An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 23 programme but could only attend in a civilian/student capacity, as reserv- ists still cannot travel overseas in an official capacity. After 8 months full-time with DFHQ CIS, I returned to DIT in January 2018 for the rest of my final year. Owing to my time with Comms Section, I then got the opportunity to join the Air Corps CIS Sqn in the Network Section, Technical Services Flight, under Comdt Noel Barbour (OiC Tech Services), on a part-time basis during my last semes- ter in college. This has proved a similar experience and challenge but in a dif- ferent environment where I have also been able to assist in preparation for the VDA rollout in Baldonnel. During my time with DFHQ and the Air Corps, my home unit, 1 ACS, has been similarly busy, gaining hands-on experi- ence with the Foxtrack ground surveil- lance radar (GSR) used in an ISTAR role for cavalry operations, conducting a HK USP pistol course, a skill-at-arms camp, CBRN training, a cardiac first responder CPR/AED course, a counter-marauding terrorist firearms attack (MTFA) exercise in Coolmoney Camp, a pre-PNCO course, and participating in the recent NATO Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC) exercise in Kilworth. My time so far working with both the Reserve and Permanent Defence Force has provided an in-depth insight into the mechanics of the military environment, and has been a massive learning curve where I have gained a tremendous amount of technical and interpersonal experience but while also being able to contribute skills to an area where they are not readily available within the organisation. I believe this practical example of the 'single force' concept in action can be repeated in other areas of the defence organisation. Within the Re- serve - Army and Naval Service - there is now an abundance of specialist skills that could be utilised in areas such as engineering, ordnance, transport, mechanics, CIS/IT/cyber defence, medi- cal, legal, to name but a few. Working examples of this include recent major contributions to the EU battlegroup and the multinational Exercise Viking 18 by 1 Bde and 2 Bde CIS Reserve. Sections 8.5.3 and 8.5.5 of the 2015 White Paper on Defence outline the creation of a panel of suitably quali- fied personnel to be known as the Specialist Reserve with examples given of 'ICT, medical, ordnance and engi- neering professionals' as 'individual members of the RDF, who by virtue of their professional civilian qualifications […] have the competence to undertake such specialised tasks' and 'whose per- sonal circumstances would allow them to undertake required tasks, including on overseas missions.' My personal circumstances were such that I could contribute my time and skills through both my college placement and in my spare time both full- and part-time over the course of 12-plus months, and there are many other personnel within the Reserve that could be in a position to give their time and skills in an operational capac- ity above and beyond of what is nor- mally required of them. A skills survey has been undertaken in support of the formation of a Specialist Reserve pool and targeted recruitment of specialists has been strongly suggested. It is important to remember that our primary responsibility in the Reserve Defence Force is to augment and reinforce the PDF in fulfilling its roles, and that further integration between RDF and PDF elements to achieve this end is welcome. There are stumbling blocks around maximum man days, civilian em- ployment protections and overseas service, but working through this will reap benefits for all stakeholders in a win-win scenario in which the De- fence Forces can better fulfil its ever more sophisticated tasks. The interim and final work place- ment reports submitted to the DIT School of Electrical & Electronic Engi- neering are available on IKON. Positioning rapidly deployable communication systems terminals for testing. Photo: D Hennigan Outside Europol HQ, The Hague, in August 2017 as part of a cyber security course. Aug 2017. Photo: D Hennigan Working on strategic satellite links to UNIFIL and UNDOF. Photo: D Hennigan

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