THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE A Happy Christmas and a ...

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T H E D E F E N C E F O R C E S M A G A Z I N E( E S T A B L I S H E D 1 9 4 0 )

DEC-JAN 2010 d f m a g a z i n e . i e €3.00 (Stg £2.70)

We wish all our

subscribersand readers

A HappyChristmas

and a Peaceful

New Year

Road Safety MessageRemember this festiveseason to reduce yourspeed, wear your seatbelts and…

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.

Pride page 9

Cadets page 16

Fire Rescue page 22

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AN COSANTÓIR Dec-Jan 2010 3

MANAGER:Capt Pádraic Kennedy

EDITOR:Sgt David Nagle

Journalist:Wesley BourkeTerry McLaughlin

CONNECT:Cpl Paul O’Neill

PHOTOGRAPHER:Armn Billy Galligan

SUBSCRIPTIONS:Cpl Paul O’Neill

ADVERTISING:EU PublishingMichael WhelanBrian ClarkeTel: 01 7071931Email: [email protected]

[email protected]

Printed by Turner Print Group,Longford.

The fact that an article appearsin this magazine does not indi-cate official approval of theviews expressed by the author.

© Published by OiC Public Relations Sectionfor the Defence Forces atDFHQ, Infirmary Road,Dublin 7, Ireland. Tel: 01 8042691Fax: 01 6779018E-mail: [email protected]

Front cover:Soldiers in action during Op Loch Gartan. Photo by: Armn Greg Dorney.

An CosantóirV O L U M E 6 9

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ReviewsOn Hurting Groundand Through TheDark Clouds Shining.

Reviews bySgt David Nagle

27Battlefield Eyes and EarsRecce training in theDefence Forces.

Report byCapt Dave McCarthy & Wesley Bourke

MilitaryInsigniaNo 3 Operations WingAir Corps badges.

Report byFlt Sgt James G Perkins

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The Pride of theCurraghProfile of the CurraghPride Family ResourceCentre.

Report bySgt David Nagle

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The JourneyBeginsCadets commencestheir training in theMilitary College.

Report byWesley Bourke

Op Loch GartanPDF and RDF troopsjoin forces in combatexercise.


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On ExhibitMilitary dress uniforms on exhibit.

Report byGlenn Thompson

33What LiesBeneathProfile of the ArmyDiving Group.


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LettersReaders opinionsexpressed.

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The Battle ofGoose GreenPart 2 – Profile of aninfantry battalion inwar.

Report bySteve Byrne

EmergencyResponseDevelopmentsProfile of the Air CorpsFire Rescue Service.Report byLt Col Kevin Byrne& Capt Thomas Craven

Winning theWar on theHurling FieldKilkenny HurlingManager Brian Codyspeaks on leadership.Report byLt Col K Brennan

An Cosantóir OnlineTo access past issues of An Cosantóir, log onto:

dfmagazine.ie.This month’s username is:decemberand the password is: december (lower case).

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news update… news update… news update…

4 AN COSANTÓIR Dec-Jan 2010

Benefit in Kind In November, the Association forRetired Commissioned Officers(ARCO) made their now annualcheque presentation to theDefence Forces Benevolent Fund.Pictured here in the Officers Mess,McKee Bks are (l-r): Col ColmCampbell (D SPO), Brig Gen LiamMcNamee (Retd), Maj Gen DaveAshe (D Cos Sp), Col BrianO’Connor (Retd - Pres ARCO), MajGen Sean McCann, (D Cos Ops)and Col ME Lucey (Retd). Photoby: Armn Billy Galligan.

Shop Talk On November 13th-15th, Army and Naval Service Reserve senior officers attended a seminar held in the DFTC.Pictured during a break in proceedings are (l-r): Lt Cols Bob Nugent, Mick Rock, Peter Gibbons, Colm Harte, GerO’Halloran (Retd), Comdt Brendan Crowley, Lt Cols Tony Daly (D Res Fces) and Matt Murray. Photo courtesy of: LtCol Bob Nugent (OC RDFTA).

GeorgiaCallingA delegation from the GeorgianNational Guard in November visitedthe Defence Forces to discuss ourReserve Defence Forces structure.They included (l-r): Maj TeimurazBuskhrikidze (Georgian DefenceAttaché to Ireland), Mr ZurabArsoshvili and Col Telman Meskhidze(Georgian Armed Forces) and theyare pictured here with Maj Gen SeanMcCann (D COS Ops) and Lt ColAnthony Daly (D Res Fces) during acourtesy call to DFHQ. Photo by:Capt Gerard Fitzpatrick (DALO).

Running onReserveIn November, the 58 Res Inf Bn,based in Finner Camp, Co Donegalran an inter-company cross-coun-try event and pictured here are thewinning A Company team. They are(l-r) standing: Sgt B Taylor (CadreStaff), Lt S McLaughlin, Comdt EMcCosker (OC A Coy), Sgt JQuinn, Lt P McDevitt and CQMS BBarber (Cadre Staff). Kneeling (l-r):Cpl J Buchanan, Ptes J Dohertyand T O’Donnell. Sgt Quinn is alsothis year’s Over 50 DF cross-coun-try champion. Photo by: Lt JohnMcCandless (58 Res Inf Bn).

On ParadeThe Most Reverend Jim Moriarty Bishop ofKildare and Leighlin is seen here inspecting a cadet honour guard, under the command of Lt Enda Walsh on the occasion of the 50th anniversary rededication of St Brigid’s Church, Curragh Camp in November. Photo by: Sgt JJ Ryan (HQ DFTC).

Hello GrandadWhen Sgt Maj Noel O’Callaghan returnedhome from overseas in Chad in October, hegot an early Christmas present, when hemet his grandchild Alisha for the first time.Also pictured in Dublin Airport are (l-r):Breda O’Callaghan (a proud grandmother)and Rebecca ( a proud mother) Photo by:Topic Newspapers Ltd.

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ate… news update… news update… news update…


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Good Cause Both the Defence ForcesBenevolent Fund and Our Lady’sHospital for Sick Children,Crumlin received a donationrecently from the men andwomen of the 99 Inf Bn, whoraised the money while on over-seas service in Chad. Pictured atthe presentation in McKee Bks are(l-r): Sgt Charlie Stone, MonsEoin Thynne (HCF), Mr GerryCully (Our Lady’s Hospital) andCpl Chippy Byrne. Photo by: ArmnBilly Galligan.

SmilePlease Pictured here are members of theexecutive and working committeesof the ANSAC Credit Union duringtheir AGM held in the Green IsleHotel, Dublin in November. For allqueries on loans, shares and mem-bership, checkout: ansaccu.ie.Photo by: Cpl Paul O’Neill.

HappySnapper Congratulations to CdtGallagher, winner ofthis year’s Air Corpsphotographic competi-tion. Flt Sgt Willie Barris seen here presentingthe winner with a Fujicamera for his photo ofa monkey. Photo by: Armn PaulDaly (AC Photo Sec).

FarewellIn November, Col Con McNarama retired from the DefenceForces and he is seen here with family at a ceremony to markthe occasion. They are his daughters (l-r): Ruth, Elaine, Meg(wife) and Susan. Photo by: Sgt JJ Ryan (HQ DFTC).

Sharpshooter Earlier this year, Lt R Arnott (12 Inf Bn) received his SniperMarksman Badge for passing all seven-sniper tests with distinctionon completing a 1 S Bde Basic Sniper Course. This is the highestaward a marksman can achieve and it is seldom attained. Picturedoutside the IWW, DFTC are (l-r): Lt K Woulfe (OiC Cse), Lt R Arnott,Comdt J O’Shea (OC IWW) and Lt M Hosback (Instr IWW). Photocourtesy of: Comdt J O’Shea.

High Flyers Congratulations to Lt Cols Kevin Byrne, HarveyO’Keeffe and Gerald O’Sullivan (all Air Corps) whoreceived their Masters in Strategic Management fromNUI Maynooth at a ceremony in the UNTSI, DFTC inNovember. Photo courtesy of: Lt Col Kevin Byrne.

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news update… news update… news update…

Many Hands MakeGreat WorkPhotographs by Armn Greg Dorney and Sgt Barry McCarthy

Over the last month as Ireland was battered with rainand winds causing some of the worst flooding everrecorded nationwide, hundreds of DF men and womenanswered the call for assistance. It was a tri-service(Army, Naval Service and Air Corps) approach as themilitary, armed with shovels and sandbags mobilisedinto the cities, towns and rural areas to help Irish citi-zens trapped by the raising waters. Operating in hi-axletrucks and flat-bottomed boats, soldiers rescued thou-sands and their belongings, while at the same timeassisted the local authorities and emergency services instemming further damage to life, property and livestock.

Apart from sand bagging duties, the Defence Forcesprovided fresh water to local communities affected bythe floods and ferried essential emergency personneland supplies when called upon. Well done to all.

Above (right): Soldiers assist a local Sallins (Co Kildare) woman back to her home.

Above (left): A soldier gives a woman a lift through some of the high waters in herSallins housing estate.

Above: Soldiers prepare sandbags for use in the affected areas.Note the soldier (left) using his head with an inverted trafficcone to allow the sand to fill the bag more easily. This is just one of the example of how soldiersimprovised to get the job done.

Right: A Scania truck and its crew assist local residents in Sallins.

An Taosieach, Mr Brian Cowen TD meets soldiers in Collins Bks, Corkinvolved in the flood relief.

