Season 2

In this episode we welcome Sergeant Joe Meade and Corporal John Joyce onto the show to talk about recruit training in the Army. Both Sergeant Meade and Corporal Joyce are experienced in the process of training new general service inductees into the Army and cover drill, weapons training, fitness, tactical training, mental and physical robustness and more.

This weeks episode looks at the Pilatus PC-12 Spectre aircraft, newly introduced to the fleet of the Irish Air Corps. Officer Commanding 104 Squadron, Commandant Mick Barcoe, takes us through the aircraft's characteristics, roles and operations.

In this weeks episode we speak to a member of the Ordnance Corps, and Mr Padraig O'Connor from the Irish robotics company REAMDA, on the new Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robot, the REACHER, and on the history of remotely operated bomb disposal vehicles in Ireland.

In this episode we speak to Lieutenant Austin Doyle and Sergeant Valerie Cole about their experiences training Malian Armed Forces troops while serving with the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) to Mali.

In this weeks episode we chat to Lieutenant Commander's Martin Brett, Mike Brunicardi and Jamie Cotter about their experiences conducting Maritime Interdiction Operations, and the process from genesis of an operation to gathering intelligence to actually boarding a civilian vessel in search of illegal arms, narcotics, people smuggling or other illegal acts.

In this episode we speak to Commandant Sue Ramsbottom, Commandant Dermot Earley and Sergeant Gemma O'Connor, who have all balanced successful careers in the military with elite Gaelic Games careers. They speak about motivation, resilience, and how what they have learned in the military has translated to their sporting careers and vice-versa.

In this episode we speak to Captain Barry Jones of the Military Training and Survival School, based at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.

In this episode we speak to an Ordnance Officer about the role of the Ordnance Corps within the Defence Forces, including EOD (bomb disposal), working on aide-to-the-civil-power operations with An Garda Síochana, procurement and maintenance of equipment and weapons for the Defence Forces and ammunition management.

In this episode we speak with Leading Seaman Katie O'Leary about what recruit training in the Naval Service is like, up skilling to become and Able Seaman, and the path to becoming an NCO.

In Episode 1 of Season 2 of the Irish Defence Forces Podcast we speak to Sgt Rico Lucchesi of the 27th Infantry Battalion, Aiken Barrack's, Dundalk, taking in his experience conducting border operations with the 27th Battalion along the border with Northern Ireland during the Troubles, his experiences serving overseas in Lebanon and his experience in training personnel and engaging with his local community at home in Dundalk.