the defence forces magazine - an...

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ISSN 0010-9460

T H E D E F E N C E F O R C E S M A G A Z I N E(( EE SS TT AA BB LL II SS HH EE DD 11 99 44 00 ))

DEC-JAN 2009 €€2.50 (Stg £1.70)

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AN COSANTÓIR Dec-Jan 2009 33

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FFrroonntt ccoovveerr::An MP checks for speed violations around theCurragh Camp. Photo byArmn Billy Galligan.

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A Balkan’sReflectionAn Irishman’s travel logthrough the Balkans.RReeppoorrtt bbyy Peter Murtagh

2200Christmas in theCongoVeterans remember theCongo.RReeppoorrtt bbyy Sgt David Nagle

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PDFORRA ConferenceAn overview of the AnnualDelegate Conference.RReeppoorrtt bbyy Cpl Paul O’Neill

2244Sports UpdateRoundup of DF sportingevents.RReeppoorrtt bbyySgt Rena Kennedy

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On ExhibitThe Lee Enfield Rifle.RReeppoorrtt bbyy Comdt Kieran Milner(Retd)

2277From Ballydehob to NASAProfile of L/EA TrishO’Sullivan.RReeppoorrtt bbyySgt Rena Kennedy

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Military InsigniaBadges of the 16 Inf BnFCÁ.RReeppoorrtt bbyy Flt Sgt James G Perkins

2299Exercise VikingDF take part in multi-national exercise.RReeppoorrtt bbyySgt David Nagle

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Letters to theEditorReaders give their opinions.

3300PeacekeepersHonouredThe President addresses agathering of UN veterans.

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MMaaggaazziinnee PPrriiccee IInnccrreeaasseeWith effect from February 1st 2009 and in order to ensure the high standards of An Cosantóir are maintained, the magazine price willincrease to €3 per issue or €30 for ten issues a year (including post andpackaging) for all annual subscribers. For our airmail subscribers it willrise to €64 and for our surface mail it will rise to €47.

Those subscribers who pay through payroll deductions (PDF and RDF),direct debit or standing order will continue to receive the magazine for€25 per year.

This new price still represents great value and will allow us to continuethe development of the magazine and our new online versionwww.dfmagazine.ie going live in 2009. We in An Cosantóir value all oursubscribers and look forward to dealing with your queries.

All current and new subscribers who renew or join before February 1stwill pay for next year’s subscriptions (2009) at the current price of €25.Likewise, current or new subscribers can set up a direct debit or standingorder and continue to receive the magazine for €25 a year. Simply write,call us at 01-804 2693 or email [email protected] and we will send youa direct debit or standing order form.

We wish all our subscribers and readers

Happy Christmas and a

Peaceful New Year

RRooaadd SSaaffeettyy MMeessssaaggeeRemember this festiveseason to reduce yourspeed, wear your seatbelts and don’t drinkor drive.

00-An Cos-DEC-08 (p1-7) 16/12/2008 17:15

news update… news update… news update…

StateClaimsAwards

Pictured onboard LÉNiamh in December are

(l-r): Flt Sgt DermotHiggins, Lt Col Barry

Hannon (both 1 Ops Wing),Mr Ciaran Breen (Dir SCA)

and Brig Gen Chris Moore (ACOS Sp). 1 Ops Wing was just one

of 12 units to receive an award fromthe State Claims Agency for promoting a

safe working environment. Photo by: Armn Billy Galligan.

Going forGold

In November, the Chief of Staff, LtGen Dermot Earley called into theNCOs Mess McKee Bks to present

Gaisce Awards. He is picturedwith the award recipients and

members of 2 Fd Arty Regt, whohelped Gaisce in their annual mil-

itary challenge. Photo by: Armn Jeff Healy.

A ColleagueRemembered On December 5th, family, friends and colleagues of ColJustin MacCarthy DSM attended a presentation ceremony inwhich a portrait of Col MacCarthy, along with a plague mark-ing 50 years since the UNOGIL in 1958 was made to UNTSI,Military College, DFTC. Our first picture shows (l-r): Col JohnRyan, Brig Gen Pat Dixon, Col Jim Fagan, Col CalmMacConchoile, Maj Gen Fergus O’Connell and Capt JimMoran (six of the eight original survivors) who all served withUNOGIL. Our second photo shows (l-r): Col Jim Goulding(CMC), Col Tom Carter (OC UNTSI), Mr Justin MacCarthy(Son), Lt Gen Dermot Earley (COS), David, Rachel andCatherine-Phil MacCarthy (Col MacCarthy’s grandchildrenand Daughter in Law) and Brig Gen Seán McCann (GOCDFTC). Both photos by: Armn Billy Galligan.

44 AN COSANTÓIR Dec-Jan 2009

WellDoneGerard Congratulations to Sgt Gerry Kelly (PSS DFHQ) whowas conferred with a Magistri in Scientiis at a cere-mony in Trinty College, Dublin. Sgt Kelly has been amember of PSS since 2002 and is a facilitator of theSAOR Alcohol Project. He is pictured with Dr ShaneButler (Course co-ordinator of the M Sc in Drug & AlcoholPolicy, School of Social Work & Social Policy TCD).Photo sent in by: Sgt Gerry Kelly.

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ate… news update… news update… news update…

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NotForgotten

On Remembrance Sunday,November 9th, members of

HQ Coy 56 Res Inf Bnattended a remembrance

service in St John’s Church,Ballinasloe, Co Galway. Our

photo shows (l-r): Lt NoelCleary, Comdt Tom

Cunningham (OC HQ Coy) andBQMS Donal Flanagan.

Photo sent in by:BQMS Donal Flanagan.

ThanksIn November 2 Cav Sqn presented

a cheque for €7,700 to the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (Unit 8)

of the National MaternityHospital, Holles Street. The troop-

ers raised the money after com-pleting this year’s An Cosantóir

10k. Seen here in Holles Street atthe cheque presentation are (l-r):

Sgt Anthony Daly, Sr Hilda Wall(Ward Manager Unit 8), Tpr

Michael Kelly, Sr Sarah Rock, SrBridget O’Brien (Clinical

Midwifery Specialist) and ComdtSean O’Keeffe (OC 2 Cav Sqn).

Photo sent in by: Sgt Anthony Kelly.

The KarateKidsPictured here are members of a threestar course just finished training inColumb Bks, Mullingar who recentlyreceived their unarmed combat cer-tificates. Sgt Phil Keegan (4 Fd ArtyRegt) seated middle front row wastheir unarmed combat instructor.Photo by: Sgt Maj Noel O’Callaghan.

Doing it forthe Kids

Capt Bryan Carley (D Tpt) who com-peted in the Dublin City Marathon in

October is seen here presenting acheque for €2,000 from money he

raised from family and friends to MrJohann Fox of The Children’s

Medical & Research Foundation, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital.

Photo sent in by: Capt Bryan Carley.

The long arm ofthe Law

The first armed members of An GardaSíochána arrived in Kosovo in October

to serve with an UN-mandated inter-national police force. Picture in

KFOR Main are (l-r): Sup JoeDelaney,. Sgt Eric Craig GardaSgt Denise Shaw and BQMSWilly Reilly. Photo by: Sgt Maj NoelO’Callaghan.

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The French ConnectionFFrreenncchh GGeenneerraall vviissiittss IIrreellaanndd

All photographs by Armn Billy Galligan.

In November, French General Henri Bentégeat, Chairman of theEuropean Union Military Committee made a two-day visit to

Ireland. During his stay Gen Bentégeat laid a wreath at theRoyal Hospital Kilmainham to honour our dead and also pre-sented EU medals to members of the ARW who served in

Chad and was briefed on Defence Forces struc-tures and capabilities during visits to various

units in the DFTC.


Mainpic:Phil

Coulteracknowl-


Right:Minister forDefence, Mr WillieO’Dea TD and Chiefof Staff, Lt GenDermot Earley presented GenBentégeat with acopy of CuirrechLife, The Curragh ofKildare.

Lt Michael Hosbackbriefs Gen Bentégeat onthe finer points of thesniper rifle used by theDefence Forces.

Above:An ARW Sergeantpresents militaryhonours to GenBentégeat in theCurragh Camp.

Left:Gen Bentégeatinspects a Guardof Honour from the12 Inf Bn at RoyalHospitalKilmainham.Lt Brian Lynch(QM 12 Inf Bn) isOiC GOH.

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EUFOR and KFOR 10k Photographs by Cpl O’Reilly (39 Inf Gp KFOR) Coy Sgt John Devlin (97 Inf Bn EUFOR)

Not to be outdone by their colleagues back inIreland who ran in this year’s An Cosantóir 10kFun Run, Irish troops serving with the 97 Inf BnEUFOR in Chad and 39 Inf Gp KFOR in Kosovoorganised a similar event, which at the sametime raised money for their respective causes.

