An Cosantóir October 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie
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by CPL LEE COYLE PHoToS by CPL NEVILLE COUGHLAN & CPL LEE COYLE
T
he Standard NCos course is considered to be one of the most intensive and challeng-
ing courses within the Defence forces, pushing young corporals to take command and
develop the more advanced tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) that sergeants
require in various scenarios.
The NCo Training Wing in the Military College recently conducted an RDF Standard NCos
course, which, with the single-force concept in mind, included both PDF and RDF instructors.
The course was broken into two parts, with one weekend's training each month in April, May
and June, and a two-week ground phase in July. Due to its short duration, the course has to
condense a lot of material into easy-to-digest information for the students to assimilate.
The first phase of the course covered administration, physical training, ToETs, and ranges,
with day and night navigation exercises conducted in Kilbride and the Glen of Imaal.
The intensive second phase was conducted alongside an RDF young officers (yos) course
that was also being conducted in the Mil Col. It started with a few days of classroom work
covering first aid, signals and a lot of battle field theory. The students were then required to
demonstrate the knowledge they had learned in days of ground exercises covering navigation,
patrolling, ambush drills, platoon-in-attacks, and FIBUA, with the students taking up various
roles in the platoon.
The feedback from the students at the end of the course was very positive. They enjoyed
being able to wear full body armour like their PDF colleagues and experiencing the different
pressurized roles a platoon sergeant has to take up. The up-skilling and large increase in their
knowledge base will also be of great benefit to their home units.
They also agreed that one of the elements that contributed to the success of the course was
the good mixture of RDF and PDF instructors, which showed the single-force concept working
at its best.
Reserve
Standard
NCOs Course
