New Generals?

[Jack Booted Man]

I fear you are correct Dogwatch .... I am open to correction but I think we are in the anomalous position of some Cols/Capts NS eligible for D Cos Sp and two star but not eligible for one star...... Quare system !

[A/TEL]

Oh boy where do we start.... First of all my tongue was firmly in cheek about the OF5s of the AC and NS and their respective roles and responsibilities. Secondly, I seriously respect the pride any member of the DF has in their service however where I do start raise an eyebrow is where one service starts to believe they are superior in every respect to all others and are the only ones with decent officers or enlisted personnel ( or everyone else is a gobsxxte).

Some of your stuff Grohmití is stuck in the late 80s or 90s and about three re-orgs ago, out of touch with the modern DF and inaccurate. D TVMS ( I think it his new name, the old D Tpt) isn't involved in clothing procurement, he does transport procurement. D Ord in cooperation with J4 does clothing...... And haven't worn a lot of it at home, overseas or on courses recently, a lot of it is quite bloody good ( ironically the biggest crib on clothing I have heard in recent years in the new Navy working dress rig from my sailor buddies) Whilst I take your point on driver regulation , a lot of that is coming from govt or Brussels. D Cav and D Arty who no longer exist and essentially went in the 98 reorg ( D Combat Support and ISTAR nowadays and I think the current one is Inf, outrageous) had very little influence and did do some useful procurement for their Corps . Most of the Armour I have seen recently has been on overseas deployments where particularly in UNDOF it saved many lives. The Arty used to have 10 Regts and a Depot and School, now it has 2 Regts and a school which is only a small part of mil col..... Way to go D Arty, if you existed. Similarly Army and AC senior officers and NCOs are not DE commissioned as D Ops, CAS Ops or RSM of the Mil Col, they all have filled a lot of roles and gained great experience on the way up just like their NS equivalents. NCOs with the current promotion will have to follow a box ticking route too, which ain't great IMO.

Our new D COS Ops, by way of example ..... Was a Pl Comd at home and overseas, Coy 2IC home and overseas, Coy Comd home and overseas, Cadet Class officer, Bn Comd home and overseas,SO and SSO and DJ 1 in DFHQ , SSO overseas..... And a Bde Comd, I'm sure you would agree he is eminently qualified for his new role. The original point I have been trying to make is that NS and AC personnel need exposure to working in DFHQ ( corporate HQ) at a strategic level in order for us to have a more effective Defence Force.

An Army Bde EO nowadays ( as opposed to the 80s) is in keeping with international best practice , the chief of ( the) staff ie they coordinate the work and staff functions of all the staff of Bde HQ.... Which consider each one covers a half of the country, I'm sure they are kept busy.

I am on record as saying that I am seriously looking forward to MM elevation and leadership..... But I don't see a sea change( excuse the pun) in how things work or happen, too many stakeholders, PDFORRA and RACO, the DOD, other competitor departments and organisations, lawyers and no money, it took about three years to get the new NCO system in place and about another ten till we get it right...... The DF is a supertanker set on a particular course by the state and its leadership..... Nobody in uniform will change that's to any significant degree ( I look forward to being wrong).... Cols being sacked.....Seriously? I admire and respect your passion for your service , I share it for the Army but also the entire Defence Forces.

Maybe it would be an idea to make the Director vacancies open to all the DF. As the current DCIS is an Infantry office all his career, surely an AC pilot or engineer or an NS deck or engineering officer could do a directors job no problem. As i said before these positions need to change to DF positions along with DFHQ staff positions. It will make for a more integrated DF in the long term. I believe firmly that the best person for the job should be appointed, regardless of the colour of his/her uniform. I dont think that any one service is better than the others, but i do believe that the Army has had it their own way for a long time and that each branch of the DF should have a even chunk of funding / personnel etc.

[na grohmiti]

The fact is, everyone in the DF does the same C&S course, regardless of branch. This should prequalify them to cross the floor if a vacancy exists that they are best qualified for.

