An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 19 By MAthEW MCCAulEy, DoRotA o'BRIEn, olIvER BARBouR, SéAMuS MADIGAn AnD ColIn FAllon DF soldiers, sailors, and aircrew serve with one of the world's most highly respected militaries, and the fitness and resilience of DF personnel are crucial in maintaining the high standard of capability, readiness and competence. However, operational service can expose personnel to demanding and potentially traumatic events. These experi- ences are rarely encountered outside the military. Every member of the DF has a responsibility to main- tain operational readiness. This entails the promotion and maintenance of psychological health by the individual, their peers, and command at all levels within the organisation. Nevertheless, there are a number of professionals within the DF who are tasked with providing specialist support for the assurance of psychological health across the organisa- tion; namely the medical services, the Personnel Support Service (PSS), and the Chaplaincy Service. It is their mission to serve those who serve and to advance psychological health throughout the DF. The medical services are responsible for maintaining health and preventing disease in the DF, while providing treatment for sick and wounded personnel. They are con- cerned with sustaining the military force in preparation for, during, and after, operations. This mission is carried out by many specialities, including physicians, dentists, pharma- cists, physiotherapists, clinical psychologists, nurses, com- bat medical technicians, and others. The DF appreciates the mental health risks associated with military service, the psychological factors related to many physical health dif- ficulties, and the role that mental healthcare interventions play in treating patients across care pathways. The military medical services also maintain several mental health assets. These include two commissioned of- ficer positions for a psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist, respectively, who are based within the Permanent Defence Force. DFHQ also retains one clinical psychologist officer within the Reserve Defence Force, who serves within the Medical Corps and is based within the Office of the Direc- tor, Medical Branch. Such resources may be augmented at times by locum ci- vilian psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. These clinical professionals provide a caring and supportive occupational mental healthcare service, which assures that the mental healthcare needs of the individual service member are met, while directly and indirectly supporting command in carry- ing out the overall military mission. As is seen in compara- tive international military medical systems, this process is attained via the provision of a clinical, advisory, and educa- tional service. T he Defence Forces of the 21st Century has never been more actively deployed on international military operations, which reflects a heritage that began with Ireland's initial un deployments in the 1950s and 1960s. through the Partnership for Peace (PfP), Eu battle groups, and the un, DF personnel have served in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Syria, lebanon, Cyprus, East timor, Mali, Sierra leone, and many other places, on multi-national peacekeeping, peace enforce- ment, crisis stabilisation, and humanitarian assistance operations.

• Cover