On September 27th at 0730hrs, over 250(mostly Irish with a few Dutch and French)runners set off on a 5k run out to the village ofGoz Beida and back. Though they headed offin the early hours, the temperature was in the30s. Congratulations to Cpl Kieran Crawford(28 Inf Bn - Senior male winner) and PteChristina Reynolds (1 Cn Cois - Seniorfemale winner).

Coy Sgt John Devlin, race organiser (Johnalso organises the DF Half Marathon) wasdelighted with the turnout and all the moneyraised was handed over to Fr Gerry Carroll

CF, who presented it to a priest in the IrishArea of Operations, to help in local humani-tarian projects.

While in Kosovo on November 15th, 39 InfGp organised a 10k Race from its base atCamp Clarke. Over 400 runners from 17 differ-ent nationalities took part. Pte Paul Buckley(39 Inf Gp) took the lead from the start, closelyfollowed by Austrian Klaus Friedrich and CplPeter Walsh (39 Inf Gp). By the half way mark,Pte Buckley had built up a comfortable 100mlead, which he maintained up until the 1.5kstage, when Klaus Friedrich made a supremeeffort to catch him. With just 300m to go, thegap had closed to 30m, but Paul held out andwon the race in a time of 33:17. The firstwoman home was Maria Pinto of Portugal.

At the prize giving ceremony Lt Col EamonCaulfield (OC 39 Inf Gp), thanked all who tookpart, especially the local Kosovo Police fortheir assistance in making the day a greatsuccess. Over €700 was raised and this hasbrought the total raised by 39 Inf Gp to€10,000 for their humanitarian fund.

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KKFFOORR RREESSUULLTT SSMMaallee WWiinnnneerrssSenior Paul Buckley (Irl) 33:17O/40 Gabirel H Cairos (Esp) 35:50O/45 José Bonilla (Fra) 36:48O/50 Juha Vihavainen (Fin) 40:42

FFeemmaallee WWiinnnneerrssSenior Maria Pinto (Por) 40:24O/35 Aude Mezie (Fra) 43:46

TTeeaamm WWiinnnneerrssMale IrelandFemale Portugal

ate…

Above: Members of theCIS Pln, 97 Inf Bn pose forthe camera before the run.

Left: KFOR winners.

Right: Pte Paul Buckleycrossing the finish line.

Below: Col AndyKilfeather, Lt Col EamonCaulfield and Col JohnCourtney at the start ofthe Kosovo race.

The main body heading off on the run in Chad.

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In April 2008, while gathering material for our AnCosantóir UN Special, I came across in a veteran’sprivate collection, a Christmas menu for an Irishunit serving overseas. Looking at it, you might say it

was just your typical novelty menu, the type you see atthe office Christmas party, that sets out each coursewith its own unique twist, giving diners a few gigglesas they glanced down the bill of fare.

But on close inspection it reveals the story of agroup of Irish soldiers, in this case members of ACompany 36 Infantry Battalion, who landed in a warzone, went into battle, lost comrades and had to dealwith its aftermath, far from home and with only eachother to turn too.

Intrigued by its origins, I met up with two veter-ans, Danny Bradley and Jim Clarke, who both attend-ed that Christmas dinner with A Company. Back thenthe Congo was a big adventure and a welcome breakfrom the routine of barrack life in Ireland. For mostyoung Irishmen, the Congo was an alien land that

they had only seen in a Tarzan movie or read about ina comic.

Pte Bradley, who was on his second trip havingpreviously served with 32 Infantry Battalion, was oneof two cooks in the company working under Cook SgtTom ‘Nobby’ Clarke. By Christmas Day 1961, the situ-ation in Elizabethville remained somewhat stable fol-lowing the UN offensive on December 16th. Dannysaid that the company moved into a vacated materni-ty hospital just before Christmas and used itskitchens to prepare the lads a traditional IrishChristmas dinner.

Up until then, the three cooks, Nobby, Pte Jim‘Rabbit’ Murray and himself fed the 160-strong compa-ny, three meals a day along with a hot drink for supperfrom a WWII-vintage Hydro cooker and as Dannysays, it was in essence a large blowlamp.

As the company was dug in and engaged in fight-ing it was his and Pte Murray’s job to go out at nightto feed the troops in-situ. They would fill a hot lockand using a drainage ditch for safety, move up to theIrish positions to dish out hot food. Pte Jim Murraywas later awarded a Distinguished Service Medal forhis actions.

His citation reads; For distinguished service withthe United Nations Force in the Republic of Congo, indisplaying devotion to duty and courage. During aperiod of hostilities in December 1961, SaighdiúirSingil Murray, a cook, repeatedly endangered himselfin bringing food to the troops under fire. On one occa-

We look back to the early 60s andto how one unit serving in theCongo celebrated Christmas. Sgt David Nagle reports…

00-An Cos-DEC-08 (p8-15) 12/12/2008 15:25

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sion, a container of food was blown out of hishands by a mortar bomb, yet he returned imme-diately with a fresh supply.

But before we look at the menu, let’s outlinethe bigger picture! In December 1961 36 IrishInfantry attalion, deployed into the Congo aspart of a United Mission (ONUC). Because ofthe worsening situation in the breakawayprovince of Katanga, the battalion on arrival inLeopoldville was re-tasked to the provincial

capital, Elizabethville from its original destina-tion, Albertville. After a rest day and stock up ofAnti-Tank guns, extra ammunition and supplies,the company boarded the plane forElizabethville.

As they approached Elizabethville airport,their aircraft sustained small arms fire fromKatangan forces on the ground. Two of the air-craft’s engines were shot out, but luckily it land-ed safely with no injuries. The company quickly

December 61On the fifth of December 19 and 61,For a company of the 36thThe airlift had begun.

To a place called the Congo6000 miles away,We landed in LeopoldvilleAt breaking of the day.

Sgt Sexton, Paddy Kelly and Snitch RyanTo name but a few,We stayed at Camp Martini We were soaking up the view.

Next day we got our ordersWe were going to a war,To a place they call KatangaA thousand miles afar.

We landed in ElizabethvilleEarly in the morn,We boarded Swedish armoured carsTo our HQ at the farm.

Its now 36 years agoAnd we’re getting on,UN Soldiers in the CongoWe were the best of all.

On the eight of December19 and 61,A friend named Cpl FallonWas killed by a mortar bomb.

We dug in at SavonieersAnd up at crossroads E,The snipers and the mortar fireThey really gave us hell.

On the sixteenth of December19 and 61,We trained all dayWe were on our wayThe tunnel must be won.

Lt Riordan, Andy WickhamThey died side by side,Pat Mulcahy, Johnny PowerThey fill our hearts with pride.

It’s now 36 years agoAnd we’re getting on,UN Soldiers in the CongoWe were the best of all.

UN Soldiers in the CongoWe were the best of all.

Sung to the air of‘The Rising of the Moon’

Composer Joe O’Rourke(A Coy 36 Inf Bn Congo)

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CCLLAARRIIFFIICCAATTIIOONN::

In our July-Augustissue we mistakenlyentered the wrong homeunit designation to thefollowing names. Pleasesee the corrected homeunits in bold.

Lt Patrick A RiordanDSM 55 IInnff BBnn

Sgt Patrick MulcahyDSM 66 FFdd AArrttyy RReeggtt

Pte Andy Wickham 22 GGrrnn SS&&TT CCooyy

disembarked and moved to its new headquarters atRousseay Farm. The battalion along with elements of35 Irish Infantry Battalion, who they were supposedto relieve, dug in and fought sporadic battles andwere subject to constant small arms, sniping andmortar fire. On December 8th, A Company sufferedits first fatality, when 18-year-old Cpl Mick Fallon waskilled by mortar fire.

On December 16th, in a UN push to seize strate-gic locations around Elizabethville, the battalion wastasked with taking a railway tunnel from two compa-nies of Katangan gendarmerie, aided by white mer-cenaries. In the dark and pelting rain, A Companymoved up to its start line and following a mortar bar-rage to soften up the enemy, the codeword for theattack ‘Sarsfield’ was broadcast over the radio andA Company launched into battle. In ‘The Battle ofthe Tunnel’ that followed Lt Paddy Riordan DSM andPte Andy Wickham were killed and many others wereinjured. Also, Sgt Paddy Mulcahy DSM died onDecember 16th from injuries sustained from a previ-

ous engagement. For their devotion to duty andcourage under fire, 14 members of A Company wereawarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

So looking at the menu, you can now see wherethey got some of their quirky courses. Some mightcall it gallows honour, but really it was a way for thecompany to let off a bit of steam after what was a lifeand dead situation over two weeks. They lost fourcomrades in battle and countless wounded, some soserious that they had to be repatriated home toIreland. This was at a time when you had no accessto Critical Stress Debriefing Teams or PersonalSupport Services. Not even a change to make aphone call home, but just the written aerogrammeand the companionship of your brothers in arms ormaybe a chat from the Chaplain.