[jack08]

Is it as simple as you seem to make it out? Would not the NS & AC lose out, if all their good officers and NCO's headed off to DFHQ. Plus do many actually want to move from Cork, to Dublin and Newbridge.

[na grohmiti]

I would say so. Many reach an age when their relatives are elderly and they would prefer not to be 4 hours drive away. While Haulbowline is otherwise nestled in the most perfect part of Ireland, it is quite a commute if you originally come from Galway, or any other place where officers come from. The fact is the NS and AC are already losing out at OF3 level. There is nowhere within the service for them to go, as vacancies in the service are few, and rare at commander level. Worse when those holding the 13 OF4 appointment are young....all the 45 OF3s are waiting for them to resign/retire/die. Most of the current OF3s in the NS are in their early 40s, with children of schoolgoing age.
Its a case of them staying on at Lt-Cdr having done the C&S course and stagnating while the junior Lt-Cdrs get the few seagoing positions, or broadening their horizons, seeing the bigger picture of their career in the DF, and applying for a position within the organisation that they are qualified to do.
Once you are qualified for an appointment, you should be free to apply for it, regardless of the colour of your uniform. The organisation benefits in the long term.

[Truck Driver]

...As the current DCIS is an Infantry office all his career....

The current D Tpt was not badged as a Tpt Officer either !

[Rhodes]

DoD press release.

APPOINTMENT OF NEW CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES

The Government this morning has accepted the recommendation of the Minister for Defence, Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., to nominate Rear Admiral Mark Mellett for appointment by the President as Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. He will succeed the current Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Conor O’Boyle, when Lieutenant-General O’Boyle retires in September this year.

Minister Coveney said “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rear Admiral Mellett on his new appointment and I look forward to working closely with him in the future.”

[A/TEL]

Historic!!! BZ to the Admiral

[DeV]

Vice-Admiral

[na grohmiti]

Vice-Admiral

Call him what you like, he is still Chief of Staff.

(Admiral is an accepted abbreviation in conversation, once the initial introduction gives him the full title. Same as Colonel passes for people holding Lt Col rank: "All the colonels had a meeting"= a room full pof colonels and lt colonels. ).

This morning the Government accepted my recommendation to nominate Rear Admiral (RAdm) Mark Mellett DSM* for appointment by the President as Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. He will succeed the current Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Conor O’Boyle when he retires in September this year.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rear Admiral Mellett on his new appointment and I look forward to working closely with him in the future.

Rear Admiral Mark Mellett DSM was appointed to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff (Support) of the Defence Forces in November 2013.

From Mayo, he joined the Naval Service in 1976. He commanded the LÉ ORLA in 1992, the LÉ CIARA in 1997 and the Irish Naval Service Flagship the LÉ EITHNE in 2005. Rear Admiral Mellett DSM has held a broad range of appointments in Naval Headquarters and prior to his appointment as Flag Officer in 2010 was Officer Commanding Naval Operations Command. Rear Admiral Mellett DSM was also Commandant of the Naval College and Associate Head of the National Maritime College of Ireland.

*Aside from citations for overseas service in Afghanistan (2004) and Lebanon (1989), as Captain of LÉ ORLA in 1994 he was honoured with the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) in recognition of his role in the detention of the drug smuggling yacht ‘Brime’ in 1993.

A founding member of the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster (IMERC) and a member of its Governing Authority, serving as a stimulant for enterprise, job creation and innovation in the maritime sphere, Rear Admiral Mellett has a PHD (2009) in Political Science from the National University of Ireland Galway and has been a Visiting Professor at Liverpool Hope University. He is a distinguished top graduate of the US Naval War College, the Irish Command and Staff College and the Royal Naval College Greenwich.

He is a former member of the prestigious Naval Service Diving Section and enjoys running, cycling and fitness. He is married to Liz and has four children, Laura, Sean, Lisa and Patrick.

[A/TEL]

Call him what you like, he is still Chief of Staff.

(Admiral is an accepted abbreviation in conversation, once the initial introduction gives him the full title. Same as Colonel passes for people holding Lt Col rank: "All the colonels had a meeting"= a room full pof colonels and lt colonels. ).

