An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir May 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie 22 | by CAPT SHANE BRENNAN, NCOTW, MIL COL, DFTC PhotoS by ARMN ADAM MURPHy T he Infantry Platoon Sergeants Course (IPSC), conducted by the NCo training Wing of the Infantry School, the Military College, DFtC, is a course that must be completed by infantry corporals who aspire to become sergeants in Óglaigh na hÉireann. With the changing landscape of the Defence Forces over the last number of years and the operational and training requirements needed in the organisation, the Infantry Platoon Sergeants Course was created to replace Module three of the Standard NCo Course. Since its inception in 2012, 146 students have successfully com- pleted the four IPSCs that have been conducted, enabling them to become eligible for promotion to sergeant. The course is designed to train corporals to the level of profes- sional competence required to fill sergeants' appointments in the Infantry Corps. Its main objectives are to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of an infantry platoon sergeant in all phases of combat operations; to provide students with the required knowledge of Combat Service Support (CSS) to sustain a platoon during combat operations; and also to practice and develop students' command and leadership skills at platoon level. As part of the qualifying criteria for the course, students are required to have completed a ten-week All-Arms Standard Course (AASC), which gives them the required basic knowledge of the platoon sergeant's role. On the IPSC, the main focus changes from an instructional environment, as is the case on the AASC, to a practice and assessment perspective. Students are given the freedom and mission command to excel in infantry-specific TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures) in all environments at pla- toon level; they are also given an appreciation of company-level tactics and operations. The course objectives are achieved by means of a seven-week, intensive course where students are tested mentally and physi- cally, encompassing all phases of war including FIBUA (fighting in built-up areas), patrolling, and retrograde and offensive opera- tions. During the course, students complete four main FTXs (field training exercises), totalling approximately 23 days on the ground. Along with the requirement for students to show a high level of robustness and survivability in a tactical setting during the FTXs, they are also expected to demonstrate a sufficient level of combat fitness by completing timed two-mile and ten-mile combat PT fitness assessments. To complete the course, students are also required to pass both minor and major command test appointments, which range from platoon sergeant in a quick-attack FIBUA environment to platoon commander in a deliberate night ambush, to name but a few. One of the biggest exercises students undergo is Exercise 'Black Light', which is based on a company-level retrograde scenario where approximately 260 personnel, inclusive of logs and other assistance, deploy to the Glen of Imaal with Mowag APCs, John Deere 6x4 utility vehicles, and infantry light support weapons, and with Air Corp Pilatus PC-9s providing close air support. For the vast majority of students, it is the first time they will have been exposed to tactics of this nature and students get to practice their leadership and command styles in a varying array of scenarios. Throughout the course, students are also exposed to a theoreti- cally-based learning approach and receive extensive tuition in the combat-estimate process, which they are required to use in every aspect of the FTXs. The upcoming IPSC is the fifth and the course is constantly evolving to stay as current and relevant as possible. This will be achieved by incorporating live-fire tactical training (LFTT) into some aspects of the syllabus for the first time. This will further en- hance students' ability to act and make decisions under pressure and will also test how they might react in situations they may find themselves in during their career. Other areas of innovation and improvement to the course include the creation of an infantry battle book that will cover a variety of infantry-specific SOPs (standard operating procedures) that the students can reference. Another innovation currently being developed in the Infantry School is the 'fight light' concept, in which troops carry only mission-essential equipment, such as water and ammunition, thereby improving the soldier's mobil- ity, lethality and survivability, and enabling them to fight over a prolonged period of time. Any extra kit required is subsequently brought forward by a CSS element located to the rear. The 2015 memorandum of understanding between the UK Ministry of Defence and Ireland's Department of Defence created an opportunity for co-operation and knowledge sharing. The Infantry School has created a close link with our colleagues in the UK Infantry Battle School, based in Brecon, Wales, and utilised this link (with DJ7 assistance) to successfully deploy a number of NCO Training Wing staff in recent years on the Platoon Sergeants Battle Course (PSBC) in the UK. This exchange has substantially benefited the development of the IPSC and training within the In- fantry Corps. Lessons learned include the integration of LFTT into career training courses, the expansion and development of the 'fight light' concept, and the importance of flexible and mobile CSS on the modern battlefield. As an extension to this programme, a UK Inf School colour ser- geant instructor visited the NCO Training Wing in 2016 to observe training and exercises. This level of international benchmarking insures that the learning outcomes and instruction on courses like the IPSC is modern, relevant and also in keeping with interna- tional best practice.

• Cover