Starting from the top, Sniper Soup was a refer-ence to the sniping the Irish troops endured right upto the battle for the tunnel. Turkey a La Tunnel refersto the railway tunnel itself. Cross “E” Ham was a keycrossroads and designated “E” on ONUC/Irish maps.Roast and Cream Potatoes a La Shops is a reference

to a group of shops, close to theIrish positions. Puree of Peas aLa Nobby Clarke is in honour ofCook Sgt ‘Nobby’ Clarke.Cauliflower Ears of Gendarmerie isa reference to the Katangan forces;Trifle Complactht “A” refers to thecompany itself and Elakat Puddingis a reference to a cool storage area,where the UN sourced it frozenfoods.

Most of the company got a chanceto sit down for dinner and to feel

normal, even for just an hour. Thosewho were on duty and couldn’t get toone of the three sittings had their din-ner brought out to them. At the dinner,the troops had some Rum for toasts andlater they headed to the canteen for afew cans and a singsong. Sgt JoeClohessy (Retd) in the unit history recallsgreat sessions with Dan Mannix singing,

Joe O’Rourke on the accordion and ‘Bing’Crosby on his mouth organ. This allowed

the troops some relief from their ‘troubles’,but the scars of battle stayed with many foryears, though some did heal (diminished)

over time! After Christmas and with hostilities over,36 Infantry Battalion settled into a routine of guards,patrolling and winning the hearts and minds of thelocal population, before they returned to Ireland inMay 1962.

Since their return nearly 47 years ago, the troopsfrom A Company have kept in touch, mainly throughthe efforts of a small and very dedicated bunch ofveterans, who each organise a wreath laying, massand reception each December. They are equally vocalabout telling their story and the story of the IrishArmy old soldier, who has a tale or two to tell!

So this Christmas, whether you’re at home withthe family or on duty overseas, spare a though for thevet you might meet and give him a few minutes ofyour time. You don’t know, he might surprise you!■

SSoouurrccee:: A Company 36 Infantry Battalion ONUC unit his-tory and private collections from CQMS Jim ‘Nobby’ Clarke(Retd) and a special thanks to Danny Bradley.

00-An Cos-DEC-08 (p8-15) 16/12/2008 17:17


Defence Forces SoccerLLaaddiieess vv FFAAII//FFÁÁSSOn November 5th in a Representative Series match atthe Army Grounds, Phoenix Park, Dublin our ladiessoccer team lost 2-0 in a closely fought game, refer-eed by Cpl Alan Sherlock (2 MP Coy) against a com-bined FAI/FÁS team. Watching from the sidelinewere Noel King (Manager/Coach of Ireland’s SeniorLadies soccer team and Sue Rowan (Manager/Coachof Ireland’s U19s team and the FAI National Women’sDevelopment Officer).

Best FAI/FÁS players on the day were GillianWalsh, Trish Cleary and Noelle Murray, while shiningfor the Defence Forces were Lt Siobhan O’Sullivan,Tpr Kim Turner and Cpl Sue Brennan. Harry Kenny(Women’s FÁS Co-ordinator) credited the DefenceForces ladies with a great display of skill and determi-nation with very little separating the teams. With thethree games played against the Defence Forces todate, Harry is keen to make the games a regular fix-ture in their training calendar. The fact that FAI/FÁShold the Defence Forces team in such regard is ahuge compliment, as FAI/FÁS play and train on adaily basis in comparison to our ladies team, whotrain when they can between their military commit-ments at home and overseas.

Since 2007, Defence Forces ladies soccer has gonefrom strength to strength. Back then following thefirst Inter-Brigade six-a-side blitz held in DFTC, over60 participants took part in the hope of being selectedfor the squad. Soccer coaches CQMS Tony McCarthyand Cpl Ben O’Looney formed a panel where ourladies played six Representative Series games withwins against FAI/FÁS and Tolka Rovers, drawsagainst the Garda College and FAI/FÁS and lossesagainst FAI/FÁS and Santry Ladies.

In January 2009, our ladies will take on the GardaCollege followed by the Inter-Brigade six-a-side blitzin March. Anyone interested in taking up soccer,should contact their Brigade Reps or Cpl BenO’Looney (Team Manager) at 01-804 6860.

DDeeffeennccee FFoorrcceess vv FFrreenncchh AArrmmyyOn November 25th, the DF male soccer team took tothe pitch against a strong French Army team in aCISM Bi-lateral match under the floodlights ofTerryland Park, home of Irish Premier League team,Galway United. Following formalities, anthems andexchanging of gifts, Referee Pte Hennessy got thematch underway.

Though unlucky not to score in the first half,Team Captain and centre midfielder, Cpl Colm

Fortune (6 Inf Bn) put the ball into the French netjust ten minutes into the second half. The visitingFrench soldiers equalised ten minutes later in acounter attack. Goalkeeper Pte Darren Kelly (2 InfBn) made a very good save and helped keep theFrench at bay, while Pte Tommy Fitzgibbon (4 Inf Bn)hit the opposition’s post, just missing out on puttingthe Irish in the lead. When the final whistle blew,leaving the game at one all, Pte Marcus McDonnellwas named man of match.

This was a good year for the soccer squad, whocame together for a number of training camps and aseries of games. One of the highlight wins was thegame against the combined universities in March.They also played Finn Harps, Bohemians, LetterkennyRovers and Athlone Town.

Next year will see our footballers continue theirtraining and Representatives Series Games, as theyprepare for the European CISM Championships inHolland in 2010. This tournament will see just threeEuropean Military soccer teams qualify for

World CISM Games to take place in 2011 in Brazil.

SportsUpdate

November was a busymonth for both our soccer teams andcross-country runners. Sgt Rena Kennedy reports…

FAI/FÁS FAI/FÁS run a jointsports programme whichenable unemployed orearly school leaversinterested in developinga career in football,sports and leisure indus-try, an opportunity toenhance both their foot-ball skills and educationlevels. Last season,seven former partici-pants played atInternational level, 19played in the EircomLeague and in 2007, 87%of participants foundemployment or went onto further education. Participants receive aFETAC qualification inhealth and fitness andcan progress to an ITECGym Instructor Diploma.The football aspects ofthe programme is co-ordinated by qualifiedFAI coaches andinvolves daily coachingsessions, which is sup-plemented by a fitnessprogramme and regularmatches, along with KickStart 1 and 2, the firsttwo steps to becoming aqualified coach.If you know someonewho would benefit fromthe programme contactone of the following co-ordinators:Vincent Butler(National): 087-2430996,Harry Kenny (Women’sFÁS): 086-0437764, MickConroy (Cork): 086-8030149, Leo Tierney(Mayo): 087-6816442or email:[email protected]

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The Defence Forces LadiesSoccer Team.

00-An Cos-DEC-08 (p8-15) 16/12/2008 17:17

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Defence Forces Cross-CountryChampionshipsThis year’s Championships took place in the PhoenixPark, Dublin and was hosted by 2 E Bde. Over the twodays of racing, some 120 competitors took part in theVeterans and Junior (6,000m) on November 19th,while the Senior (10,000m) and Ladies (5,000m) com-peted on November 26th. The results are:

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JJuunniioorr Name TimeWinner Pte Rodgers (1 S Bde) 21.17Runner-up Pte Fulton (2 E Bde) 21.373rd Place LS O’Brien (Naval Service) 21.44

JJuunniioorr TTeeaammWinners DFTCRunners-up 1 S Bde3rd Place Naval Service

SS eenniioorr Name TimeWinner Gnr O’Brien (DFTC) 33.57Runner-up Cpl Byrne (DFTC) 34.133rd Place Pte Kelly (4 W Bde) 34.30

SS eenniioorr TTeeaamm Winners 4 W BdeRunners-up DFTC3rd Place 1 S Bde

VVeetteerraannss OO//4400ss Name TimeWinner Pte Thompson (4 W Bde) 23.15Runner-up Sgt Devlin (4 W Bde) 23.503rd Place Sgt Doyle (DFTC) 24.14

OO//4455ss Name TimeWinner Coy Sgt Murray (DFTC) 22.55Runner-up Pte McElroy (4 W Bde) 23.09

OO//5500ss Name TimeWinner Pte Byrne (1 S Bde) 24.27Runner-up Sgt Grogan (4 W Bde) 27.03

OO//5555ss Name TimeWinner Sgt Maj Carroll (DFTC) 29.15

VVeetteerraannss TTeeaamm Winners 4 W BdeRunners-up DFTC3rd Place 1 S Bde

LLaaddiieess Name TimeWinner Cpl Molloy (1 S Bde) 23.39Runner-up Pte Nolan (1 S Bde) 24.033rd Place Sgt Wearen (DFHQ) 25.31

LLaaddiieess TTeeaammWinners 1 S BdeRunners-up 4 W Bde

The Defence Forces Male Soccer Team.