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ate… news update… news update… news update…

Bouncing BallOn November 26th, the DF took on An GardaSíochána finest men and women basketballteams in a one-day series in McKee Bks gym.Both sides played their hearts out with somefine examples of basketball displayed by all.In the men’s game, the DF beat the Gardaí (52 - 51). While in the women’s game, the DFlost to the Gardai. Our DF women’s team isseen here (above) with Pte Joe O’Meara.

Above: DF Gaelic footballers whotook part in the series.

Below: Gnr O’Sullivan (top) –‘Man of the Match’ against BOI;and (bottom) Lt Shane Brennan – ‘Man of the Match’ against AIB.

Action during the DF v AIBhurling match in theCurragh Camp.

Armn Dorney’s photo (below) certainly captures some of the action in the ring and the courage displayed by all competitors showed in donning boxing gloves and headgear to do battle.

SPORTS UPDATEPhotographs by Capt Padraic Kennedy andArmn Greg Dorney

November was a busy month for DF sportsmenand women who took part in Gaelic football,hurling, basketball and boxing tournaments.

DF-v-The BanksIn some closely fought Gaelic football and hurl-ing games, the DF did battle with teams fromthe AIB and BOI banks in their annual represen-tative series. Matches were played in a numberof venues with all sides fielding their best play-ers – some are well-known county and clubGAA players. The results over the series were: Football Hurling DF (2-10)-v-BOI (1-10) DF (1-14)-v-BOI (1-14)DF (2-15)-v-AIB (3-14) DF (0-14)-v-AIB (1-17)

The gloves are onAgain in the McKee Bks gym on November20th, the 5 Inf Bn hosted a boxing tournament.In all, over nine three-round bouts in variousweights took place.

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Situated in a former married quarters looking outonto the Ranges is the Curragh PRIDE FamilyResource Centre, which was established in 2006.It is the only centre of its type in the Defence

Forces, providing a variety of services to the resi-dents of the Curragh Camp, and the townlands ofBrownstown, Maddenstown and Ballysax. The cen-tre’s name, PRIDE, was the brainchild of localwoman Maeve Power and is an acronym for PositiveResponse, Inter-community, Development andExcellence.

On the morning I visited, December 1st, the staffwhere getting ready for the women’s group, whowhere about to arrive for the final part of their six-week healthy-eating programme.

Located on Griffith Road, ‘the Pride’ shares a carpark with Post 11, IUNVA, their valued neighbours.

In their small, homely kitchen, a large hob blastedout heat as the staff busily prepared for the arrival ofthe women’s group.

I was given a quick tour of the centre, which com-prises a semi-detached house with a stables/out-house converted into a lecture/recreational/play-room, and impressive gardens that include a veg-etable allotment.

Another very successful community group, theCurragh Youth Project, established in 2001, formerly


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THEOF THE CURRAGH

occupied the building. This group, run by Mick O’Brien,which now caters for over 70 local youths, aged from 11to young adults, moved up to the old McDonagh NCOsMess when the Pride was established.

The Pride’s chairman, Sgt Frank Connolly (Med Sch,CSSC), gave an outline of the centre’s genesis, its cur-rent structure and the range of groups that use it.

The Pride opened in 2006 after a lot of hard workby local residents, supported by the Defence Forces,the DoD, and other local and state agencies.Initially, funding through the Department of Familyand Social Affairs was secured to employ a full-timeco-ordinator and part-time administrator. They alsoprovided funds to help refurbish the centre. Sincethen centre has added another four part-time staff.12 volunteers and a dedicated committee also sup-port the Pride.

For Frank, who grew up, raised his family, and stilllives and works, in the Curragh, volunteering is partof who he is, and he is know in some circles as ‘MrCurragh’ for his years of community work with youngpeople and other Curragh groups. This year Frankreceived awards from the Defence Forces and KildareCounty Council in recognition of his contribution tothe community.

Today, the Pride is firmly stitched into the fabric ofthe community, providing services ‘from the cradle to

As families and com-munities around thecountry struggle tosurvive the currenteconomic downturn,the staff and volun-teers of the CurraghPRIDE FamilyResource Centre areproviding a varietyof services that areincreasingly indemand by the residents of theCurragh Camp. Sgt David Naglereports…

Minister Mary Hanifin with staff and volunteers of the Curragh Pride. Also pictured areMaj Gen Seán McCann (D COS Ops) and Comdt Gerry Harney (PSS DFTC).

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the grave’. It has now commenced its second three-year plan to provide support for over 150 families(approximately 500 people) living in the CurraghCamp and the surrounding area.

A variety of groups use the centre on a dailybasis, including the women’s group; a men’s group;Parent & Toddler; After-school Homework; ArtBuddies; Literacy Skills; Spouses of SoldiersServing Overseas (SOS), and a group that providecomputer classes.

In addition to its weekly programme, the Pride rana very successful summer project this year and

Minister Mary Hanifin TD(Department of Family andSocial Affairs) opened theirnew lecture room in May. ThePride has also organisednumerous trips, with the gener-ous help of their IUNVA neigh-bours, who let them use theirbus and volunteer driver.

The centre’s SOS groupprovides an important serviceto the families of soldiers serv-ing overseas. Marion Kelly, whoused the centre while her hus-band Pte Patrick Kelly wasserving in Kosovo last year,dropping in with her son, Alex,for a cup of coffee and a chatwith the staff and other spous-es, still visits the centre regu-larly. She recalled one particu-lar occasion when she was sickat home while Patrick wasoverseas. With all her immedi-ate family out at work, she wasable to pick up the phone andget help from the Pride staff.

The centre’s co-ordinator,Miriam O’Brien said that theycontact the families of any sol-dier heading overseas from theCurragh Camp to let themknow of the services available.

She sees the centre’s services augmenting thosealready available to these families through the familyliaison officer appointed by the Defence Forces andthe PSS. She says the Pride provides a family-friend-ly environment for these spouses and their childrenand gives them somewhere to go when they want toget out of the house for a few hours. For some fami-lies, calling into the centre became the highlight oftheir week, meeting others whose partners wereoverseas and being able to let the kids play togetherin a safe environment.

Another success story for the Pride is their men’sgroup, who, with the help Seán Dempsey, a localfarmer who works in the centre on a part-time basis,established a vegetable allotment.

Seán proudly showed me the allot-ment’s current crop and spoke

about their plans to nearly doublethe allotment size in the 2010.

He said the plot is prov-ing a focal point for

the men, who tendthe vegetables everychance they get.Seán also told mehow their produce isbeing put to gooduse. Most recentlyduring the CurraghLadies’ healthy-eat-

ing programme, andlast September when

the Pride hosted asoup-and-bread morn-ing for the local StBrigid’s Hospice, wherethe soup was madefrom the vegetablesgrown by the men’sgroup and the ladies’group made thebread.

Another neigh-bour, retired army

chef, KevinWoods gives

the men’sgroup

fork-to-


Mary Stynes‘I’m from Ceannt Terrace and I’ve been living inthe Curragh Camp for the past 50 years. My fatherand my husband Michael Stynes served as sol-diers and our son Michael Stynes is serving in theCurragh with the 3 Infantry Battalion. I’ve been inthe women’s group for a over a year after hearingabout the Pride from a friend. I’ve never missed aday since. We’ve done loads of course and out-ings. I’ve done a computer course, which I wouldof never of dreamed of doing before.

Years ago we hadn’t got a SOS scheme andwhen my husband first served overseas I wasexpecting our first child. I was lucky to have mymother and family living close by. The army thenwould get the families together to record aChristmas radio message and your photographwould appear in the local Curragh magazines. Iremember great Christmas partiesin the Curragh withSanta arriving oneither a horse or atank. ThisChristmas I’ll beputting my feet upand haveChristmas Day’sdinner in mysons home.’

Curragh LifeHere, three Curragh ladiesspeak about living in thecamp, past Christmasesand what they will do thisfestive season…

Local farmer and Prideemployee Seán Dempseytends his crop.

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plate master classes using thevegetables grown in their garden.

Apart from their on-site work,the Pride’s staff and committeeare conscious that they mustkeep plugging away at informingthe local population about thecentre and all it has to offer. Inthis regard they have conductedseveral surveys in the camp andthey also produce a quarterlynewsletter.

Equally important is theircommitment to co-ordinatingwith the numerous other inter-ested parties in the Curraghincluding the GOC and EODFTC; the PSS and theChaplaincy service; the CurraghPrimary and Secondary schools;the Swimming Pool; the pitch &putt, golf and boxing clubs; theHistorical Society; Youth Café;ONET and IUNVA; the localmedical centre; the HSE; KildareYouth Services; and Kildare VEC.

According to the staff, if anygroup is to get a ‘mention in dis-


patches’ it is the DFTC HQ staff, who they say have‘bent over backwards’ in acceding to nearly everyrequest made of them. In particular, they say that ColJohn Courtney (EO DFTC) and, soon to retire,Comdt Gerry Harney (PSS DFTC) have been instru-mental in the centre’s success.

The centre will be open for business right up toChristmas, hosting a number of festive events, andnext year is looking promising, with the Pride staffplanning a number of schemes, both in the centreand with other local groups.

Mary Leuders, the centre’s CommunityDevelopment worker said that among their plans aregetting the men’s group some horticultural accredi-tation for their gardening and turning one of the cen-tre’s rooms into a dedicated computer room.

