An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 19 and physical training and conditioning, in Gormanston Camp, while focussing on word processing, e-mail, internet, com- munications, CV construction and interview techniques, with their DDLETB instructors. Minister Paul Kehoe and Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM, visited midway through the programme to see how the scheme was going and spoke to the participants to see how they were progressing and how they were finding the ESS. As part of the programme the participants undertook a camping exercise in the Cooley Mountains. The day began with demonstrations on how to construct and establish a sleeping area. They were then briefed on various survival skills and underwent some practical demonstrations with Cpl O'Doherty. The day culminated in a navigation exercise where the participants were tasked with navigating the group over difficult terrain. Food was provided by ration packs, which the participants seemed to enjoy; particularly the chocolate brownie! The group rotated sentries throughout the night, with each par- ticipant getting the opportunity to occupy a sentry position. The DF training element culminated with adventure train- ing on Bere Island, which took a considerable amount of plan- ning and assistance from other units, in particular 1 BAR and Gunner Pat Hurley. The young people were extremely enthusiastic and had been looking forward to this week since the course began, as they were going to experience rock climbing, sailing and kayaking; activities that most of the participants had never attempted before. This lack of experience didn't deter them and they got stuck in straight away, with the encouragement of the enthusiastic and exceptional instructors supplied by DFCAAT. While some of the participants had a fear of water, the assistance of the sailing and kayaking instructors saw the vast majority of participants take a full part in the week-long activities. On their return from Bere Island the group was given a tour of the Naval Base by Lt (NS) Grace Fanning, where they gained a valuable insight into the roles and activities of the Naval Service. The NS Diving Section, in particular, captured the at- tention of the participants and sparked a serious interest. The group was then brought to the bridge simulator to experi- ence what it is like to be on the bridge of a Naval Service ship and presented with various tasks and scenarios that required them to work as a team. The programme ended on Friday 26 August with a graduation ceremony that drew the at- tention of RTÉ's Drivetime and Newstalk's Break- fast Show and other media outlets. This was an anxious and exciting day for the participants as their families were in attendance and would see their foot drill in action. At the same time there was a great sense of sadness among the group as the realisation had dawned on them that the programme was coming to an end. By now most of the participants had grown significantly in confidence, becoming a tight-knit group and forming strong bonds that will long outlast this programme. A most rewarding moment came when two of the participants gave a heartfelt and emotional speech on be- half of the group, documenting their journey through the pro- gramme. It was even more impressive considering one of the participants had been too nervous to speak to instructors and fellow members of the group at the beginning of the course but was now comfortable speaking in front of 200 people. Minister of State for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath, gave words of encouragement and motivation to the young people as they embarked on a new journey - hopefully towards employment or further education - and spoke about the new skills they had developed through the course and the friend- ships they made. Oiliúna generously supplied two mini I-pads and two Hewlett Packard laptops as awards over the course of the programme. The ceremony concluded with the families be- ing invited to celebrate with the participants and enjoy this unique moment. The success of the scheme owes a huge amount to the indispensable support that OIC ESS received from many units, and Bde and DFHQ staff, as well as the enthusiastic endeav- ours of the ESS instructional staff, whose hard work and open mindedness ensured the buy-in of the participants. OIC ESS would also like to note that the excellent working relationship established with DDLETB and DSP was invaluable to the success of the scheme. Minister Finian McGrath issues scrolls to ESS members. Photo: Armn Adam Murphy COS Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM speaking to ESS members.

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