An Cosantóir

We asked the Naval Service cadets about their appointments on the PLX: CDT MARCUS RYAN My toughest appointment was on the water cross- ing in the diving camber. It was our last exercise and we were all drained and worn out, so it was very challenging from that aspect. However we all came together and motivated each other to get across, despite having few resources. The first time we did the crossing, earlier in the week, we had seven helmets and seven harnesses, one per cadet, but this time we were only given one helmet and one harness, so we had to figure out a way to get them back each time. Despite this we managed to get everyone across with 30 seconds to spare over our time limit of 30 minutes. CDT PAUL O'BRIEN My appointment was in damage control and fire- fighting. Initially, it was very hard because even though we've all done the course it took a while for the terms and procedures to come back to us. Once we did get back into it we were able to deal with the tasks we were set. In my role I soon realised that I needed to take a step back and delegate where needed. This was the main thing I learned through- out the exercise; in a leadership role you have to be able to step back and observe what is going on, assess the situation and make a decision. For example, if you are up front trying to plug the leak yourself you cannot see what is going on behind you. CDT CIAN DUGGAN I was team leader during our survival exercise in the NMCI. What really struck me during this exercise was how switched-on everyone was in such a confusing environment. We did our original survival training just two weeks into our cadet- ship and at that time it took us over half an hour to get our survival gear on, swim across the survival pool in stormy conditions and get into the life raft. This time it only took a matter of minutes to get Vox Pops | 13 was vital and our first boarding attempt, although unsuccessful, provided us with a sharp learning curve. As a result the second at- tempt went very well and the security team boarded and secured the vessel. Dealing with a non-English speaking crew proved difficult and communication was again vital before we were able to get the search team on board, where they found the smuggled items. the next potential threat is going to come from and directing your team in that direction. During this exercise we used HKs loaded with Simunition, which is basically a little paintball, so we had to wear face guard and body armour, which made it very claustrophobic in that environment. It's as real as it gets and using the Simunition shows you see how easy it is to get hit. CDT CONOR FOLEY I was team leader during a simulated armed boarding exercise in the Operations Training Cen- tre. The Simulation Room is designed with many doors, corridors and rooms leading from one to the other, the idea being that you have to search each room thoroughly before moving onto the next. As leader you really do have to take a step back to assess what is going on. You always have to think one step ahead, trying to work out where CDT SEÁN MCCOYI was appointed Officer of the Watch during the bridge exercise and our task was to get the vessel into Cork harbour and on to the Naval Base while avoiding fast attack craft. I had no charts so I really had to utilise my team, putting people on ra- dar and others on lookout. I had to depend on their advice on when to turn the vessel and how best to avoid the attacking craft. We dodged several but one got us just before we got to the island. We have done bridge simulation before but nothing this pressurised. survival suits on, form a survival ring in the pool, number off, form a swimming strip, get into the life raft and carry out the procedures required to maintain the integrity of the raft. I was very happy as leader of that task. CDT JOHN BUCKLEY I was team leader during the armed boarding exer- cise. Although we have had armed boarding train- ing this was our first real-time situation out on the water, deploying from RIBs onto a vessel. As we had two RIBs I split the team into two, a security team and a search team. Teamwork and communication CDT RICHARD CHUTE I was the team leader for our late night PT exercise on Fort Davis. Unlike a lot of other exercises where as leader you can step back, here you were taking part as well. My main task was to keep everyone motivated and keeps us going, which wasn't easy 72 hours into the exercise when we were starting to get really tired and worn out. Fort Davis is a very challenging environment for this type of exercise and we had five circuits to get through. As the class was split I really had to be vocal so they could all hear me. However, the class really came together during this exercise and I think it went well, although it wasn't easy. www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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