Also, the Pride, in conjunction with the YouthCafé, is organising an inter-generational programme,which will see 30 participants (15 adults and 15youths) looking at issues in the Curragh that concernboth groups, and expressing their opinions and find-ings through drama.

Miriam and Mary said that a constant challengefacing the centre is educating the local communityabout the services they provide. However, they pulledno punches in stating that, like every family resourcecentre, the biggest challenge they face over the com-ing years will be getting funding from central govern-ment. While the Pride has carried out a lot of fund-raising in the past, in the economic downturn moneyis tight everywhere and constantly having to meetfund-raising targets can put unnecessary pressureon the staff, volunteers and clients. In this regard,obtaining funding from government is vital.Having said all that, since its establishment thePride’s staff and volunteers have established aproven track record for getting things done and I amin no doubt that, given their resolve, coupled withtheir healthy relationship with the Defence Forcesand the other community groups in the Curragh, theywill keep the spirit of the Curragh Pride alive into thefuture.■

If you are interested in getting involved with theCurragh Pride, either as a participant or as a volunteer,contact 045-456883.

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ITYTeresa McMahon

‘My husband Michael McMahon served in theCurragh and we have a daughter now serving,based in Athlone. I heard about the Pride throughword of mouth and it’s great meeting the otherwomen each week and having a laugh, especiallyas our neighbours don’t meet as often now. Wehave just completed a healthy eating programme,which was great. Years ago, when my husbandserved overseas, I had a sister and my in-laws liv-ing close by, so they we’re great help. Christmaswas a special occasion in the Curragh and by thetime my children were going to the parties, Santawas now arriving in a helicopter. Also, you had a

lot of dinner dancestaking place and I

remember theChristmas pud-dings been pipedin. ThisChristmas I’llhave most of thefamily around to

the house, eitheron Christmas

Day orStephen’sDay.’

Sheila Doherty‘I was born in the Curragh hospital and I’ve been living here in the Curragh Camp for 34 years inPearse and my father and brother served in the army.I first heard about the Pride through MIriam (ProjectCo-ordinator) and I’ve been coming ever since. It islovely here and everyone has a great time. I’ve madesome good friends. I have nothing but fond memoriesof Christmas time in the camp.’

Top: Friends meet in the Curragh Camp Youth Café.Bottom: Marion and Alex Kelly pictured with Miriam O’Brien

(right) Pride Coordinator.

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With the need to increase the number of recce-qualified soldiers in mind, Lt Mick Hosback, arecce and sniper instructor based in the InfantryWeapons Wing (IWW) in the Military College,

was tasked with running an eight-week recce com-manders course from October 4th to November 27th,the first such course run by the school since 2005.

On the first day of the course, 20 aspiring reccecommanders reported at 1500hrs for a kit inspectionand room allocation. After these administrativedetails were sorted the students were free to get set-tled in, check out their surroundings and prepare forthe next day.

On the second day the course proper started afterbreakfast with a 13k loaded march (carrying 55lbs, hel-met, weapon and water). Failure to complete themarch would mean a ‘return to unit’.


Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, andReconnaissance (ISTAR) is a rapidly evolving areawithin the Defence Forces and in 2011 we are dueto contribute an ISTAR Group to the Nordic BattleGroup (NBG). Currently, a D COS (Ops) workinggroup is compiling doctrine for use by the ISTARGroup for both NBG 2011 and the proposed(German-led) BG 2012. The need for reconnais-sance-qualified soldiers has never been more pertinent. Capt Dave McCarthy reports…

BATTLEFIELDEYES & EARS

Sgt James Pryce(6 Inf Bn)‘I have beenlooking toget on arecce com-manderscourse forsome timenow.

I wanted toadvance myskills. ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance,Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) is askill that is essential to anyoperation the army conducts.To get eyes on target withoutthem seeing you is some-thing that you can learn andperfect. The course was verytough - both mentally andphysically. You are carryingsavage weight on your back.A recce team has to takeeverything with them to sus-tain themselves for long peri-ods of time forward of themain line. You really have topush yourself to theextremes.’

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relatively comfortable Curragh pool, all too soon thewarm water of the pool was replaced by the icywaters of Blessington Lake. All students passed thejumping-off-the-bridge confidence test, with someadapting unorthodox body positions before enteringthe water!

The lasting memory of that week, however, wasour first navigation test, comprising four night-navigation exercises; everyone had to pass three,with a provision for one retest.

Week three began with classroom instruction,covering everything from intervisibility to reductionof the thermal signature and panoramic sketching.These were punctuated by a stalk, two night-navigation tests and a trip to the Respirator TestFacility to brush up on emergency drills. The mostinteresting part of the week, though, was a covertinsertion and sabotage raid into Gormanston Camp.

Week four, the battle block, comprised a period of

tactical instruction in Stranahealy Woods, in the Glenof Imaal. This began on the Sunday afternoon withbattle prep and orders in the IWW before we set offfor our drop-off point (DOP), carrying in excess of100lbs of kit each. From our DOP we faced a 10-hourmarch over some 20 peat hags, before eventuallyreaching our patrol harbour.

The week focused on OP construction and rou-tine, compromise drills and close target reconnais-sance (CTR) procedures. Another night-navigationtest broke up the week and we capped it off with twodays of live-firing tactical training (LFTT) to practicecontact drills.

At the halfway mark, the number of studentsremaining had reduced to 13, with those gone mainlydue to injuries or not passing the required navigationtests.

Week five included our main defensive exercise, a72-hr OP exercise. Following a full day of battle prepand orders, the course moved out to the exercisearea. In keeping with the freedom of action and toneof the course, the only information given was theareas to be observed for the duration of the exercise.

All other decisions were left to the platoon anddesignated detachment commanders.

Vehicle hides were selected and occupied, andpatrols moved on foot for the last part of the OPinsertion across Sugarloaf Mountain. At pre-selectedRVs the patrol split and the detachments moveddown through the forest to their OP sites.

Detachment commanders selected sites for theirOP, which were constructed with a thermal image(TI) wall, overhead cover, and camouflage. At firstlight all OPs had to be set and local statistics (loc-stats) transmitted back to HQ. After 72 hours of OProutine and admin, the order came to withdraw to ourPUP. Following a brief, the course quickly decon-structed their OPs, before starting the patrol back tothe vehicles.

Back in HQ the information gathered by eachdetachment was put together and the bigger pictureof all enemy activity became apparent, adding morepurpose to the exercise.

Week six saw the course introduced to vehicleoperations (VehOps), a vital requirement for anyrecce platoon - providing mobility, logistics and com-munication capabilities in all phases of war. VehOpsrequires a recce platoon to move in a co-ordinatedmanner and, as such, movement in vehicles verymuch mirrors movement of the platoon on foot. Itallowed us to apply our tactics for movement, obsta-cle crossing, contact drills and hide construction,seamlessly to our vehicle patrols.

A highlight of this week was vehicle contact drills,which require a high degree of co-ordination andawareness between all detachments in the patrol.Drivers were required to advance, reverse and turn athigh speed, considering the firing positions of thedetachment, while the firers had to acquire a stablebase from which to engage the enemy.

Week seven incorporated Operation ‘FinalSurprise’, the offensive ground phase, in Kilworth.

The final week saw the students fine tune theirMOI skills and complete the general and map readingtests, to confirm they had acquired the necessarystandard.

With the Recce Coy in Chad well established andthe ISTAR Group on the brink of activation, neverhas it been more important to increase the numbersof recce commanders and the 13 successful studentsare looking forward to the opportunity to play a posi-tive role in improving and increasing the number ofrecce soldiers within their units.

Lt Paul Austin (1 Cav Sqn)‘The Cavalryare taskedwith medi-um recce -both mount-ed and dis-mounted. Inthe CavalryCorps werun basicrecce cours-es and nextyear will webe running our own reccecommanders course. For theduration of the course we areall pretty much treated as thesame rank. This is becauseto pass the course you needto be able to fill everyappointment. As a detach-ment commander, you aregoing to be the one leadingthe patrol into their OP(Observation Post). You willbe compiling the informationthat the team is gatheringand passing that on to yourplatoon commander andthen up to battalion. So youare guiding the lads, givingthem the information thatthey are specifically to lookout for. We are mainly onfoot. We do use FFRs andnext year will be using theInfantry Light TacticalVehicles.’

At the end of the march, students faced a seriesof tests, including map reading, judging distance,resection, intervisibility, signals, and general militaryknowledge. (Intervisibility is a map reading exercisecarried out to determine if there is a clear line ofsight between topographical features on a map; avital skill, especially in the planning and siting ofOPs.)

During the first week the focus was on fitnessand included a second battle assessment over twomiles carrying 35lbs to be completed in 18 minutes.

The week also included a two-day navigationexercise and a variety of lectures, with particularemphasis on contact drill. The phrase ‘belly, belly,head’ became synonymous with the first week.

Week two began with an introduction to rivercrossing. While the initial skills were practiced in the

All the business of war,and indeed the businessof life, is to endeavour tofind out what you don’tknow by what you do;that’s what I called‘guessing what was onthe other side of the hill’.

The Duke of Wellington

Cpl Daniel Quinn(2 Inf Bn)‘I did mybasic reccecourse in 2005and a directfire instruc-tors courselast year. Thisincluded thejavelin and .5HMG andhow toemploy themin a fire baserole. So the recce command-ers course for me was the nextstep. In an infantry battalion,‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies are themanoeuvre elements, whileSupport Company providesanti-armour, fire support andclose recce. When you have allthese courses done, you canreally combine and utilise allthose skills.