Cpl Byrne leads theSenior event.

The Master and Junior winners.

The ladies get off the mark.

All photographs byArmn Billy Galligan

00-An Cos-DEC-08 (p8-15) 16/12/2008 17:17

Above:L/EA Trish O’Sullivan and atwork in the lab.

Right:The Space Shuttle Explorer andthe launch pad.

weeks. “I spent four weeks at the Florida Institute ofTechnology,” Trish told me, “followed by eight weeks ona work programme in OUC – Orlando UtilitiesCompany – a coal-generated power station.”

Other technicians spent their work phase at institu-tions as varied as Universal Studios and SiemensBuilding Automation.

In addition to the time spent with their assignedcompany there were also specially related work proj-ects held for the group every Friday at the SpaceFlorida Labs (NASA) under the supervision ofrenowned professor, Dr Larry Chew. During her time Trish covered the following subjects:• Electrical/Enviornmental Monitoring – including

modules covering global positioning systems, motorcontrol circuits and the installation and testing ofcabling systems.

• Energy Efficient Technologies – including electricalstandards and procedures and the designs, uses, cali-bration and operation of instrumentation systems.

• New Technologies - such as logging and retrieval ofmaintenance histories, monitoring equipment andsystems, aerospace and applied technology, includ-ing advanced electronics and electrical systemsand fibre optics training and certification fromNASA.

Trish thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of her time inFlorida: “It was a great experience to see how the USworks in the greater scheme of electronics,” she says.“Their working day is longer than ours, generally from0630hrs to 1730hrs but I would say that the levels of dedi-cation to ones’ job and the professionalism is no greaterthan at home.” She and her fellow students were treatedlike royalty by the staff in the various institutions wherethey worked, with weekends being spent on hunting andfishing trips with colleagues and supervisors “Ninetypercent of the people I came in contact with claim Irishheritage of some form or other,” she recalls, “so wealways got a very warm welcome.”

One of the similarities Trish notices was the trafficproblem workers experienced going to and from theirwork. “It was like the Jack Lynch Tunnel on a busyMonday, with only one lane operating!” she says.

The different teams received special projects tocomplete during their time there that were devised forteam building and as additional learning exercises:

The following are a flavour of what was expected: -• Research, build and launch a camera payload on

board a meteorological balloon.• Research, build and launch a global positioning sys-

tem (GPS) payload on board a meteorological balloon.• Build and launch a rocket that will fly to 1,500 feet,

with a camera on board.• Refurbish and upgrade a jet ski. Improve its mechani-

cal performance by increasing compression ratio andperformance.

• Design and build an autonomous rover/robot capableof transmitting live video feed, performing ‘obstacleavoidance’ and ‘path tracking’.

Trish O’Sullivan is 28 years old and she joined theNaval Service in 1998, making the short hop fromher home in Ballydehob to Haulbowline. After com-pleting her training Trish went to sea for approxi-

mately three years, serving with LÉ Aoife as a mechani-cian. Her job on LÉ Aoife entailed spending her shift inthe ship’s control/engine room, under the watchful eyeof the duty ERA (Engine Room Artificer), monitoringand checking the numerous generators, pumps, motors,and other mechanical devices that are necessary forthe smooth running of the ship.

Having discovered an aptitude for all thingsmechanical and electrical Trish decided that this wasthe road she wanted to follow and in 2001 when theDefence Forces advertised its annual apprenticescheme Trish successfully applied for an electrician’sapprenticeship.

The first part of her apprenticeship was an intro-duction to electronics, entitled the EA1. The next partof her course was conducted by Fás in Tralee and last-ed for five months, during which she learned aboutdomestic wiring, sockets, plugs and other basic toolsof the trade. This module concluded with two writtenand two practical examinations.

Then it was back to the Naval Service for a year toput what she had learned so far into practice on thebase and at sea. Next on the agenda was to completethe ERA 2, which is run on the Naval Base. This stagedeals specifically with ships’ electrical systems andalso gives a valuable ‘heads up’ as to what is coveredon the next module run at Fás.

Trish then spent three months at Cork IT on phasefour of her course. This mainly consisted of lectures,with very little practical work. Returning to practice herskills on board ship was a welcome break from theclassroom.

Trish spent four years in total qualifying as an elec-trician and also completed a Potential NCOs courseduring that time.

In 2006 FÁS advertised its upskilling programmeand sought volunteers from among those who hadcompleted apprenticeships in various fields. Twonames were sent forward from the Naval Service,including Trish’s. Fás then drew up a short-list of 65from the 800 applicants. These 65 were interviewed for22 places, spanning four different trades.

Trish learned she was one of the successful groupand on January 18th 2007 she headed for Orlando,Florida, to begin her upskilling programme. The groupwere split in two, with one group based in Orlando andthe other based in Coco Beach, on the Florida coast.They were housed in apartments and had a weekend tosettle in before getting down to work.

On the Monday of the first week an opening cere-mony was held in NASA, which included a ‘meet andgreet’ period, which allowed the students to meet thevarious heads of the companies they would be workingfor over the next three months.

The students received their individual programmes,which would dictate their working lives for the next 12


In this month’s profile of membersof the Defence Forces, Sgt RenaKennedy (PR Section) speaks to L/EA Trish O’Sullivan about hercareer to date, which has includedone very unusual experience…

From Ballyd

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“I was assigned to the groupresponsible for the weather bal-loon launch,” Trish told me.“This involved all aspectsof building and testingthe balloon, up to andincluding itslaunch. Therewere five

members to a team and each person was given specif-ic tasks: I was responsible for GPS and video linkfeedback.”

The groups had eight weeks to fulfil their respectiveprojects. As two of the projects involved the weatherballoon all eyes were on Trish and her colleagues aslaunch time came around. “Our first launch attemptfailed,” Trish recalls, “but thankfully our secondattempt went perfectly.” The launch took place in apublic picnic area outside NASA, to the delight andconfusion of the locals.

Trish was delighted that her video link with the bal-loon lasted for 30 miles as it travelled up through theatmosphere. The GPS worked even better, to the tuneof three hours and almost 150 miles.

Trish’s group put their e-mail addresses on boardthe balloon, as it’s the case of ‘what goes up…’ (Asimilar device landed off the Mexican coast the previ-ous year.)

Trish says that the whole experience was unbeliev-able and that she feels much more confident in herown ability in her working environment after complet-ing the course. She feels she has definitely been‘upskilled’ but is not sure that she will get to utilise allher new skills in her current employment.

While in her opinion the US is technically far moreadvanced than us she says she found very little differ-ence in work practices and professional attitudes. “Itwas an eye-opener for me,” she says, “as I hadn’t aclue what to expect working in a large US organisationwith different cultures, religions, background, etc.

Among the highlights of her trip were some of theafter-hour activities she got to do.These includedobserving a rocket launch from the Kennedy SpaceCentre and a trip to Disneyland. She made numerousfriends and contacts and would definitely recommendany person who has completed an apprenticeship with-in the Defence Forces to apply for the upskilling pro-gramme, as she says the experience gained was “notonly invaluable but also thoroughly enjoyable”.

Trish has recently completed her first overseas trip,returning from Chad where she had served as SgtElectrician with Eng Pl, Sp Coy. With her team of fourshe was responsible for the installation and mainte-nance of all electrics and generators in the Irish campwith daily tasks including setting up the shower andsewage systems and ensuring all tents had their airconditioning in working order. She really enjoyed heroverseas experience, even though it was a world awayfrom her time in Florida, and she has ambitions to defi-nitely travel overseas again.

Currently Trish is awaiting to be assigned to a shipfor her return to sea duty and is hoping to complete aStd NCOs course in 2009.■


llydehob to

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(UNMINS), which deployed to a fictitious region calledthe North Friendly Sea. Here two countries, Boglandand X-land following Civil War and the breakdown oflaw and order agreed to allow UN-mandatedNATO/PfP and EU forces into their countries. Themain reason for the intervention was to prevent theconflict from spilling over into the neighbouring coun-tries; Stop ethnic, religious and cultural related vio-lence; Tackle the huge humanitarian needs in theregion; Fill the security vacuum; Stop the breakdown oflaw and order and the economic collapse of the region.

The UN tasked a NATO/PfP Combined Joint TaskForce into Bogland, under a UN Chapter VII CrisisResponse/Peace Support Operation, requiring a jointand multifunctional military, police and civilian pres-ence. At the same time, an EU-led Battlegroupdeployed into X-land operating under a UN ChapterVII Crisis Management Operation, which includessecurity assistance during parliamentary elections.

