Page 6 - Signal Summer 2019

editor’s letter
Dear reader,
Welcome to the Summer 2019 edition of SIGNAL Journal. I hope the year has been treating you well so far. The issue of Officer welfare and treatment, and indeed treatment of military personnel in general, is at the heart of much of our material in this issue.
Recently RACO presented to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence on the issue of the retention crisis within the Defence Forces. This was a major step by the association, to present the facts and the views and feelings of military personnel at the highest level. This comes hot on the heels of research which points to the extent of the crisis and its repercussions. We have articles on both in this issue. We also have the view of one Officer who has had to make that difficult decision, Comdt Declan Sheridan (Ret’d), who recently retired from the organisation.
Elsewhere this issue, leadership is the core theme and we are delighted to have gathered the views of so many in this area. I would like to thank Lt Col (Ret’d) Mark Prendergast, Comdt Cathal Keohane, Comdt Niall O’Hara and Captain Simon Keenan for providing such illuminating insights into their perspectives on leadership throughout the organisation.
Elsewhere we hear from Comdt Kyran Byrne and Lt Nicole Kelly on their experiences and viewpoints on the EU’s most challenging mission, EUTM Mali. Also on the theme of Africa, Professor Ben Tonra of the UCD School of Politics and International Relations gives his analysis, ten years after deployment, on the efficacy of EUFOR Tchad/RCA and how it delivered in terms of global justice parameters. It’s an extensive and engaging read which I trust you will find informative. I would like to thank everyone for their help with this issue, particularly Comdt Conor King, RACO’s recently appointed General Secretary. I look forward to working with him again on future issues.
Yours sincerely,
Ruairi Kavanagh
Editor Signal
| SUMMER ‘19 | | 5
COVER:
Lieutenant Elizabeth Carr on a Cadet training exercise at Fort Davis prior to commissioning. Photo courtesy of Defence Forces Press Office.
Cover image courtesy of Defence Forces Press Office
EDITOR:
Ruairi Kavanagh
CONSULTING EDITORS:
Comdt (Ret’d) Conor Lynch Comdt Conor King
DESIGN AND LAYOUT:
Marjolaine Gonet Universal Media
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT:
Alan Donnelly
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Peter Shaughnessy Irish Air Corps Department of Defence Defence Forces Press Office Kyran Byrne
Simon Keenan Cathal Keohane Nicole Kelly
Declan Sheridan
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