There is no doubt a courselike this is tough. But you knowin advance the syllabus, so youcan get the training done. Hitthe hills with packs on yourback and clock up the miles.When you get a course likethis, there is a lot of unit pride.You want to do your best andreturn to your unit having suc-cessfully passed the course.’

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p10-17) 11/12/2009 18:24


00-An Cos-dec-09 (p10-17) 09/12/2009 19:37


Operation ‘Final Surprise’By Lt Eamon Cahill (4 Inf Bn)

The culmination of our training was tested by a men-tally and physically challenging offensive groundexercise in Kilworth during very inclement weather.The course established covert vehicle hides and apatrol harbour over night in order to begin setting theconditions for a possible mechanised companyattack.

A co-ordinated search phase gave the platoon afooting from which to base an IntelligencePreparation of the Battlefield (IPB). The platoon wasthen in a position to specify high-priority targets andgather intelligence by deploying four-man CTR teamsand covert sniper OPs. The information that wasgathered justified the need for the support of a mech-anised company and B Coy, 3 Inf Bn under the com-mand of Comdt Mark Brownen, gladly stepped up tothe mark.

Recce platoon then began about setting the condi-tions for the next phase of the operation; harbour rec-ces for the mechanised company, route recces, guidetasks and preparing back-briefs for the companycommander were prioritised over sleep, while asniper OP maintained constant watch on our enemyobjectives. The information gathered by ReccePlatoon resulted in a co-ordinated company attackand raid on the enemy.

Under the cover of darkness, Recce Platoon tacti-cally guided a company of Mowags and troops to adesignated FUP within 1km of the objective areabefore regrouping to be retasked on one more mis-sion, a synchronized raid at first light to allow B Coy afoothold and to assist them to cross the start line. Asdawn broke, casualties were extracted to safety andour final mission as a course was deemed a success.

While it was definitely a challenging exercise, themorale and esprit de corps developed by the mem-bers of 6 Recce Commanders Course carried usthrough. It was a great achievement and experiencefor us as a course to effectively operate with a ‘reallife’ mechanised infantry-company and I feel that thiscan be seen as a positive progression for Recce inthe Defence Forces as a whole.■

TR

AIN

INGCpl Darrel Murray

(5 Inf Bn)‘I did mybasic reccecourse in2008. Forme, therecce com-manderscourse wasa very toughand chal-lengingcourse. When on patrol youcould find yourself as aGPMG man on one exerciseand then as 2i/c on the nextone - which meant you hadto know your stuff. I enjoyedbeing detachment com-mander. You are a team ofcourse, but when you are thecommader there is that extraresponsibility.

On finishing the course, Iwill go back to the battalions’recce platoon in Sp Coy.

In providing close recce -which is in the range of closefire support 5-8km, our job isto provide critical informa-tion on the enemy like: loca-tion; activities; size; morale;their dress and equipment. You would be surprised howeasy you can build up a pic-ture. If the enemy is upbeat,handing over sentry profes-sionally or has he his rifleover his back and having asmoke, these are all goodindicators of morale and howprofessional they are. This isall sent back to the battalionheadquarters for them tobuild a bigger picture.

Instructors and students of the6th Recce CommandersInstuctors Course.

Gormanston RaidBy Lt Niall Dolan (4 Cav Sqn)

The first exercise was a raid, aimed at infiltrating a‘terrorist training camp’ at night to destroy aircraftlanding radar before they had time to react. As was tobecome a re-current theme of the course, a massiveamount of emphasis was placed on intelligence-basedplanning and we were supplied with maps, aerial pho-tographs, and information from intelligence assets inthe camp.

The initial plan comprised an amphibious landingnear Gormanston camp, neutralising an enemy stand-ing patrol protecting the radar, thus allowing our engi-neer assets to destroy it, before extraction by sea. Itwas a hit-and-run tasking due to the enemy’s estimat-ed strength of 400 terrorists in the camp.

A major glitch emerged as the operationapproached when Met Éireann issued a small-craftwarning. Amphibious insertion would be too risky andour alternative plan to transport the patrol by road to aDOP approximately 2k south of the target was put inaction. The move from the IWW went smoothly untilwe reached the M7 when we were informed by HQ thata civil disturbance had broken out on our route andthat an alternate route had to be chosen.

Despite the detour, the DOP was reached beforemidnight and the platoon readied itself to move out. Atunnel leading from a beach under a rail line close tothe target was secured and the Fire Support Group,under the platoon sergeant, Cpl Damien McDonagh,an eight-man assault team, a two-man cut-off team,the engineer, Capt Ken Barry, and myself moved intoour positions.

Once the various groups were in position, I gave theorder for the FSG to begin firing as Lt Paul Austin, incharge of the assault teams, moved towards the radar.With the assault underway, the FSG and the cut-offteam moved their attention to the camp in order toengage any enemy support that might arrive.

Within minutes the assault team had neutralisedthe enemy and secured the target, allowing our engi-neer to set explosive charges on the radar, afterwhich we withdrew to the pick-up point under coverof the FSG.

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p10-17) 09/12/2009 19:37


TheJourneybegins

Day one, week one, for the members of 86 CadetClass was a nervous time for the new cadets asthey said goodbye to their loved ones in theCurragh and embarked on their new career.

Lt Col Joe Mulligan (OC Cdt Sch) welcomed the newcadets and wished them all the best in their training.Recalling the start of his own career, he told the newclass, ‘Monday, November 30th 2009, believe you me,will live in your memories for the rest of your lives.Every officer that goes through the Cadet Schoolremembers their first day.’

There is no doubt thatfor the new cadets thenext 15 months will bethe most challengingperiod of their lives. Lt Col Mulligan reassuredparents and cadetsalike, ‘You are joining a great organisationthat will present youwith new challenges,opportunities and manyrewards.’

For many, a career as a commis-sioned officer in the DefenceForces is a lifelong dream. Cadetclasses are small and only the bestcandidates can hope to getthrough the selection process.This year’s 86 Cadet Class has 30students, including three cadetsfrom the Maltese Armed Forces.Ahead of them lies a 15-monthjourney that will see them trans-formed from civilians to militaryofficers. Wesley Bourke was in theMilitary College to see the cadetstaking their first steps on thisjourney…

Photographs by Armn Greg Dorney

Above: Cdt Sinéad Hunt

Below:Cdt Peter Dunne

The new cadets aremarched off to theiraccommodation.

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p10-17) 09/12/2009 18:45

While all the cadets are of a high standard, theyare a diverse group. Some are school leavers whileothers are college graduates. Some have had littleor no prior contact with the Defence Forces, whileothers have served in either the PDF or RDF as asoldier or NCO.

Cdt Peter Dunne (26) joined the Air Corps in 2002and underwent a four-year avionics apprenticeship.During his apprenticeship, he completed a lawdegree (part-time). Peter is just home from servingoverseas as a transport fitter with 100 Inf Bn inChad. ‘I saw other people around me putting them-selves through further education and how this bene-fited them. I wanted to remain in the Defence Forcesand I felt that obtaining a cadetship would be thebest way to advance my career.’

Cdt Sinéad Hunt (22) has just graduated fromcollege and is looking forward to a career in theDefence Forces. ‘After graduating I realised I want-ed more than just a desk job and the ‘life less ordi-nary’ appealed to me. I wanted to work with peopleand do a job that was challenging. I was a corporalin 62 Res Fd Eng Coy and I really enjoyed it. Now Ican get to be a full-time member of the DefenceForces. I studied mechanic al engineering, but at themoment I am not sure what corps I would like toserve in. I’ll have to see how the next 15 monthsgoes.’

Keep watching the pages of An Cosantóir overthe next 15 months to see how things pan out for thenewest members of the Defence Forces and theirMaltese colleagues.■


CA

DETS

Above (left): A cadettries on his tunic.

Above (right):Sgt Sean Doyle kits out a new

cadet with his uniform.

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p10-17) 09/12/2009 18:45

‘Fire mission: Niner-Niner-Niner-Zero! One-One-Five-Zero! Correction:Three-Four-Five-Zero!Enemy troops in theopen.’

Everyone around me was lying flat on the groundholding their breath. We could see the enemy, butwe did not know if they had seen us. Comdt FrankFlannery (1 Cn Cois) was taking no chances –

two minutes later a flight of Pilatus PC-9Msscreamed out of the clouds and put down suppressivefire on the enemy. The signal to advance was given and‘Charlie’ Company (drawn from 1 Cn Cois, 56 Res and58 Inf Bns) advanced to battle.

Soldiers have to be ready to deploy anywhere, atany time, by any means, and be capable of carrying outany mission assigned to them. The key to this is con-tinuous training and to this end 4 Western Brigadeconducted their annual battalion exercise in north-west Donegal in November.

This was a joint exercise with land-, sea-, and air-assets simulating a peace-support operation (PSO)that a standby battalion may have to face in the future.

The exercise scenario consisted of a fictitious‘Puntland’ militia uprising in East Africa. As a result ofthe conflict vast amounts of internally displaced peo-ples (IDPs) were streaming across the borders of sur-rounding countries, destabilising the whole region. The


Op Loch Garta

Training has always been a vitalcomponent of military life andnever more than now as therange of locations and opera-tions in which the DefenceForces must be able to operatehas increased substantially overthe years. The range and com-plexity of these operations hasled to a corresponding increasein the scale and complexity ofthe training. Wesley Bourke andphotographer, Armn GreggDorney, accompanied troopsfrom 4 W Bde on a recent battalion-level exercise.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p19-24) 09/12/2009 19:41

Cpl John McCrannSection Commander

‘The exercise went very well.We worked well as a platoonand took all our objectives.The weather held off, thank-fully, which made it easier onthe ground.