In addition to the military forces deployed, the UNestablished a police mission, which dealt with all lawenforcement issues. Also as a follow-on operation, aUnited Nations Security Assistance Force (UNSAF)was readied to deploy, once the EU forces in X-land

had created a safe and secure environment.Apart from the co-ordinating with

NATO/PfP and EU forces, the UN at thesame time co-ordinated withother UN, International andNon-GovernmentalOrganisations (NGOs)

operating in the region. In essence, Viking wasa Command Post/

Computer

By way of introduction, Viking 08 was a multinationalexercise designed to enhance cross-civilian/mili-tary organisational knowledge, planning and co-ordination that would ensure a greater under-

standing of each participating nations’ capabilitieswhen operating jointly in Peace Support/CrisisManagement Operations under a United Nations man-date. Between November 3rd to the 14th, over 2,200personnel from 27 nations, operated in Headquarter-type Command Posts in seven countries (see table).

This year’s exercise, the fifth of its type (the firsttook place in 1999) was based on a UN mission calledthe United Nations Mission in the North Friendly Sea

In November, the Defence Forces took part in Exercise Viking 08, a headquarters multinational exercise. Sgt David Nagle reports…

EXERCISE V

Col Colm Doyle (Retd), an Irishofficer with a wealth of overseasexperience lends his expertisethroughout the exercise.

Brig Gen Dennis Murphy briefsLt Gen Anders Lindstrom(Swedish Armed Forces), Lt Gen Dermot Earley (Chief of Staff) and Col Michael Gannon (Exercise Director) on the situation withinthe MNB Area of

Operation.

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Assisted exercise (no troops, police or civilian aidworkers actually deployed on the ground) designed totest senior military/police/civilian Headquarter staffin dealing with a crisis.

Defence Forces involvement saw 150 Irish,Swedish and Austrian personnel operating in a simu-lated Multi-National Brigade (MNB) Headquarters,based in the Military College, DFTC, Curragh Camp,Co Kildare. Also taking part were Department ofDefence, Civil Defence, An Garda Síochána, PrisonService, Irish Aid, Irish Red Cross, HSE, GOAL,Concern and UNHCR personnel.

All participating personnel brought a wealth ofcorporate knowledge and experience to the exercise.Apart from their formal military training, a lot of theIrish officers and NCOs involved have actually heldsenior headquarter staff appointments with the UN,OSCE, NATO/PfP and the EU in numerous overseasmissions. Our experience in key command appoint-ments overseas goes back to 1958, when Col JustinMacCarthy DSM worked in the headquarters ofUNOGIL, UNTSO and ONUC. Today, Lt Gen PatNash is our most senior Irish officer currently over-seas, serving as Op Comd EUFOR Tchad/RCA.

Brig Gen Denis Murphy (GOC 2 E Bde) was theexercise commander here in Ireland and on November12th, he opened his headquarters to visitors. Theywere led by Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Dermot Earley andincluded Ambassadors from Sweden, Finland, Latvia,

Norway, Austria and Switzerland, SeniorIrish/Foreign Military, Garda and Prison

Service Officers together with NonGovernmental Organisations,Academics and the media.

Following a brief by Brig GenMurphy and Col Michael Gannon

(Exercise Director), the visitorsgot an opportunity to see the

various elements of theMNB HQ. It is important at

this point to note that theIrish element of Viking

08, entailed manymonths of planningand preparation,

both in Ireland andin Sweden, involv-ing key DFHQand DFTC staffalong with thevarious DFTCunits who provid-

ed IT support,catering, transport,accommodation and

administrativebackup to the

exercising staff. The head-

quarters G1 to G9 sections were located in the CadetSchool Drill Shed and this was manned by a multi-national contingent, working closely togetherthroughout the exercise. Each section was filled withoperational maps, orders and plans, either displayedon large tables, notice boards or projected onto ascreen. As a computer assisted exercise, each loca-tion was linked via computer, so staff could, using theinternet, email, telephone and radio communicationspass messages and co-ordinate the respective exer-cising headquarter staff over the eight sights.

The visiting VIPs received briefings from G3(Operations), G9 (CIMIC) and from the JointOperations Cell staff. They also visited the ExerciseSimulator, through which Exercise Control in Swedenissued the scenarios according to a strict timetable.These scenarios were designed to test everyone,from the most senior officer to the most junior pri-vate. Two of the important manning principles of theexercise, which enhanced the learning process wasthe multi-nationality and multi-functionality approachto problem solving by everyone involved.

Now that Viking 08 is over, the Exercise Evaluationteam in Sweden will over the next few months studythe exercise data and look at all phases from design,planning, preparation and execution. This analysiswhen published will prove valuable to future organis-ers of Viking exercises. More importantly, it will giveall those who participated, an understanding into thecomplexity and challenges that future operationsoverseas might involve. For more on Viking 08, logonto: www.mil.se ■

E VIKING

Participating Countries Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Finland, France, Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Ireland,Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey,Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States ofAmerica.

EEXXEERRCCIISSIINNGG SSIITTEESS

Country Formations Numbers InvolvedAustria MNB HQ 170Finland MNB HQ 90Ireland MNB HQ 150Latvia MNB HQ 70Norway NTG HQ 100Switzerland MNB HQ 150Sweden EXCON 400

UNMINS HQ 500UNSAF, LCC,MCC, ACC, IOTF

Comdt Sean O’Keeffe briefs thevisitors on the situation inBogland.

Right: Coy Sgt Ben Lindsay (HQ2 E Bde) outlines the incidents 5MNB forces had to deal with inBogland on November 12th.

00-An Cos-dec-08 (p16-23) 16/12/2008 17:13


Dia dhíbh a chairde. Tá an áthasorm bheith i bhur measc ar onocáid seo.

Chief of Staff, distinguished guests.

This golden jubilee of Irish peacekeeping has beencelebrated in many different places and waysthroughout the year but always with the same pride inthose who have served in our name with the UN andthe same sadness as we call to mind those who sur-rendered their lives or their health so that othersmight know the gift of peace. Now we gather inCathal Brugha Barracks, to officially bring our mix ofcelebration and commemoration to an end.

It is of course also a beginning - the start of thenext fifty years and already our troops are on thisvery day immersed in their vocation as global peace-keepers in no less than ten fields of operation thatinclude Lebanon, Chad, and Kosovo.

In times of poverty and in times of prosperityIreland’s fidelity to service with the United Nationshas never faltered thanks entirely to the men andwomen of our Defence Forces who stepped up andshipped out to so many far-flung and dangerous parts

of the world. There theybecame the bridge topeace for so many victimsof conflict. They were andare the answer to prayersof despair that go up wher-ever the powerless areoverwhelmed by violenceand left to wonder whetheranyone out there in thewider world cares.

In Ireland we subscribeto the view that we areafter all our brothers andsisters keepers, what hurtsthem is our responsibilityand we showcase that viewin many ways, for examplethrough the work of IrishAid in developing coun-tries where we invest in theeducation, health and goodgovernance of millions ofthe world’s poorest peo-

ples. We also showcase our concern and our willing-ness to share responsibility for others through ourpeacekeeping service with the United Nations.Importantly too we also show very powerfully thechallenging and unique moral vocation of a militarilyneutral country, with an army that has never since itsformation been deployed in the making of war.

In the early 1960s, UN Secretary General DagHammarskjöld, when asked, coined the term‘Peacekeeping’ which was not specifically mentionedin the UN Charter and he said it belonged to ‘ChapterSix and a Half of the Charter’, meaning somewherebetween negotiated peaceful resolution of conflict ofchapter six and the use of force which could be sanc-tioned by chapter seven. For Ireland, as a neutral andnon-aligned country this method of military participa-tion has proved itself to be a worthy and invaluablechannel for our armed forces to lend their consid-ered, measured and subtle military expertise to calm,stabilise and help to pacify some of the world’s mosttroubled regions.

Instead of making us enemies our peacekeepershave made friends for Ireland across the world. Theyhave done that not just by doing a first class job ofpeace-keeping but by interesting themselves deeply

P

Each and every one of them isentitled to the gratitude of theIrish people for their courage andcommitment these past 50 yearswhen by their efforts not alonedid they bring the gift of peace toso many strangers but to theirhomeland they brought the gift of international respect andfriendship. In this jubilee yearwe as a nation salute them.

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in the lives of those they protected, volunteering tohelp in a local orphanage, bringing much needed sup-port to a local Aids hospice, looking out for their newneighbours in ways that were well above and beyondthe call of duty but within the precious realm ofhuman decency and generosity. They also broughtwith them their camaraderie, their humour, theirmusic, their faith and their capacity to be a communityto one another especially during those inevitablespells of loneliness and homesickness which thosewho serve overseas face into even as they face intoall the dangers of conflict and instability. In the uncer-tain spaces they were called to work, they brought thecertainty of reliability, of trust, of kindness andhumanity. They also brought the hope of peace.

