An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir March 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie 34 | Kern O'neill Sergeant J6 Branch DciS, attacheD tO DFhQ ciS cOy I joined 20 Inf Bn FCÁ in Cathal Brugha Bks in 1991 and served there for three years before enlisting with the PDF in 1994. After recruit training with 38 Pl in CTD E, I was posted to Sp Coy, 2 Inf Bn, back in Cathal Brugha Bks. As the first new personnel in the unit for four years we were kept busy, gaining a lot of experience in a short time: I underwent training on the 84mm anti-tank gun, 81mm mortar and the .5" HMG, and also served over- seas with 78 Inf Bn in Lebanon, during which the 16-day Israeli bombardment, 'Grapes of Wrath', took place. Back home, I did a Regimental Signallers course and then moved to Sigs Pl, HQ Coy, where I did cash-in-tran- sit escorts, Comcen duties, exercises and operations. In 1999, I underwent a Potential NCO course in the CTD E. Shortly after, I transferred to 2 Fd CIS Coy, who sent me to the School of Signals in the Curragh for a five-month Commop course, which included line work, voice procedure, Morse code, IT networks, setting up a comcen and rebro station, comcen procedures and rig- ger training. In 2000 I served in Kosovo with 3 Tpt Coy, KFOR, as Sigs Cpl, where I maintained a rear-link to our conveys travelling around the Balkans. Our unit also delivered and collected the ballot papers for the first ever munici- pal elections in Kosovo. In 2001 I began to study software engineering, includ- ing computer languages, java script, visual basic, system analysis and web design. I also began instructing on Regimental Signallers courses. In 2004 I did my Standard NCO course in the Cur- ragh and went back out to Kosovo in early 2005, as an acting/sergeant with HQ Multinational Brigade Centre (MNB C). This was a tough job with busy 12-hour shifts in the Tacti- cal Ops Centre (TOC), maintaining situational awareness, passing info between the infantry companies and higher HQ, giv- ing out EOD/IED taskings, and preparing and giving ops briefs to senior officers/ops staff. In 2006 I instructed on a Potential NCO course in the BTC as a section commander, which was a great experience. In 2008 I travelled overseas again, this time to Chad, with 97 Inf Bn. We were the first Irish battalion on this mission, taking over from the ARW, who had deployed there a few months earlier. I was acting/seargeant in the CIS Tech stores as well as doing long-range patrols in the bush. Returning to 2 Fd CIS I worked in the Tech Stores before being promoted to sergeant in the Directorate of the CIS Corps (now J6) in 2009 where I worked in the general office and Procurement Cell, involved in pur- chasing equipment and looking after tenders. I went overseas again in 2010, this time to Bosnia i Herzegovina (EUFOR BiH), where I in- structed mem- bers of the multinational military and police forces on tactical sat- ellite (TACSAT) communica- tions. I got the chance to travel extensively around the Balkans on my leave. It really is a spectacular place. My next trip overseas was as CIS Pl Stores Sgt with 106 IrishFinn Bn, UNIFIL, during which we moved camp from Tibnine to At Tiri: a big job but one we did well. In 2013 I was attached from J6 Branch DCIS to work in the new Information Knowledge Management (IKM) Cell, where we worked on designing and implement- ing a new enterprise content management system to replace the DEFNET intranet platform. The new system, called IKON, is based on Microsoft SharePoint. I have recently returned from Germany where I completed an IKM course in the NATO School in Oberammergau and I am now involved with the day-to-day running of IKON and providing tech support. "I got the chance to travel extensively around the Balkans on my leave. It really is a spectacular place"

• Cover