‘Most of my lads are justback from serving in Chadtogether, so we functionedwell as a unit. There werereservists integrated intoevery section and at the startsome of them were a bit lost,which is only natural as theywouldn’ít be used to this kindof intense exercise. However,they worked hard, learnedquickly, and got the job done.’

Cpl John KerriganRifleman

‘I’m with ‘B’ Company,51 Reserve Infantry

Battalion, in Ballina. It wasan excellent exercise. Forreservists to be taken seri-

ously we need to be inte-grated more like this.

The guys from 1Infantry Battalion treat-

ed us like their own andany help we needed we got it.On the ground there was no‘them and us’. We workedtogether and got the jobdone.

In saying that it wasn’teasy! We have good cadrestaff and are well trained, butit’s not everyday you aredeployed by sea and thenhave to live and fight on theground for 72 hours.’

TR

AIN

ING‘Charlie’ Coy) was able to keep in contact with bat-

talion HQ, informing them of his company’s progress,while at the same time keeping his platoon and sec-tion commanders abreast of the situation.

‘We will be inserted from sea at night. Enemyforces consist of a battalion-size militia who havetaken the approaches surrounding the town ofLetterkenny. They are lightly armed with somearmour, consisting of Panhard AML60s and 90s. Ourmission is to neutralise the hostile intent of thePuntland militia forces and create a safe a secureenvironment,’ Comdt Flannery informed his subordi-nate commanders as they took notes while the shippitched and rolled in a choppy sea.

‘Use the time on the ship to go through admin-in-the-field, kit and drills with your troops,’ added CoySgt John Kilroy. ‘Make sure they get some rest, it’sgoing to be a tough exercise; the weather and terrainwill not be easy.’

‘Remember, communications are essential. Theterrain is not good, so if we get into a situation werethe SINCGARS don’t work, send a runner back to

company HQ,’ continued Comdt Flannery.After more then 12-hours at sea it was not

surprising there were a few green faces whenwe disembarked in

Killybegs. However,there was little timefor the troops to findtheir land legs as they

were quicklyloaded onto

Defence Forces had been requested to send in a bat-talion as part of a UN-mandated force. With Donegalbecoming East Africa and the area around LochGartan transformed into Puntland, Lt Col MichaelMeehan (OC 28 Inf Bn) deployed his companies inthree waves, by land, sea and air to contain the hos-tile militia.

An infantry company from 1 Cn Cois deployed bysea, making the 12-hour trip from Galway toKillybegs onboard LÉ Eithne. A company from 6 InfBn, Custume Bks, deployed by helicopter, whileanother company, from 28 Inf Bn, based in FinnerCamp, deployed by road.

Air Corps AW139 helicopters stayed on-site asa battalion air asset, providing casualty evacuation(casevac), troop air-mobility, fire-support and sur-veillance, while Pilatus PC-9Ms provided top-cover and ground-support missions when calledupon.

The capability of a country’s armed forces to proj-ect itself from the sea and operate beyond the lit-toral (the area just off- or on-shore) iscrucial for many missions it mayface. We travelled with‘Charlie’ Company onboardthe Eithne, which was ableto ferry the 80-strongcompany in its hangerand helicopter deck.Provided with a com-mand-and-control centreComdt Flannery (OC


artanT

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p19-24) 09/12/2009 19:42

Pte MartinBennettSignalman

‘I was with company head-quarters and had to bebeside the company com-mander at all times. I passon and receive informationfrom the platoon signalmenand battalion headquarters.I had ‘baby’ SINCGARSwith Marconi PRR attachedto it – so that was veryhandy.

The platoons were com-ing in constantly on thePRR and I had a handsetclose to me so I could for-ward information on to bat-talion. As you can imaginethe company net was a lotmore active then the battal-ion net.

It was my first time onthe ground as a signalman,where you have a lot moreequipment and responsibili-ties. When you are ‘bivvyingup’, for example, you can’tjust throw your backpack toone side, you have to havethe comms beside you at alltimes – listening to the traf-fic. One could be for you.You also have to make surethe radios don’t get wet andyou have to take care of yourbatteries and monitor bat-tery levels. There’ís a lot ofgear to carry around in addition to your rifle andammunition.’


trucks and headed for the mission area. Being embedded within a company, it’s hard to

perceive the sheer scale of a battalion on theground but there was plenty of evidence of the sizeof the operation. As platoon commanders from‘Charlie’ Company went through their orders forthe upcoming advance, helicopters hovered at tree-top level with their door-gunners eyeing the groundfor potential targets. Gunfire could be heard echo-ing in the distance and ‘Charlie’ Company couldonly wait anxiously for the order to advance.

When the time came the company moved out intactical formation, eyes fixed on every tree, bladeof grass, mound and hill; the enemy could be any-where. As we moved forward the gunfire got loud-er, intensified, and then… silence. Nobody had anyidea what was about to happen or when!

On orders from battalion HQ, ‘Charlie’Company moved beyond a wooded area into theboggy hills. It didn’t take long before the silencewas broken by enemy gunfire. Troops darted anddashed for cover while GPMGs from the FSG laidsuppressive fire.

‘Prior to this exercise we had been going oversection-, platoon- and company-in-attack drills,’said Comdt Flannery. ‘It was great to see it inaction; the troops worked very well, very fluidly.’

As platoon commanders shouted orders tosection commanders and so on, sections movedleft and right, and then forward into dead groundout of sight. The enemy’s exact position couldn’t beseen but Comdt Flannery had a clear view of theaxis of advance and was moving platoons to flankthe enemy position. The rate of fire on both sideswas considerable and it didn’t take long beforerunners were scurrying back to company HQrequesting reserve ammunition.

Fortunately, the enemy, an untrained militia,weren’t unable to withstand the weight of fire from‘Charlie’ Company and some soon fled, while oth-ers downed arms and surrendered. Prisoners andweapons were quickly gathered, processed andtagged.

Meanwhile, at battalion HQ, reports streamedin from the advancing companies. Artillery-, intel-ligence-, transport-, air-, sea- and medical-cellsreceived and assimilated the huge volume of infor-mation coming in from the units on the ground.Some were requesting fire-support, while othersrequested casevac. Lt Col Meehan was also

receiving welcome news: ‘Sir, ‘B’ Coy is advanc-ing to Objective Three… ‘C’ Coy has takenObjective One… no friendly forces’ causali-ties… prisoners taken.’

‘Our troops could face carrying out opera-tions like this in difficult conditions; during therainy season in Chad or at -24°C in Kosovo,’said Lt Col Meehan. ‘Regardless of the condi-

tions the basic skills remain the samefor any PSO operation, which is

why we have to practicethese skills again, and

again, and again.Conducting exercises like this

with these assets helps us to beready to mount such operations at amoment’s notice.’

As ‘Charlie’ Company advanced to neu-tralise the remaining militia, ‘A’ and ‘B’ alsomoved up to press home the attack. In theface of the battalion’s professionalism,

speed and skill, the remaining militia forcessoon surrendered.■

Pte MichaelConnellLogistics

‘I was with the CQMS for theexercise and it was our job tokeep the troops supplied witheverything they needed - fuel,water, food and ammunition.We advanced with the battal-

ion and had to be ready forreplenishment if and whenthey requested it.

We had nine trucks withus – one just full of stores andequipment. The CQMS wason comms to the companycommander all the time plan-ning the next replenishmentor pick up. In the base campwe set up different rolling‘replen’ stations for ammuni-tion, food and water. I knowfrom being on the ground as arifleman that you are alwaysthinking of your next hotmeal, so I made sure that thehot water and ration packswere ready to go for the ladswhen they got back to basecamp.’

Capt EoghanMcDermottCompany 2/ic

‘As 2/ic I was part of compa-ny headquarters. With themain element deployed bysea, it was my job to put theconvoy together and meetthe troops in Killybegs.

I went ahead of the con-voy to recce the base campand prepare it for the arrivalof the main body. By thetime they got there it wasdark so I had a harbour partywith me and guides ready tobring the three platoons totheir different locations.

On the ground I’manother link in the chain,liaising with the companycommander and the compa-ny sergeant and passing oninformation to the CQMS,regarding locations, pick-ups, supplies or prisoners.

In the company head-quarters, we carry 10% of thereserve ammunition with usand we had runners goingback constantly to the differ-ent platoons with resupplyammunition. When the leadplatoon puts in an attackthey start to run out ofammunition so we wouldpull them back bringing thereserve platoon forward sothey can resupply. This allhas to be meticulouslyplanned in order not toaffect the momentum of theattack.’

Lt GeraldReynolds Platoon Commander

‘The exercise went well. Theterrain was tough and com-mand-and-control wasessential throughout allphases of the operation. Ittested our equipment andprocedures but we came outon top – as you wouldexpect.

The platoon was excel-lent, carrying out all objec-tives given to us; very pro-fessional and they gave100%. We also had RDF per-sonnel integrated with usand it was great to see thelads from our battalionbringing them along andworking together as a team.’

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p19-24) 09/12/2009 19:42


AD

VEN

TUR

E S

PO

RTS

Divers spend much of their working life in an envi-ronment so alien to the rest of us that, we reallyhave no idea of what it’s like! Chances are if youcome across them while out diving, the most you

will get is a glimpse of them as they slip beneath thesurface or a faint trail of bubbles rising to the surface.

