Three Kildare Defence Forces members receive top awards

Three Defence Forces members from Kildare were recognised as Defence Forces Values Champions in a ceremony presided by Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM, in Baldonnel recently.  

RSM Philip Hayden, Comdt Michael Cullen and Sgt Paul Halpin were all honoured at the national awards.

Speaking at the event, Vice Admiral Mellett said; "We have continued to build on our values as we strive for our vision to ‘Strengthen the Nation by inspiring pride and leading excellence’. Our values of moral courage and physical courage, respect, integrity, loyalty and selflessness serve as a framework for all our professional decision making and actions, but also for everyday life - and that is only right because our values have equal application when we hang up our uniform at the end of the day." 

RSM Philip Hayden

RSM Philip Hayden who was based in the Military College, DFTC, Curragh Camp received the award for Loyalty and his citation reads “for devoting your career to the education of soldiers and officers, especially your passion for the development and mentoring of NCO's” 

RSM Hayden recently retired last July with 42 years’ service, having spent the majority of his career educating soldiers and officers in the Military College.

The Kildare native enlisted into the Defence Forces in 1977. An Infantry Senior NCO who served in a wide range of appointments throughout the Defence Forces at home and on overseas missions. At home, he has served as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Military College, Defence Forces Training Centre, Sergeant Major of the Infantry Corps, and Senior NCO Instructor of the Infantry School. He also served as an instructor in the Infantry Weapons Wing and the NCO Training Wing, Military College. His vast overseas service includes many appointments in Lebanon, UNTAET East Timor, KFOR, EUFOR His final posting overseas was with the 56 Infantry Group UNDOF, Syria. 

Sergeant Major Hayden completed two international courses in NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany. The Advance Leadership Course, and the Command Senior Enlisted Leaders Course. He served in the Infantry School Headquarters for 16 years to where he had a keen interest in NCO Training and Education and Progressive Career Development. 

He was a member of numerous sporting teams within the Defence Forces and won many titles throughout his career including a senior All Ireland Senior B hurling medal, and a national hurling league medal with Kildare. He is married to Valerie and has two children, Lisa and Ross. Ross is currently serving as a member of the Air Corps. He lives in Rathangan, County Kildare.

Comdt Michael Cullen

Comdt Michael Cullen who is based DFTC CIS Group received the award for Integrity and his citation reads “for the living the DF value of Integrity by using your qualities of truthfulness, sincerity, reliability and integrity each day and in every decision you make as leader and remaining positive in striving to improve the daily work environment of those in your Corps” 

Commandant Cullen joined the Defence Forces as an Apprentice in Devoy Barracks, Naas in 1988. On completion of training he was posted to AHQ Sigs in Dublin where he was a member of the Signals Corps. He applied to do Cadet Training and was accepted into the 69th Cadet Class in 1992 and was commissioned in 1994. All of his career has been spent in various units with the CIS Corps and he has served overseas in UNIFIL, Kosovo (4) and currently is serving in MINURSO, Western Sahara, where he deployed in July. He holds a B Eng (Electronic) UCG/NUIG and a Masters Degree in Leadership, Management and Defence Studies from NUIM. Originally from Rathdangan Co. Wicklow he now resides in Naas. His interests are hurling, football, running, any sport, keeping fit. He is married to Caroline and they have three children, Conor, Emma and Hugh.

Sgt Paul Halpin

Sgt Paul Halpin based in the National Stores Reception Centre, DFTC, received the overall Values Champion Award and his citation reads “For enactment of the Defence Forces values of Respect, Loyalty, Selflessness, Physical Courage, Moral Courage and Integrity and, in so doing, demonstrating commitment to the mission and vision of Óglaigh na hÉireann”.  

A senior member of the Defence Forces parachute display team, the Black Knights, Sgt Halpin was seriously injured in a parachuting accident in Custume Bks in 2016. Airlifted to hospital he was placed in an induced coma having suffered serious trauma to his head and legs. He has made a remarkable recovery and fought his way back to personal fitness. He returned to work in 2019 and had completed his Transport Standard NCOs course and has recently travelled overseas. While he no longer carries out jumps he qualified as a rigger and is now responsible for the maintenance and certification of the DF stock of sport and display parachutes. 

Sgt Paul Halpin was born in Dublin in 1980 but grew up in Kildare. At the age of 12 his family moved to Cyprus accompanying his dad who was posted there on UN duty. He attended secondary school in St Joseph’s Academy, Kildare town. He joined the Defence Forces in 2005 and served three years in the Air Defence Regiment before moving to the Artillery School in 2008.

Since 2011 he has served in the National Stores Reception Centre where his role is managing transport and logistics. He has served on overseas tours of duty on three occasion in Lebanon and Kosovo. His hobbies and interests include hill walking, swimming and parachute rigging (parachute equipment repair and maintenance). Skydiving – past member of the IPC (Irish Parachute Club), based in Co. Offaly and present member of the Defence Forces Parachute Team and past member of the Defence Forces display team (The Black Knights). He is married to Marita with two children, Leah (10) and Alex (7) 

The awards first started in 2018 and this was the third annual awards ceremony with plans now afoot for the 2020 adjudication and awards ceremony in 2021.