Exactly what i ment, cheers na grohmití

The Defence Act has to be amended before Sept to allow Adm Mellett hold the rank of VADM.

Shouldnt be a big problem

[trellheim]

[CTU]

(Admiral is an accepted abbreviation in conversation, once the initial introduction gives him the full title. Same as Colonel passes for people holding Lt Col rank: "All the colonels had a meeting"= a room full pof colonels and lt colonels. ).

[apod]

So long two brigades.
Hello blue camo uniforms

[hedgehog]

I'm delighted for him and in particular I'm delighted for the DF. They badly need someone who literally thinks outside the box and brings in initiatives to improve the organisation and the conditions of the troops.
He is one of the few COS's who actually earned his DSM.

[hptmurphy]

Whats the retirement age for CoS?
Given Mellet is only 57 he could be more than just a care taker CoS.

While he may wear a different uniform his job is CoS of the DF and there fore will be careful not to be biased towards his alma mater.

He will be good, from the same mould as Dermot Earley,

[DeV]

Whats the retirement age for CoS?
Given Mellet is only 57 he could be more than just a care taker CoS.
,

61 or 62

[DeV]

He is one thing of the few COS's who actually earned his DSM.

Hasn't there only been ever 1 person to get a bar?

[apod]

IMHO this is either going to go one of two ways.(All joking aside).
1/ This will be the start of true tri-service partnership with MM being up there with DE being one of the best CoS we ever have.
2/ The NS use this opportunity to grab all they can off the army while they have him at the top(a bit like looters in a riot) in the knowledge that it might be some time before they get another shot at the top slot and thus look to settle old scores.

I wonder which one its gonna be???

[Tyler Durden]

61 or 62

63 according to this: http://www.military.ie/fileadmin/use..._09_May_13.pdf

Which means he could serve 5 - 6 years as COS.

[apod]

New DF theme music and recruiting ad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBXu-iY7cw

[hptmurphy]

IMHO this is either going to go one of two ways.(All joking aside).
1/ This will be the start of true tri-service partnership with MM being up there with DE being one of the best CoS we ever have.
2/ The NS use this opportunity to grab all they can off the army while they have him at the top(a bit like looters in a riot) in the knowledge that it might be some time before they get another shot at the top slot and thus look to settle old scores.

I wonder which one its gonna be???

I'd go with option one, while the NS will benefit from having him at the top, the day to day management of the NS is now well beyond his remit. The next layer in the NS beyond the current FOCNS being lets just say , one or two who won't be going any further on the career ladder , the ones to watch out for but I have no doubt cards have been well marked.

One of the potential advantages is he has no loyalties within the army to any specific brigade, corps or unit and therefore can act quite unilaterally.

Single brigade DF, possibly before the end of his tenure although it hasn't been an agenda with this man, it has been lurking in the back round since Earleys time, so it could now be a possibility.

Interesting times ahead.

[DeV]

63 according to this: http://www.military.ie/fileadmin/use..._09_May_13.pdf

Which means he could serve 5 - 6 years as COS.

Thanks (it was supposed to come down to 62)

I'd go with option one, while the NS will benefit from having him at the top, the day to day management of the NS is now well beyond his remit. The next layer in the NS beyond the current FOCNS being lets just say , one or two who won't be going any further on the career ladder , the ones to watch out for but I have no doubt cards have been well marked.

One of the potential advantages is he has no loyalties within the army to any specific brigade, corps or unit and therefore can act quite unilaterally.

Single brigade DF, possibly before the end of his tenure although it hasn't been an agenda with this man, it has been lurking in the back round since Earleys time, so it could now be a possibility.

Interesting times ahead.

Did the NS benefit greatly from having a DCOS(Sp) from the NS?

[kaiser]

I'm delighted for him and in particular I'm delighted for the DF. They badly need someone who literally thinks outside the box and brings in initiatives to improve the organisation and the conditions of the troops.
He is one of the few COS's who actually earned his DSM.

How did he actually earn his DSM??

[old rec]

How did he actually earn his DSM??

He earned the DSM for his part in the capture of the drug running yacht "Brime".