Pictured (l-r): President MaryMcAleese, Mr James HanleyRHA (artist), Mr JustinMacCarthy (son), Mrs Catherine-Phil MacCarthy (daughter-in-law)and Lt Gen Dermot Earley (Chiefof Staff) at the unveiling of ColMacCarthy’s portrait.

PeacekeepersHonouredA Presidential

Address

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SAt a ceremony to mark the end of a yearwhich saw the Defence Forces celebrate

50 years of Peacekeeping, PresidentMary McAleese addressed a gathering of

soldiers, veterans, their families andinvited guests in Cathal Brugha Bks on

November 28th. We have published here the President’s address

as a fitting tribute to ourpast and continued

participation in overseas service…

This thing we call peace, as a word is simple andinnocuous sounding. As a concept it is complexbeyond belief and as a process it is frustratinglypainstaking and long. We in Ireland have reason tounderstand that better than many others for our ownPeace Process was the antithesis of an overnight suc-cess. Today Irish peacekeepers are back in Lebanon,the place where we began our service with the UnitedNations almost exactly fifty years ago. The story of theebb and flow of our service there underlines just howfragile peace is once it is established after years ofvolatility and how much nurturing it needs if it is togrow robust and enduring. Our seminal mission to theCongo began in 1960 and while we only have a handfulof observers there currently, that tragic countryremains an area of significant UN operations.

It was George Bernard Shaw who noted that“Peace is not only better than war, but infinitely morearduous”, and generations of Irish peacekeepers cancertainly testify to the truth of that. The words ofPresident John F Kennedy when speaking in DáilÉireann in 1963 have been quoted many times andthey still ring true as they resonate down the years“… from Cork to the Congo from Galway to the GazaStrip, from this legislative assembly to the UnitedNations, Ireland is sending its most talented men todo the work of peace.” Of course, I can now add thatfor well over half of those fifty years our talentedwomen have joined their male colleagues in doing thework of peace, serving in some of the most hazardousoverseas environments.

I have been privileged as President and in myConstitutional role as Supreme Commander, to visitour peacekeepers in a number of the countries wherethey have been deployed. I have seen the austerity oftheir lives, the absence of home comforts, the menac-ing environment, the ever-present dangers they learnto live with. I have seen the monuments to those whodied, met the comrades and families who have beenbereaved. I have been the recipient of wonderful wel-comes they have so carefully planned and preparedand I have been moved time and again by their formi-dable love of homeland and their passion to serve itwell. At home I have met their spouses and childrenwho so graciously and generously put up with absenceand loneliness so that others can know the peace ofheart and mind that comes from having friends whocare. I have been privileged to meet the retired veter-ans who wear the blue beret with righteous pride and Ican say without being accused of exaggerating that allthose I have met from Cathal Brugha to CampShamrock, from Áras an Uachtaráin to Africa, havemade me hugely proud to be President of Ireland.

Each and every one of them is entitled to the grati-tude of the Irish people for their courage and commit-ment these past 50 years when by their efforts notalone did they bring the gift of peace to so manystrangers but to their homeland they brought the giftof international respect and friendship. In this jubileeyear we as a nation salute them.

Is iontach an obair ata ar siúl agaibh agus go raibh maith agaibh go léir.

At the same ceremony, the President unveiled a por-trait of Col Justin MacCarthy DSM, the first seniorIrish Officer to lead an Irish UN contingent. Heserved in three UN missions (UNOGIL, UNTSO andONUC), before he was tragically killed in a road traf-fic accident while serving with the UN in the Congoin 1960. His portrait was presented to the UNTSI,Military College on December 5th, along with aplague marking the first group of Defence Forces offi-cers to serve with the UN in 1958.■

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atrocity committed on Europe’s soil since the end ofthe Second World War. They’re still exhuming bodiesfrom mass graves in and around the small Bosniantown. Amir’s body was found not long before I wasthere last July when I came across Azra and her father,Jamal, visiting his grave, a pile of raised mud coveringwhere he had been laid to rest a few days earlier, asyet without a headstone.

Azra and Jamal, together with his wife and Azra’sbrother, live in Switzerland, the country to which Jamalfled as a teenager during the Bosnian civil war of the1990s. There, he has a life free from the sectarian andethnic hatreds that engulfed former Yugoslavia… andwhich still lurk not far beneath the surface today.

There are many Irish men and women working in theBalkans today and as an Irishman, I felt very proud ofwhat I saw them doing. Their uniforms invariably dis-play our country’s flag and also the emblem of theEuropean Union. What I saw them doing, and what Iheard, during briefings, about their work, was a creditto them as individuals and to Ireland as a country. Ourtroops are serving both Ireland and Europe with honourand distinction.

European Minister Dick Roche was talking to agroup of business people recently when he men-tioned he had a photograph in his office that madehim think about Europe each time he looked at it.

The picture, he said, inspired him to keep battling overthe Treaty of Lisbon and the need, as he and theGovernment see it, to maintain Ireland’s place at thecentre of the European Union.

The picture in Minister Roche’s shows a young boy, aJewish child, in the Warsaw ghetto in the middle of theSecond World War when Poland was under Nazi occu-pation. The boy almost certainly went to his death in thegas chambers and furnaces of Auschwitz or Birkenau,the Holocaust extermination camps south of Warsawnear Krakow. In all probability, the picture is all that’sleft of him - a haunting image of a child whose life andpromise was snuffed out in a spasm of madness.

Among the clutter of my own desk in The IrishTimes, I also have a picture. It has been propped upagainst by computer screen since I came back from avisit to the Balkans last summer.

It shows an elfin child with a beautiful face, a nine-year-old girl named Azra Mujanovic. She’s wearing ablue pullover and jeans and her arms are stretchedabove her head, hands leaning against the side of avery large photograph mounted on a wall, at which sheis staring.

The large photograph is a close up of a pair ofhands, they look to be those of a woman perhaps in her40s. They are clasped across an apron she is wearing.On the apron, there are handwritten names. They arethe names of the dead, many of whom are interred inthe ground outside the room where the picture beingexamined by Azra is displayed.

In my photograph of the scene, there’s an engagingcontrast between Azra’s hands and those of the woman.I like looking at it; it makes me think of Azra and the sur-viving members of her family and their community.

The dead outside include Azra’s granduncle, Amir.He is just one of the several thousand people buriednow in the genocide memorial park in Srebrenica ineastern Bosnia, scene of the massacre in July 1995 ofsome 8,300 Muslims who were systematically slaugh-tered by Serb forces – armed men, neighbours from thetown and region, and from Serbia itself.

The massacre at Srebrenica was the worst such

During the summer, PeterMurtagh(Managing Editorwith The IrishTimes) travelledthrough theBalkans and herehe gives us hisimpressions ofthe impact theIrish DefenceForces has inbringing stabilityto the region…

A Balkan’s REFLECTION

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There are about 2,500 personnel in EUFOR, the EUmilitary mission to Bosnia, which operates under aUnited Nations mandate and is tasked with helpingimplement the Dayton Accords, the US-brokeredagreement that ended the war. Most of the 2,500 are inand around Sarajevo, mainly working out of CampButmir, a large base near Sarajevo Airport.

The Irish contingent is about 45 strong, most ofthem based in Butmir and working within the bureau-cracy that keeps the whole EUFOR show on the road.The Irish contribution to running Camp Butmir issecond only in size to the numbers provided bySpain.

But Defence Force personnel are also involved insome operational activities, notably contributing tothree teams that monitor arms dumps around Bosniathat were sealed shut under Dayton. There are between40 and 50 of these dumps and the teams check theinventories of what’s stored and, hopefully, one day willbe involved in fully decommissioning the weapons held.

Other Defence Force personnel include eightMilitary Police, soldiers involved in situational report-ing and NCOs working with the Bosnian government,overseeing responsibility for running the country beinghanded back to Bosnians.

Not far from Butmir, there are the offices of the EUPolice Mission, which includes four members of theGarda Síochána - a garda, two sergeants and aninspector. They do policing work similar to the militaryarms dumps monitors in that they visit Bosnian policestations, observe how their Bosnian police colleaguesare working and offer advice. The standards being laiddown are those reflective of western European normsin terms of respect for civil and human rights.

Our soldiers and gardai in Bosnia aren’tRambo types, nor are they Daniel Craig007 super heroes, solving all problemsSLAM! BAM! WALLOP! And then coolly picking up the best looking bird for dinner and more…

Well, maybe they do but not when I was looking.Actually, they’re much better than that. What they dois much more painstaking, much more thoughtful andmindful of local sensitivities. If it’s going to get fixedin the Balkans, it’s going to take time and patience andthere’s no place here for what might be termed as oldfashioned military stomping around, imposing byforce.

