Page 17 - Signal Winter 2019

What particular impacts do the resource challenges that are facing the Defence Forces have on your role as a Commander?
The current retention and recruitment crisis can have a major impact on output delivery and MDSO. With the depletion of experienced personnel, the gap between experienced and trained is currently the highest it has been in decades. This is not taking away from the personnel that are coming through the training environment, on the contrary. My main issue is retaining personnel with experience. This experience allows for the development of the trained personnel to a higher standard at sea. The operational environment gives personnel the experience. As an Officer Commanding, I will look at what required outputs I must achieve and access the experience levels onboard my unit. This allows me then to make the Command decision. If we continue to lose more personnel than we take in, the delivery of MDSO will be impacted. Many issues have been addressed by Command and the Representative Associations but seagoing operations must become the attractive part of the NS. This can only be achieved through remuneration to the equivalent level of other State agencies.
Social media and its far reaching nature has the ability to impact on your unit. It is essential that communications and the information flow from Command are maintained, as vacuums will be filled by negativity, mainly from external actors or by the ‘rumour mill’, and this can have a detrimental impact. In the current environment, there are strong voices out there with vast Defence Forces experience, standing up and highlighting some of the issues we face on a day to day, and such contributions should focus on the future and how we prepare for that. The largest resource challenge we face is retaining our personnel to ensure that the investment in training is aligned with an exciting career in which the individual is engaged with their own career path within the organisation.
For an Officer in the Service, how do you feel career progression opportunities could be refined and improved? Are there any particular training or learning opportunities that could be examined that would benefit both individuals and the Service as a whole?
Opportunities for Naval Officers exist once an individual is willing to engage, however opportunities within the wider DF are extremely limited by the current CS4, particularly if an officer wants to serve in DFHQ or overseas in staff appointments, such as those within the EUMS. I have progressed in line with my own ambitions and officers have the ability to advance and expand their knowledge base within the organisation. Transparency is a key component which needs to be implemented in the selection procedure for courses. Feedback needs to complete the circle with the candidates to allow for the unsuccessful candidate to self- evaluate and progress in their career. The role of the Divisional Officer is also key. As an organisation we should look at a more established mechanism to set up mentor/mentee programs to allow for career management and progression. This is where the individual engages with a career path, designed by them and allows them to focus their efforts on progressing. In my career I have been successful and unsuccessful in certain training packages or courses. The Navy has given me about seventy- five percent of what I have applied for. When I self-evaluated after being told I did not get x,y or z course, I was able to see that
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the selection was not against me as an individual. The Defence Forces has strong linkages with training establishments and other militaries in Europe and further afield. These linkages need to be supported and expanded upon. Too often our personnel are sent on courses but on return are posted to appointments that do not match the qualifications of the individual due to personnel shortages, etc. If this was addressed, it will allow the organisation to maximise the return and utilisation of personnel post-course.
The Navy has allowed me to deploy overseas on operations and in the diplomatic role, it has tested me in the leadership role as described above in the Maritime Interdiction Operation against the Makayabella, and also on Operation PONTUS. It has given me every opportunity to progress as long as I applied myself, and it has provided a varied career with no two days being the same. It has and continues to provide me with great educational and professional development opportunities and overall I get to work with great people making a difference.
The L.E. James Joyce in the Atlantic and below, on duty with Operation PONTUS
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