Short-term international assignments are necessary requirements for promotion at all levels in the Irish Defence Forces, that is, at every rank an Officer 1/Non-Commissioned Officer2(NCO)/private serves, he/she is required to go overseas in that rank in order to be considered for promotion to the next higher rank. Overseas service, therefore, is an integral part of a military career path (Defence Forces Annual Report, 2011), with military personnel required to participate in overseas missions throughout their career as part of continuous professional development. Through overseas service, command and leadership appointments at different levels ranging from junior appointment holders such as Lieutenant to senior appointment holders such as Colonel are examined throughout a military officer’s career path. Significantly, a higher weighting is assigned to the performance report from overseas service than to service at home