To get to the bottom (no pun intended) of thismystery, we travelled to Lahinch, Co Clare, to meetthe Army Diving Group (ADG) conducting anAdvanced Divers Course, where divers learn under-water navigation, search-and-recovery techniquesand diving at night.

‘Everybody fit to dive?’ CQMS Mick Duffy (65 ResInf Bn) asked the 20 divers kitted out in their scubadiving gear as he began his brief on the first dive ofthe day. ‘Weather today: Wind still westerly.Temperature: 14°C. Cloud cover: 85%. High water isat 09:50hrs and low water at 15:55hrs. Maximum depthtoday is 20 metres for 30 minutes in water. Flat bot-tom with rocky outcrops and small amount of weed.’

With their masks; oxygen cylinders; flippers; com-passes and depth gauges, the divers were wellequipped for exploring the world below. Divers aredropped off in pairs, one of which is lead diver, aposition based on experience and not rank.

Safety is everything and divers carry specialequipment and have well rehearsed drills they mustcarry out if separated or in trouble.

As the divers slipped over the side, we circledabove the dive site in a RIB (rigid inflatable boat) asthe coxswain (boat’s captain) looks out for the DelayedSurface Marker Buoys (DSMB). This buoy is releasedby the divers just as they reach end of their dive, mark-ing their position for the covering RIB on the surface.

The seas were rough as the four RIBs circledabove their respective dive sites. ‘If the weather wasbetter we would be diving much deeper, down to 45metres and further,’ said Comdt Mark Brownen (OCB Coy DFTC). ‘But rough-weather training is part ofthe course for both divers and coxswains.’

In the RIB with coxswain Tpr Thomas ‘Doc’O’Doherty (Vehicle Base Workshops), we scouredthe surface for the divers’ bubbles. How anybodycould pick out anything in the huge waves was a mys-tery, but Doc was able to point out the bubbles.Finally the DSMBs appeared, giving us their position.‘They’ll be another few minutes as they go throughtheir decompression stops,’ explained Doc.(Decompression stops refer to the period of time adiver must spend at a constant depth in shallow

What Lies Beneath?

In this articleWesley Bourketakes a look atthe Army DivingGroup, travellingto County Clareto meet up withthem on anAdvanced DiversCourse...Photographs by ArmnBilly Galligan

water at the end of a dive to safely eliminate absorbedinert gases from his body to avoid decompressionsickness, better known as ‘the bends’)

The ADG meets once a month for training and runsbasic diving; advanced diving; coxswain and CPRcourses throughout the year. The group was started tofacilitate diving as a sport in the Defence Forces and ithas expanded significantly since the early days andthey now carry out a range of tasks that include: trooptransport on exercises; confidence training; assist theUnderwater Council of Ireland and An GardaSíochána in search-and-recovery operations.

There is a wealth of diving experience within thegroup. ‘We have guys who have dived in the Pacificand in the Arctic. We have specialists on servicingequipment, powerboat instructors and multi-gasexperts,’ CQMS Duffy said proudly.

‘In some ways we benefit from not being a perma-nent unit, as it means we get to utilise the wide rangeof skills our members have,’ he continued. ‘We havepilots, technicians, medics and drivers. So, forinstance, if we are running a navigation course a pilotcan pass on his expertise.’

One such man is medic Pte Johnny Lynch (2 FdMed Coy). He completed a basic divers recently and isnow here as a medic on the advanced diving course.‘After you do your basic course, you have to complete35 dives. Plus, you have to contribute to at least onecamp,’ Comdt Brownen explained. ‘This encouragesguys to stay on and help keep the group running. Thediving is a bit too advanced for Johnny this week buthe is here as a medic. In turn he is learning about div-ing related injuries. and how to treat them.’

Even after listening to the divers talking aboutbasking sharks and exploring wrecks, Billy and myselfstill did not feel that we had experienced what it is likeunderwater. Naturally, we couldn’t go on a dive, as thiswould require theory tests and intense practice in thepool. So to help us to get some idea of what it is likeGnr Pat Hurley (1 Fd Arty Regt) took us snorkelling.This may not seem all that exciting to some but just toget a glimpse of what life is like underwater was mindblowing. Adding to the excitement, Billy couldn’t swim!So Pat had to attentively guide him along.

After a few minutes learning to use the flippersand getting our breathing right, we were away. For twoguys used to seeing only the surface of the sea, oursnorkelling masks provided a window onto an alienworld I would never have believed existed. Abundantplant life dance in the current, displaying vibrantcolours I wouldn’t have expected to see outside thetropics. Pat stopped regularly to point out variousthings to us, including large speckled fish that dartedfrom a rock face as we approached.

Even though we had barely scratched the surfaceat the end of our swim, as we left the water

with salt stained faces, we could wellunderstand how someone could get

hooked to a life underwater. The ADG run courses every year.

Sign yourself up for the next basicdiving course and explore a whole

new world.■

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p19-24) 09/12/2009 19:42


In 2005 the Air Corps undertook a review of its airportfire service with the aim of ensuring that it can pro-vide 24-hour emergency service cover to all users.(Baldonnel is the only airport in Ireland to have

these operational hours.) A number of areas ofimprovement were identified, so as to ensure compli-ance with ‘best practices’ in the aviation sectorregarding emergency services. The International CivilAviation Organisation (ICAO) and other aviation reg-ulatory authorities prescribe these ‘best practices’ inthe form of mandatory and non-mandatory guidelines.

The improvements identified encompassed fire-fighting equipment, training facilities and doctrine. Itwas envisaged in 2005 that the various projects torealise these improvements would take a number ofyears to be fully effective, due principally to financingand manufacturing lead-times.

As the sole military airport in the Republic of Ireland,Casement Aerodrome has seen an increase in the typeand size of aircraft operating into it in recent years.Apart from the Air Corps’ own modern fleet, a signifi-cant number of foreign civil and military fixed- androtary-winged aircraft are regular visitors to Baldonnel.For example, the runways have hosted diminutive sin-gle-engine SF260s, through to the McDonnell, Boeingand Airbus airliner families, up to and including thegiant C-17 Globemaster III strategic lifter. Historically,the largest aircraft to operate out of Baldonnel had beenthe Globemaster II – employed to bring Irish troops tothe Congo for UN service in the 1960s.

The principle objective of the Air Corps FireService is to save lives in the event of an aircraftaccident or incident in, or in close proximity to, theairport. The most important factors that ensure effec-tive rescue in a survivable aircraft accident are thestandards of training, the effectiveness of the equip-ment in use, and the speed at which competent firefighters and their resources are employed. CurrentAir Corps training doctrine mirrors that of interna-tional and regional airports both in Ireland and theUnited Kingdom.

To ensure theeffective andcompetent useof specialistfire fightingequipment,practical basedtraining isessential andongoing.Recognisingthis, the AirCorps initiatedthe design anddevelopment ofa fire trainingground atBaldonnel,incorporatingmodern firefighting simu-lation rigs.

Training All Air Corps fire fighters must complete and pass theeight-week basic fire fighter course, followed bytwelve months on-the-job work experience with fullyqualified crews, before they attain their full fire fightercompetency rating. All fire fighters must successfullycomplete a revalidation test every four years for themaintenance of operational competence.

In order to allow for career progression, a firefighter must be of NCO rank and complete a recog-nised Crew Commander’s course. Following on fromthe latter, and with suitable experience, selected indi-viduals may progress to Supervisor WatchCommander on successful completion of relevantcourses. The main external training institutionsemployed for training are at Dublin Airport and at theInternational Fire Training Centre, Durham, UK.

To ensure the effective and competent use of spe-cialist fire fighting equipment, practical based train-ing is essential and ongoing. Recognising this, the AirCorps initiated the design and development of a firetraining ground at Baldonnel, incorporating modernfire fighting simulation rigs.

The first project was commissioned in 2006, con-sisting of a Fire Training Simulation Rig (FTSR). TheFTSR enables fire fighters to train safely with fire,heat and smoke, using environmentally friendly mediaand fuels. The rig design encompasses the variousengines and undercarriage types used on the AirCorps’ fixed-wing fleet. Crucially, it allows for practi-cal exercises in the command-and-control of thedeployment of vehicles and fire fighters. Early thisyear, a multi-level drill-training tower was built inBaldonnel. This allows fire fighters to train locallyusing their breathing apparatus, and with hoistingand working safely at heights.

Rapid Intervention Fire Tender To maintain safe flight operations at all airports, spe-cialist vehicles known as Rapid Intervention FireTenders (RIFT) play a critical role. A RIFTs minimum

Emergency Response DevelopmIn this article, LtCol Kevin Byrneand Capt ThomasCraven outlinesome of therecent develop-ments in the AirCorps’ AirbaseEmergencyResponse Service.

Right: The RIFT tender puts ajet of water onto the burningaircraft to extinguish theflames.

Multi-Level Drill-Training Tower

00-An Cos-dec-09 (p19-24) 09/12/2009 19:28

AIR

CO

RP

S


build parameters are prescribed in ICAO documen-tation. An aircraft’s overall dimensions determinesthat aircraft’s category number, and the aircraft cate-gory number determines the size and number ofRIFTs required, including crew numbers, thus ensur-ing an adequate emergency response for that air-craft type.