Unfortunately when I was there with my accompliceTony Sullivan, we didn’t have much time. So we lashedaround on two BMW 1200s - an Adventure and a GS.(Anyone who has seen the Charley Boorman/Ewan McGregor motorbike capers on TV will knowwhat that means… great fun. It may be cool driving aMowag but give me a BMW Adventure any day!)

Riding through eastern Bosnia and the Drina RiverValley, the scars of war are everywhere – burnt outfarms and homes, pockmarked villages. Where oncecommunities were ethnically mixed, now tell-talewrecked and burnt out houses dot the landscape, thehomes of whichever community lost locally and wasforced to flee.

And, of course, there’s Srebrenica.Across southern Serbia and into Kosovo where

both sides heavily man the frontier posts, as well as byUN police and NATO troops. In Kosovo, Ireland hasbeen playing a substantial role within KFOR, the

15,000-strong NATO-led, EU military mission which,like EUFOR, is UN-mandated.

KFOR has divided Kosovo into several military areas,one of the most important being the central sector,which includes the capital, Pristina. About 1,500 troopsfrom six countries make up KFOR centre. They includeFinns, Swedes (both neutral nations which, like Ireland,are happy to do peace enforcing under a NATO/EUumbrella), Czechs, Slovaks, Latvians and Irish.

Last summer, the Irish accounted for around 280 ofKFOR Centre and Brig Gen Gerry Hegarty was windingdown having served for a year as head of the entireKFOR Centre command. Since his departure, the Irishcontingent has been reduced by about 50 but the workgoes on.

Then as now, Defence Force personnel are involvedin what I would term low intensity patrolling of villages,

many of them Serb dominated but surrounded by eth-nic Albanian, and therefore Muslim, dominated com-munities. The patrols are all about reassuring peoplethat they and their families are safe, and that the inter-national community is there to guarantee their safety.

There’s a hill beside Slovinje, a village that is visit-ed almost daily by Irish soldiers patrolling in theirMowags and Nissan four-wheel drives. From the hillone has a panoramic view over the community below.The village is surrounded by farmlands and looksslightly oval shaped. Homes seem to stretch over tothe right, and also to the left. They don’t climb up thehill to the top and neither do they invade the fertilearable farmland beyond.

There’s nothing terribly remarkable about the hous-es – they are mostly two storey, red roof tile structures.And while the people of the village are not what onemight call dirt poor, there aren’t too many Lotto mil-lionaires in evidence.

Looking down, one notices after a while that there’s apatch in the centre left of the village where the remainsof what used to be homes may still be detected. Shrubs,nettles and grass have taken over what used to be gar-dens and the ground between the homes.

There are about 600 homes in this village and the

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ones that are no more number about 80. EthnicAlbanian people live in the 600; the 80 were the homesof ethnic Serbs.

Incredible as it may seem, in 1999 the minority Serbs– outnumbered by over seven to one – took it uponthemselves to attack their Albanian neighbours, kid-napping and killing around 35 men and women aged 16to 87. The Albanian villagers retaliated by burning outtheir former neighbours, who have never returned andprobably never will.

It is incidents like that that Lt John Boylan and themen of his platoon in C Company work daily to preventrepeating. They do so by patrolling softly-softly, beingfriendly with local people, building trust little by little,establishing friendships at times.

What our Defence Forces in Kosovo do - what I sawthem doing - is far, far removed from the adolescentcartoon-like caricature, the so-called EU imperial armydoing NATO and America’s ‘dirty work’ that some crit-ics back home would have people believe. If a policythat evolved in another era says that the NATO-led,UN-mandated EU military mission to keep and enforcethe peace in Kosovo is somehow wrong then, in myview, the policy needs changing.

What struck me most about the DefenceForce men I met in Bosnia and Kosovowas the care and sensitivity with whichordinary soldiers and NCOs, approachedtheir work.

After being on patrol in Kosovo with Lt Boylan andhis colleagues, we chatted casually back at Camp Clarkenear Lipljan, centre of Irish operations. What had hap-pened at Slovinje, and far worse at Srebrenica, was onmy mind. The international community was not to blamefor the former but at Srebrenica, the UN was present andthen withdrew in the face of Serb aggression, leaving thetown’s defenceless Muslims to their fate.

If he’d been there, I asked John Boylan, what wouldhe have done?

No soldier willingly disobeys orders but JohnBoylan said he had often thought about that and, hadhe been there, he would have wanted to do the rightthing, no matter how difficult that was.

He didn’t state it but we both knew what the ‘rightthing’ was: in Srebrenica it was walking away, as UNtroops there were forced to by virtue of an insufficient-ly robust mandate. The right thing was to stay, protectthe 8,000+ innocents, enforce the peace and, if neces-sary, fight the aggressors.

There’s a link between what happened inSrebrenica and what has been prevented from happen-ing in Kosovo. There’s a link between the little boy inDick Roche’s picture and the one of Azra Mujanovic onmy desk.

And there’s a link between what was allowed tounfold in Bosnia in the 1990s and what has been prevent-ed happening in Kosovo today. Bosnia happened, in largemeasure, because the international community, includingthe EU, was incapable of acting decisively to preventslaughter. That failure has not - and hopefully will not -be repeated in Kosovo because the EU, with UN coverand NATO co-ordinating skills, has stepped in.

The Defence Forces are playing a modest but notinsignificant role in trying to break the chain of tit-for-tat violence in places like Bosnia and Kosovo and it’san EU role that I for one feel we should applaud and,more is the point, we should continue doing.■

OVER

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The minister was confident however that theDepartment of Defence and Defence Forces wouldrise to the challenge and respond to the pendingbudgetary restrictions. Mr O’Dea outlined the signifi-cant investment in equipment and personnel over therecent years and it was his desire that this investmentwould continue as per the programme for government.He also noted that an agreed 5% rise in the overseasallowance may prove difficult to pay due to the eco-nomic situation, but is still being actively considered.

Next up was PDFORRA General Secretary GerryRooney. In his address Gerry spoke about theincreased number of complaints the Ombudsman forthe Defence Forces (ODF) received in 2007, up to 76complaints from the 26 in 2006. He noted with regretthat the Minster for Defence declined to implementcertain recommendations from the Ombudsman.In dealing with industrial relations, the Secretary

said the association had signed off on the claim forpension and gratuity arrangements for pre-April 2004,which has to be implemented.

Gerry acknowledged the work carried out on theseashore rotations system and this is working well,complemented by an increase in Patrol Duty

From October 7th to the 9th, PDFORRA held itsAnnual Delegate Conference (ADC) in theCastlecourt Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo. Now in its17th year, the ADC is an opportunity for the grass-

roots of the association to put forward motions fordiscussion and ballot on policy that improves theworking environment for its members.

Following registration, the delegates gather in thehotel’s conference room, where PDFORRA PresidentWillie Webb convened the ADC. Straight away thebusiness of conference got underway, with the adop-tion of standing orders and annual reports. VanessaFox (Galway District) was elected Association VicePresident, the first female to attain such a position.

Day two began with a closed session, as theFinancial Report and motions were voted on.

Following coffee, the Minister forDefence, Mr Willie O’Dea TD addressedthe conference. He noted that with thecurrent economic situation, it willrequire tough and decisive action.


PDF2008 ANNUAL

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about last year of the momentum of change towardsembracing our vision and achieving our mission, isstill maintained and has increased its momentum andtempo. This has been greatly facilitated by a highlevel of professionalism, resilience, loyalty and dedi-cation across all ranks in the Defence Forces. Hespoke broadly of his intentions as Chief of Staff inmaintaining the highest standards in relation toselection of potential recruits, and our military train-ing. Lt Gen Earley outlined the Defence Forces com-mitment in meeting the challenges both at home andoverseas, especially in relation to our involvementwith the Nordic Battlegroup, in Kosovo as the leadFramework Nation with KFOR and our lead role andtroop deployment with EUFOR in Chad.

Last, but by no means least wasAssociation President Willie Webb’s turnto address the conference. The Presidentstated the need for an increase inDefence Forces numbers, investment andequipment in order for us to continueour commitment at home and overseas.

He raised the issue about career development forother ranks and urged the purchase of aircraft to beused to support our troops overseas.

On pre-retirement courses, Willie suggest theDefence Forces conduct a study to identify areas oftraining when a soldier considers leaving could be up skilled and better prepared to enter civilianemployment.

Apart from the issues already highlighted, othersworthy of note included: • A request for the National Executive to consider

reviewing the ADC format and shortening the con-ference to a two-day event and bi-annually.

• PDFORRA was successful in bringing a claim underthe Payments of Wages Act 1991 via the EmploymentAppeals Tribunal - A first for the association.

• The association provided more training and fundingfor its members in relation to improving their repre-sentation and negotiation skills.

• PDFORRA forced the installation of Roll OverProtection Systems for TCVs.

