a written assessment and a navigation exercise, in order to progress to the next module. Module 2; two-week full-time train- ing element of the course, commenced on Saturday 11 June with a weekend that consisted of lectures on a range of subjects including communications and tactics. The students also com- pleted another navigation exercise, in the area of Kilbride Camp. As with all navigation exercises and assessments on the course, this was completed in CEFO and helmet. The tempo of the course picked up on Monday with revision of section and pla- toon battle drills. The students worked well into the night, travelling to Kilbride Camp, again to conduct a night-naviga- tion exercise, to familiarise them with the additional difficulties they would face during the tactical block. Wednesday morning was a difficult time for the students as they conduct- ed an ammunition resupply exercise and organised the evacuation of casual- ties. They very quickly learned about the problems a platoon sergeant will encounter when faced with resupply- ing his platoon during combat. A first for any RDF course was the introduction of two sessions of battle PT, which saw the students, and a number of the instructors, pushing themselves to the limit under the control of instructors from the NCO Training Wing. Much of Friday and Saturday was based in the classroom where the course received excellent in- struction in first aid from Sgt Seán O'Sullivan (34 Res Inf Bn) who is also a civilian paramedic. Sunday 19 June saw the students undertake a general test, covering all elements of the course to date, before moving to Coolmoney Camp for further tactical training. During this second week the course was sup- ported by 2nd Eastern Brigade per- sonnel (65 and 67 Res Inf Bns and Tpt Coy, 62 Res LSB). Drivers from Tpt Coy provided essential logistics support and the infantry provided 'enemy' and security, as well as augmenting what would otherwise have been a very understrength student platoon, which was down to 18 due to the amount of students who had dropped out for various reasons. The week in the Glen of Immal began with two days of platoon-in- attack, which saw the start of test ap- pointments for the students. This was followed by two days in Stranahely Wood on a perimeter-in-defence op- eration, which was a first for most, if not all, of the students on the course. Having been exercised in defence rou- tine and coming into contact with the enemy, the platoon moved to occupy a base camp from where they con- ducted a number of recce and resupply patrols. The exercise culminated in an early morning ambush conducted in terrain which seriously challenged personal fieldcraft. On return to the DFTC the course attended to their personal admin prior to an end-of-course function in the Military College NCOs' Mess, a place the students hadn't seen much of in the previous two weeks! The high rate of departures from the course (the final number represented only 33% of the attendance on the orien- tation weekend) was due to a number of factors including injury and failing assessments. The instructors had made it clear that this would be a robust course where all the students would be chal- lenged to the limit both mentally and physically, and so it proved. The RDFTA expect that another RDF Standard NCOs Course will be con- ducted in 2012 and they strongly ad- vise potential students to start to pre- pare now. Physical fitness, particularly combat fitness, is a key element of the course and this can only be achieved over time, there is no quick fix. In ad- dition, potential students must ensure that they are well practiced in field- craft, tactics, and map reading. THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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