As mentioned earlier, the speed of responseplays a key factor in enabling an effective rescue in asurvivable aircraft accident. To that end, the AirCorps Fire Service is required to meet a three-minute response time to any location at Baldonnelwhere aircraft taxi, land or take off.

To effect a rescue outside the airport’s perimeterlocations RIFTs are designed to have off-road capa-bilities and must be capable of carrying sufficientextinguishing media, resources and fire fighters tomanage and control fires around an aircraft fuse-lage; the so called ‘life risk area’.

Based on these criteria, the Air Corps FireService identified the need to procure a RIFT tomeet these specific requirements and to ensure an

Technical SpecificationsRosenbauer Panther 6x6 Airport RIFT

Vehicle dimensions LxWxH: 11.85m x 3m x 3.61mVehicle weight fully loaded approximately: 35,000kgSeating capacity: driver plus five (total six fire fighters).Vehicle engine: 705hp turbocharged Caterpillar Euro 3 engine.Transmission system: Twin Disc six-speed fully automatic transmission. Power divider utilised within the power train to provide true pump-and-roll capabilities for the fire pump.Vehicle performance: acceleration 0 to 80kph (50 mph) within 29 seconds.Water tank capacity: 13,000litre approx. Foam concentrate tank capacity: 1,600litre approx.Secondary media: 250 kg dry chemical powder capacity extinguisher with 40m discharge hose on reel.Water pump: rated at 7,000 litre per minute (L/min) at 10 bar.Main monitor: Electronically remote controlled water/foam roof monitor at 5,000 L/minSecondary monitor: Electrically remote controlled water/foam bumper turret monitor at 2,500 L/min

Fire Training Simulation RigOverall dimensions: Fuselage length 17.5m, Width 15.4m, Fuselage dia. 3.5mFire Types External: Kerosene and LPGFire Types Internal: Carbonaceous Fire Scenarios: Engine, undercarriage, ruptured fuel tank, cockpit, galley, cabin and cargo.

Multi-Level Drill-Training TowerTraining Scenarios: Height, enclosed spaces, hose management, hoisting and breath-ing apparatus training.

elopment

effective reliable response to emergency situationswithin the greater air base area. The purchase of twosuch vehicles in 2006 and 2009 addressed fleet num-ber, age, reliability, commonality and fit-for-purposeissues.

Emergency OrdersAs part of the Air Corps Emergency Orders, theeffectiveness of both Air Corps fire service equip-ment and fire fighters is measured through annualexercises, in keeping with aviation safety manage-ment systems best practices. The development andprocurement of the aforementioned facilities, in con-junction with a competency training doctrine, allowthe requirement for such exercises to be realised.The annual exercise usually entails a major aviationaccident/incident scenario within the confines of theairport. Both Air Corps and external experts assesscommand-and-control during the initial, developmentand closing stages of the emergency exercise.Critically, these exercises evaluate the effectivenessof inter-services response and allow measuredchanges in communications, orders and training inorder to improve overall efficiency.

Because of the success of the recent projectsinvolving both training and equipment acquisition,the Air Corps Fire Service is well placed to provide areliable, comprehensive service to all airport users,whether they involve, for example, a single Garda AirSupport Unit helicopter after dark or a major trooprotation involving Irish peacekeepers utilising civilian aircraft.■

Right (top): Firecrew rescue acasualty from the burning air-craft.

Right (bottom): Firecrew extinguish the engine fire.

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In his highly acclaimedand must-read auto-biography entitled ‘Cody’,Brian elaborates on manyof the issues raised above.This book is on sale in allmajor bookstores nationwide or from codyautobiography.com

Since the end of the last millennium the name ofBrian Cody has become synonymous withKilkenny hurling, and the multiple successesenjoyed by the county’s senior hurling team under

his stewardship can in many ways be attributed to theoutstanding force of his personality, his leadershipand management skills. Brian Cody has become themost successful hurling manger in the history of theGAA and his achievements stands in comparisonwith illustrious managers from other sporting codes.Recently appointed to continue as the Kilkenny seniorhurling manager, for the twelfth time, his enthusiasm,will-to-win, and commitment to this prestigious andhugely important job, was very much in evidence dur-ing his recent address to the 20th Junior Commandand Staff (J C&S) Course in the Officer TrainingWing, Military College.

Leadership and management was one of the keyareas of study on the course, with instruction deliv-ered by both Officer Training Wing instructors and byexternal guest lecturers, who brought a civilian per-spective to the subject.

As one of the guest lecturers invited to addressthe course, Brian was able to offer an unique insightinto his views on leadership and management andhow he used these skills to overcome the many chal-lenges he has faced over the years; creating a win-ning mentality born out of a magnificent team spirit, ahuge sense of loyalty, respect for both the individualand for personal opinion, the development of a strongwork ethic in the players, and the fostering and devel-opment of leaders. Ultimately this led to the creationof a hugely positive atmosphere between all partnersin this endeavour, namely the county board, teammanagement, players, and the clubs within the county.

Within any organisation the development of team

Winning the Wa

Leadershipand man-agementwas one ofthe keyareas ofstudy onthe course,withinstructiondelivered byboth OfficerTrainingWinginstructorsand byexternalguest lec-turers, whobrought acivilian per-spective tothe subject.

spirit and a highly motivated work force is dependenton many variables, not least the quality of leadershipdemonstrated and applied by those in charge. Withinthe military environment we have seen both at homeand abroad how our soldiers respond very positively todecisive leadership, with the development of a strongsense of team and esprit de corps paramount, which inturn has led to a committed focus on achieving themission. In the words of General of the US ArmyGeorge C Marshall during WWII ‘It is not enough tofight. It is the spirit which we bring to the fight thatdecides the issue. It is morale that wins the victory.’

In his role as Kilkenny senior hurling manager,Brian sees the development of a massive team spiritand sense of togetherness as being hugely importantin the success he has achieved to date. Team spirit isthe embodiment of the team effort and when timesare difficult and challenges have to be faced it is thepresence of this spirit and sense of purpose in anyteam or organisation, which allows it to achieve itsobjectives. The 2009 All-Ireland Hurling Final is a verygood example of this. When Tipperary, despite playingwith 14 men, looked to be in a very strong positioncoming in to the closing stages of the games, thenever-say-die spirit imbued into this Kilkenny teamover many years, and in many battles, clicked in, withthe result going in Kilkenny’s favour in the end.

One of the key areas of leadership Brian empha-sised was the ability to communicate your messageclearly and succinctly and not be afraid to make deci-sions. All leaders, whether in a military or civilianenvironment, must have good communication skills, bedecisive, and have the moral courage to stand by theirdecisions. Equally, however, leaders must have theability to accept that on occasions they may make thewrong decisions. Brian used as an example the 2001

on the Hurling Fie

Brian Cody, Kilkenny’s successfulhurling manager, recentlyaddressed the students of the20th Junior Command and StaffCourse on the subject of leader-ship and management. Lt ColKieran Brennan (OIC PR Section),a former team-mate of theKilkenny mentor, examines theapplicability of his view to keyareas of the Defence Forces...

‘The differencebetweenwinningand losingcan beminute’

Brian Cody

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adopting leadership roles in the Defence Forces.Another interesting area covered by Brian in his

address was the need for leaders to develop a clearvision of the future for their team or organisation,concurrent with the creation of a work environmentwhere all the key stakeholders are focused towardsachieving clear objectives and everybody is treatedwith respect. This approach is again highly applicableto the Defence Forces where the short-term vision(three years) is set out in the Strategy Statement andmedium-term vision (ten years) is set out in the WhitePaper on Defence. Within that framework all mem-bers of the Defence Forces are expected to play theirpart in achieving the organisation’s overall goals, inan environment, which fully respects the dignity andindividuality of each serving member.

It is clear from listening to Brian Cody’s philoso-phy on leadership and management as enunciated tothe Junior C&S Course that there are many parallelswith the Military approach to this subject. One of theclassic definitions of military leadership is ‘Theprocess of influencing and directing others to accom-plish the Mission by providing purpose, direction andmotivation.’ Whether operating at home or on over-seas duties, this definition of military leadership ishighly applicable to all military commanders whereverthey operate within the chain of command. It wasclear from his address that Brian has also appliedmany aspects of this leadership definition to theapproach he takes with the Kilkenny team.

During the course of a very lively question-and-answer session following his address, it was clearthat Brian Cody’s approach to leadership and man-agement had a major impact on the students.Towards the end of the evening when asked as towhether he could foresee a ‘five-in-a-row scenario’unfolding for Kilkenny in 2010, he simply stated that‘Future success cannot be achieved by dwelling onpast achievements.’ He further stated that if all ofthe parameters that have brought success toKilkenny in the past continue to be present in thefuture, he would remain optimistic for the team’sprospects in 2010.

This viewpoint is equally relevant for the DefenceForces where the challenge for all ranks is to continu-ously strive to improve our levels of performance bothat home and abroad, while at the same time continu-ing to enhance and develop our leadership skills.■

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All-Ireland Hurling semi-final against Galway, whenhis Kilkenny team failed against a very well motivatedand manly Galway team. He ultimately took theresponsibility for this defeat, exonerating the players,as he felt some of his decision-making and prepara-tions had not been up to the mark. Brian emphasisesthat it is key for any leader to learn from the mistakesthat have been made and in this case the lessons helearned from that particular defeat were the key to thesuccesses achieved by Kilkenny in 2002 and 2003.