• Improved the partnership process at DFHQ andFormation level involving PDFORRA, RACO andthe Military Authorities.

• At the DFHQ Forum, success in making amend-ments to notification of duty and to the selectioncriteria for overseas and career courses.

• Agreement on the introduction of a patient’s charter.• Increases in motor travel rates, subsistence and UK

course allowances.

When not in conference, the delegates and districtcommittees took the chance to catch up with oldfriends and in lot of cases do some ‘real’ associationwork over a pint and a bite to eat.■

PD

FO

RR

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DFORRANUAL DELEGATE CONFERENCE

Cpl Paul O’Neill reports on thisyear’s conference and some ofthe issues raised…

Allowance in due course. He also noted the associa-tion’s success through the conciliation council insecuring 20 claims in favour of the membership. Onefailing he highlighted was the lack of movement onthe Medical Service review.

In PDFORRA joining the Irish CongressTrade Union, Gerry suggested a changeof legislation to allow the association tobecome a member. Recently PDFORRAjoined the European Federation ofPublic Service Employees.

Reference the National Pay Agreement, Gerry saidthe National Executive has recommended to its mem-bership to accept the 6% pay rise agreed, though hesaid PDFORRA would raise a number of issuesabout pay and conditions as part of the ongoing mod-ernisation process, linked to the pay agreement. Insumming up, the Secretary said he was aware of theglooming economic forecast and urged theGovernment not to close more barracks as part of anyfinancial contraction.

Following lunch, Lt Gen Dermot Earley in this hissecond conference as Chief of Staff was up first. LtGen Earley was delighted to say the theme he spoke

In his address GeneralSecretary Gerry Rooneyspoke about theincreased number ofcomplaints theOmbudsman for theDefence Forces (ODF)received in 2007, up to76 complaints fromthe 26 in 2006. Henoted with regret thatthe Minster forDefence declined toimplement certainrecommendations fromthe Ombudsman.

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HER

ITAGE

On Exhibit

If any one weapon can be readily associated withWorld War I and the War of Independence, then thatweapon is the Lee-Enfield rifle. The rifle is so wellknown that it has many unofficial names, the most

common being the ‘303’. It saw service with theBritish Army from 1895 to 1957 and as the L42 sniperversion until the 1990s, and is still in service with thepolice in India and other commonwealth countries. Itwas the standard issue rifle in the Irish DefenceForces from 1922 to 1962 and with An FCÁ until the1990s. It is estimated that over 17 million were pro-duced and is the longest serving military bolt-actionrifle ever produced.

The design of the Lee-Enfield derived from theLee-Metford rifle. (A number of these rifles can beseen in the National Museum, particularly at theinteractive display). The Lee-Metford was a blackpowder rifle which used James Paris Lee’s rear lock-ing bolt system with a barrel using William EllisMetford’s rifling design.

With the introduction of smokeless powder it wasfound that the Metford designed rifling was unsuit-able for the higher powered cartridge. A new riflingsystem, developed at the Royal Small Arms Factoryin Enfield, was adopted. The new rifle used Lee’s boltaction with the Enfield rifling, hence the name Lee-Enfield. Lee was also the inventor of the detachablebox magazine now used in almost every military rifle.

The Lee action cocked the striker on the closingstroke of the bolt, making the initial opening muchfaster, the bolt’s distance of travel was identical withthe length of the cartridge, and its rotation was only60 degrees (compared to the conventional 90-degreerotation of Mauser-style actions). The fast-operatingLee bolt-action and large magazine capacity enableda trained rifleman to fire between 20 to 30 aimedrounds a minute, making the Lee-Enfield the fastest

military bolt-action rifle of the day. The current worldrecord for aimed bolt-action fire was set in 1914 by amusketry instructor in the British Army - SergeantInstructor Snoxall – who placed 38 rounds into a 12”target at 300 yards (270m) in one minute.

Originally the rifle was known as Rifle, Magazine,Lee-Enfield. (MLE). Following redesign in 1904 it wascalled Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield (SMLE),though more generally known in the Irish DefenceForces as ‘the three-oh-three’, referring to the calibreof the ammunition.

The infant National Army of Ireland adopted theSMLE as their service rifle on the foundation of thestate in 1922. Captured examples had already seenwidespread service with the Irish Republican Armyduring the War of Independence. The weapon wasused by both sides during the Civil War period, andexamples were still being used by the IRA during the1950s, 60s and 70s.

The Lee-Enfield underwent many redesigns duringit’s fifty four years in production (1895 to 1949) culmi-nating in the No4 Mk2. All these modifications wereusually to improve production efficiency and reducethe cost of production.

The No4 Mk2 saw extensive use with the DefenceForces in the post war period. It was replaced in regu-lar service in the early 1960s by the 7.72mm FN FAL,when the need for a more modern rifle was realisedduring the Congo Crisis. Examples continued in useby the Army Reserve (An FCÁ) and despite its short-comings as a military weapon by that time, it was verypopular amongst those who used it.■

This month in ourseries written onbehalf of TheMilitary Heritage ofIreland Trust Ltd onaspects of the mili-tary exhibition atthe NationalMuseum, CollinsBks, Dublin,ComdtKieran Milner(Retd) explains theattributes of theRifle Short,Magazine, Lee-Enfield (SMLE)

Irish troops carrying Lee Enfield rifles boarding a US transportplane in 1960, bound for overseas service with the UN in theCongo.

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HER

ITAGE

This article deals with the badges of the 16 Infantry BattalionForsa Cosanta Aituil (FCÁ).

Back in 1959 following the integration of the then reserveunits into the FCÁ, the 16 Infantry Battalion had five newcompanies, which came from the following battalions:

A Company troops came from the disbanded Athlone Battalion.

B Company troops came from the disbandedBallinasloe Battalion.

C Company troops came from the disbanded Tullamore Battalion.

D Company troops came from the disbanded Loughrea Battalion.

E Company troops came from the disbanded Athenry Battalion.

In 1979 following another FCÁ restructuring E Company, 17Infantry Battalion, based in Roscommon became part of DCompany, 16 Infantry Battalion.

At the same time, 16 Infantry Battalion lost two companies,with troops from its D Company, based in Loughrea, CoGalway becoming part of D Company, 25 Infantry Battalionand troops from E Company 16 Infantry Battalion, based inAthenry, Co Galway moved to become part of C Company 25

Infantry Battalion.

No unit badges were worn until 1967, when the individual com-pany badges were introduced. They followed a standarddesign, with the centrepiece detailing an aspect of local histo-ry in the relevant Companies Area of Operation.

A Company’s badge had Athlone’s Town Coat of Arms.

B Company’s badge depicted a scene from the Battle of Aughrim.

C Company’s badge depicted aspects from the Book of Durrow.

D Company’s badge had Saint Brendanthe Navigator.

E Company’s badge had an image of King John’sCastle.

Following an Adjutants General’s instruction in 1977, a singlestandard badge was introduced for all battalions with a basicdesign similar to the vehicle decal. This badge was worn until

October 2005 when the battalion along with the 17 and 19Infantry Battalions FCÁ in 2005, were re-designated the 56

Reserve Infantry Battalion as part of the new Army Reserve.■

For more on DF badges, log onto:www.irishmilitaryinsignia.com.

MILITARY INSIGNIABy Flt Sgt James G Perkins

16 Inf Bn FCÁ

A Coy 16 Inf Bn FCÁ 1967-77 B Coy 16 Inf Bn FCÁ 1967-77 C Coy 16 Inf Bn FCÁ 1967-77

A Coy 16 Inf Bn FCÁ 1967-77 B Coy 16 Inf Bn FCÁ 1967-77 C Coy 16 Inf Bn FCÁ 1967-77

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22000088 LLoouurrddeess MMiilliittaarryy PPiillggrriimmaaggee

Dear Editor

Having read your article ‘On the Pilgrimage Trail…’ in the October issue ofAn Cosantóir, may I complement you for highlighting so many aspects of theDefence Forces Military Pilgrimage and the excellent coverage it has beenafforded. Without doubt you captured the spirit the Pilgrimage and the inclu-sion of so many quotes from the pilgrims provides interesting and poignantreading.

It was a privilege for all of us to be part of such an historic Pilgrimage butthe coverage generated and interest shown by the Defence Forces PressOffice contributed to its success.

I again express my deep gratitude to you for an excellent article and theoutstanding photographs by Armn Billy Galligan and Cpl Earl Fitzgerald.

May you continue through your work in An Cosantóir to inform and reportand bring to the military community and beyond, items of interest fromhome and overseas.

Thank you again for your much valued support and looking forward to meet-ing you in Lourdes in 2009.

With every good wish and blessing.

Yours sincerely

Rt Rev Mgr Eoin ThynneHead Chaplain to the Forces

LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

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00-An Cos-dec-08 (p24-32) 12/12/2008 12:44

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