Colour: Cyan : Magenta : Yellow : Black Plate no. 1 Defence Forces Review 2013 Review Defence Forces Defence Forces Review 2013 Vol 10 Vol Printed by the Defence Forces Printing Press Jn12751 / Oct 2013 / 2000 www.military.ie Defence Forces Review 2013 ISSN 1649-7066 Published for the Military Authorities by the Public Relations Section at the Chief of Staff’s Branch, and printed at the Defence Forces Printing Press, Infirmary Road, Dublin 7 © Copyright in accordance with Section 56 of the Copyright Act, 1963, Section 7 of the University of Limerick Act, 1989 and Section 6 of the Dublin University Act, 1989. PREFACE Literature is always personal, always one man’s vision of the world, one man’s experience and it can only be popular when men are ready to welcome the visions of others. William Butler Yeats As Officer in Charge of the Defence Forces Public Relations Section, it is both a privilege and a pleasure to present the Defence Forces Review for 2013. This is a momentous occasion for all associated with this important Defence Forces publication as it marks the twentieth anniversary of the concept’s initial launch. Back in 1993, the compilation of articles succeeded in stimulating widespread discussion amongst its readers and fostering an already hungry appetite to broaden horizons and garner fresh opinion on a wide range of military topics. As the years progressed, the Review evolved to embrace subject matter across a broader military spectrum comprising welcome contributions from colleagues in the academic, corporate and diplomatic arenas. Currently, it serves as a forum to provide for and support continued intellectual expression, growth and debate across the wider Defence Community. May I take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the authors who contributed to this year’s Review and compliment them on their commitment and enthusiasm to their chosen topics. We live in a world where “Down Time” has never been more precious or scarce and our contributors selflessly dedicated their efforts towards the successful completion and submission of their work in the most altruistic of manners. I would like to use this occasion to congratulate the Review’s Editor, Lt Col Mark Hearns, on his masterful synthesis of topical and interesting articles. This is his fourth year as Editor and despite the increased workload associated with his daily responsibilities, he continued to commit himself to his editing role with customary flair and enthusiasm. Special mention of gratitude must also go to Comdt Dave O’Neill, his staff in the Defence Forces Printing Press and Capt Bernard Behan and his Staff in the Defence Forces Information Office for their excellent efforts in ensuring that the 2013 Review is presented efficiently to our readers. Further copies of the Review are available from the Defence Forces Public Relations Section at [email protected] or online at http://www.military.ie/info-centre/ publications/defence-forces-review Michael P. Dawson Lieutenant Colonel Officer in Charge Defence Forces Public Relations Section The material contained in these articles are the views of the authors and do not purport to represent the official views of the Defence Forces. EDITor’s noTE The Defence Forces embarked on a reorganisation in November 2012 and a Green Paper has been issued by government in advance of the publication of a new Defence White Paper in 2014. The 2013 Review offers plenty of food for thought for these transformative processes. This year’s contributions can be gathered in to four categories. The first category concerns the makeup, organisation and employment of our Defence Forces. Comdt Billy Campbell (retd) kicks off, marking the centenary of the founding of Oglaigh na hEireann with a historical piece that examines the forces that shaped the early development of the Volunteers. Comdt John Prendergast continues with a study of Irish Civil – military relations in the early years of the state and the long term impact of decisions made during this period. Comdt Owen McNally follows identifying the key variables impacting on strategy formulation and realisation and evaluates their impact on the strategic process within the Defence Forces. In the final piece in this first category, Lt Comdr Pat Burke outlines the importance of developing a common maritime picture through improved information sharing, cooperation and innovation and how this is key to overall maritime security. The next category deals with contemporary activities overseas. In the first article, James O’Shea follows up on his article from the 2012 Defence Forces Review which covered aspects of Ireland’s 2012 Chairmanship of the OSCE. In this article he outlines the work conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs in the disputes between Georgia and its separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Next Lt Col Tony Cudmore outlines how Ireland has influenced developments in the area of Common Security and Defence Policy during the EU Presidency in the first half of 2013. In the final piece in this category, Comdt Ronan Corcoran offers some insight into the force generation and training processes of the EU Battle Group, based on his experience as a staff officer at the HQ of EU BattleGroup (BG) 2012/II. The third category examines organisational processes and how they impact on the Defence Forces. In the first article Capt Barry Byrne and Professor Frank Bannister examine the concept of Knowledge Management and outline the details of an extensive study conducted in military organisations throughout 20 countries and offers a number of recommendations to improve the implementation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) enabled information and knowledge management initiatives in defence. Capt Martin Duffy (retd) proposes an alternative way to conceptualise organisational meetings to create a collective organisational resource. Dr Anne O’Brien follows with a reframing of the scope of the discussion of the Defence Forces and social media to move it beyond merely ‘enduring the timeline’ to a ‘culture of embracement’ of the opportunities offered by this dynamic media phenomenon. Capt Andrew Barry continues with a historical review of the relationship between the military and traditional media and stresses the importance for the Defence Forces of maintaining healthy relationships with media organisations. This category concludes with an examination of humility as a component of Leadership by Lt Col Howard Berney who asserts that when authentic humility is applied by leaders within relationships, the growth in mutual trust inspires greater loyalty and collaborative effort within organisations. The final category is general in nature and begins with a piece by Lt Col Stephen Ryan examining the situation of the frequently overlooked Christian populations in the Middle East and argues that their presence in the region matters. Their declining populations should therefore be a matter of concern to all. Comdt Conor Bates follows with an analysis of security sector reform in Kosovo based on his experiences there and outlines the challenges caused by differing expectations regarding the development of the process. Lt Donal Mitchell follows with a study of insurgency and counterinsurgency theory and practice based on two critical incidents in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s. Comdt Helen Heneghan continues with an analysis of the low retention rates for senior female officers in the Defence Forces diagnosing a series of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors which influence their decision to retire relatively early. Finally your editor discusses the issues impacting on relationships between the military and NGOs in crisis situations and offers some food for thought with regards to establishing and maintaining mutually productive relationships. Overall in this year’s publication many important aspects of the dynamic defence environment are addressed and it is hoped that they can inform the planners and implementers of the changes that the Defence Forces are currently undergoing. The Review concludes with the abstracts from the Theses of the MA in Leadership Management and Defence Studies completed by the students of the latest (68th) Senior Command and Staff Course. If you are interested in reading a complete version of any of these research papers please contact the Defence Forces Library in the DFTC at [email protected] Finally I would like to thank Comdt Neil Nolan for his assistance in editing this years’ Review. Mark Hearns Lt Colonel TABLE OF CONTENTS Article Title Page Uneasy Bedfellows: Politics, Politicians and the Irish Volunteers 1 Comdt (Retd) Billy Campbell “History Is Not Was; History Is.” The Role of the National Army in the Early Years of the Irish Free State 11 Comdt John Prendergast The Strategy Obstacle Course in the Irish Defence Organisation 21 Comdt Owen McNally Recognising the Maritime Picture – A Cure for ‘Sea Blindness’ 33 Commander Pat Burke The Irish OSCE Chairmanship and the Aftermath of the 2008 War in Georgia 43 James C. O’Shea Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union – Supporting the Development of the Common Security and Defence Policy in 2013 53 Lt Col Tony Cudmore ‘Ready for Battle’ – The EU Battle Group as EU Force Projection 61 Comdt Ronan Corcoran Knowledge Management in Defence 71 Capt Barry Byrne and Professor Frank Bannister Not Another Meeting! 93 Martin Duffy Beyond Rules or Engagement: Social Media and the Irish Defence Forces 105 Dr Anne O’Brien The Military and the Media – Uncomfortable Bedfellows?