Within the Defence Forces one of the strongestleadership ‘weapons’ available to leaders at all levelsof command is personal example. It is an universaltruth that no leader can expect a higher standard ofperformance from their subordinates than that whichhe himself is prepared to give. This is very applicablein the context of the Kilkenny senior hurling team,where Brian himself sets the highest example, whichis then replicated by the rest of the management andpanel members. This adherence to the highest stan-dards of performance and discipline has given rise toa highly cohesive and focused group, with the ulti-mate goal being the pursuit of excellence at all times.From this has arisen one of the key enablers that hascontributed greatly to Kilkenny’s success, namely thedevelopment of individual leaders within the group.

We have seen from a military perspective howimportant it is for commanders at all levels to developand mentor subordinate leaders. Brian has alsoadopted this philosophy, encouraging the seniormembers of the panel to adopt key leadership roles inwhich they are actively encouraged to take ownershipof the process leading up to and during matches, andalso in developing and encouraging the youngermembers of the panel.

A key area that Brian elaborated on was the needfor all people adopting leadership roles to earn thetrust and respect of those they are dealing with. It isnot sufficient just to be appointed into some promi-nent position and then expect that people will auto-matically follow. To be a successful leader in anyorganisation or team requires the setting of high per-sonal standards, an inclusive approach to decision-making as far as is possible, respect for the individ-ual, constant encouragement, and total loyalty to theethos and aims of the group. This philosophy, whichhas served Brian and the Kilkenny senior hurlingteam very well, is equally applicable to all personnel

e Warg Field

Right (l-r): Capt C Miller (20 J C&S Cse Co-Ordinator),Col T Doyle (Sch Comdt), Mr B Cody and Lt Col T Aherne(CI C&S Sch).

One of the keyareas of leader-ship Brianemphasisedwas the abilityto communicateyour messageclearly and suc-cinctly and notbe afraid tomake decisions.

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weapons, was estimated to be at ‘a strength of aboutfive hundred’1. The presence of ‘enemy positions onDarwin Hill,’2 approximately two kilometres north ofGoose Green, was also reported. Further informationwas obtained when an Argentine reconnaissancepatrol was captured by a special forces party return-ing form directing an air strike on Goose Green itself.

Lt Col Jones and 2 Para were reasonably confidentthat they could mount a successful attack on GooseGreen and seize it from what appeared to be a weakand disjointed force. On the afternoon of 27 May,Jones detailed his plan of attack to his company com-manders:

‘The plan in outline was: phase one – the patrolscompany (C Company) clear the route of possibleminefields and secure the start line astride the trackbetween Burntside Pond and Camilla Creek; phasetwo – A Company clear Burntside House while B Company cleared ring contour 50; phase three – A Company clear Coronation Point; phase four – B Company clear Boca House while C (Patrols)Company clear the airstrip; phase five – A Companyclear Darwin while B and D Companies clear andhold Goose Green; phase six – C (Patrols) Companyseize and clear Brodie Creek Bridge.’3

The battalion was also to have significant fire sup-port in the form of 105mm Howitzers based at CamillaCreek, four helicopters and the mortars and MILANanti-tank weapons integral to the battalion’s SupportCompany. Further support in the form of HMS Arrow’s4.5-inch gun was also available until daybreak whenSea Harriers would arrive on station to provide closeair support. With the planning complete, the assaultwas scheduled to begin at 0200hrs on 28 May.

Unfortunately for the Paras, the Argentine garrisonat Goose Green was substantially reinforced by menfrom the 12th Infantry Regiment on the 27th, doublingthe enemy’s strength in the area from five hundred ‘toaround 1,400’4. This bad news was further compoundedwhen the BBC World Service announced 2 Para’spresence at Camilla Creek and their imminent attackon Goose Green and Port Darwin. In light ofNorthwood’s urgency, a furious Jones felt compelledto proceed with the mission as planned, depending onspeed and aggression to carry the day for 2 Para.

By 0200hrs, C Company had secured the route tothe start line and at 0235hrs A Company began theirattack on Burntside House, with a supporting barragefrom the Royal Marines’ howitzers at Camilla Creek.The attack ran smoothly as the Argentinean defend-ers opted not to fight and ‘speedily withdrew’.5 WhileA Company was mopping up around BurntsideHouse, B Company was simultaneously securing Ring

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THE BATTLE OFGOOSE GREENPART TWO an infantry battalion at war

In the first instalment of hisarticle on the Battle of GooseGreen, Steve Byrne set thescene for the iconic battle ofthe Falklands War in 1982. In the concluding part hetakes up the story just as thebattle is about to begin…

On May 26th, with the attack on Goose Greenauthorised, 2 Para moved off its positions onSussex Mountain and proceeded on foot to thestaging area at Camilla Creek House, some

20kms south, where the battalion spent the evening.Reconnaissance patrols from C Company were sentout and the information they gleaned, combined withreports from the SAS, indicated that the Argentineangarrison at Goose Green was a hodgepodge ofinfantrymen from three separate companies aug-mented by engineers and air force personnel. Thetotal complement, who were manning anti-aircraft

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cial point in the battle and could have proved disas-trous for 2 Para. However, the dispersed nature of thebattalion’s command element allowed the second-in-command, Major Keeble, to assume command andresume the fight with little inconvenience to the bat-talion. Less then an hour after Jones was killed, theParas broke the deadlock, using their MILAN anti-tank missiles to destroy the troublesome Argentineanbunkers one by one, thus cracking the main line ofdefence across Mount Darwin by approximately1110hrs. C Company then took the initiative, advanc-ing on the town of Goose Green itself, while DCompany swung east towards the airfield and BCompany moved west. This allowed the battalion tomount a three-pronged assault against the enemypositions at Goose Green. The fighting for the townwas difficult and confused; the Paras advanced withsome hesitancy due to the presence of several mine-fields, all the time suffering casualties due to heavyfire from enemy mortars and artillery, and anti-aircraftguns which were depressed and used against theadvancing British infantry.

Fighting raged all afternoon causing significantdamage to the town (the local schoolhouse wasburned down, something which ‘pleased the local kidsno end’16) as the Argentinean Air Force put in severalair strikes against the British positions. At 1925hrshowever, the Paras finally received air support of theirown as three Royal Air Force Harriers swooped lowover Goose Green, strafing enemy positions and ‘giv-ing Argentine morale a severe battering’.17

As darkness fell, Major Keeble prepared to bom-bard the town using his mortars and the howitzersback at Camilla Creek, rather then risk a bloody,close-quarter battle on the streets of Goose Green.As 2 Para patrols cleared Darwin that night they dis-covered from residents that ‘114 civilians were [still]held up in the community hall at Goose Green’18 thusforcing Keeble to radically change his plan.

Instead of attacking, Keeble summoned twoArgentine prisoners who he sent to the village bear-ing a message for the Argentinean commander, whichread:

To the Commander, Argentine Forces, Goose GreenFrom the Commander, British Forces, Goose GreenAreaMILITARY OPTIONSWe have sent a PoW to you under a white flag oftruce to convey the following military options:1. That you unconditionally surrender your force tous by leaving the township, forming up in a militarymanner, removing your helmets and laying downyour weapons. You will give prior notice of thisintention by returning the PoW under a white flagwith him briefed as to the formalities by no later than0830 hrs local time.2. You refuse in the first case to surrender and takethe inevitable consequences. You will give priornotice of this intention by returning the PoW withouthis flag (although his neutrality will be respected) nolater than 0830 hrs local time.3. In the event and in accordance with the terms andconditions of the Geneva Convention and Laws ofWar you will be held responsible for the fate of anycivilians in Darwin and Goose Green and we inaccordance with these terms do give notice of ourintention to bombard Darwin and Goose Green.

Signed C KeebleCommander, British Forces Goose Green Area 29 May, 198219

28 AN COSANTÓIR December 2009

Contour 50 (‘the high ground to the west of BurntsidePond’6) with ‘bayonets fixed’,7 encounteringArgentinean troops in slit trenches whom they over-came by ‘fighting through aggressively in a well-con-trolled series of section attacks’.8

So far the attack had proceeded to plan; 2 Para hadcompleted its first two objectives with no loss of life.Their luck did not hold however. At 0314hrs ‘HMSArrow had a very bad mechanical failure’9 and wasunable to continue supporting the attack. With the firsttwo objectives secured, however, the battalion pushedon. A Company continued its advance, takingCoronation Point before pushing on towards Darwinas dawn broke. Then, as they reached the open ground,‘a stream of fire from heavy and medium machine-guns was unleashed on the company from Darwin Hill,a distance of about 400 to 500 meters’,10 and the com-pany was forced to take cover in a re-entrant at the

foot of Mount Darwin. The attack had now been com-prehensively ‘stopped in its tracks by a furious ripostefrom the Argentine machine-guns’11 and as ‘the firstattempts by A Company to clear Darwin Hill wereunsuccessful, casualties began to mount’.12

By 0930hrs the battle was in deadlock. A Companyhad been stopped and the withering enfilading firecoming from the well-entrenched Argentineanmachine-guns had succeeded in pinning down theremainder of the battalion. The men of A Companynow went about the difficult business of destroyingthe Argentinean positions one by one, using theirplentiful GPMGs, M79s and LAW 66mm rockets,which was the extent of their fire support; HMS Arrowwas still out of commission, air support was deemed‘unavailable’ due to poor weather conditions, and thesupporting battery of 105mm Howitzers was largelyunavailable due to the close proximity fighting. Inessence, 2 Para was on its own. ‘By about 0930hrs ‘H’Jones, forward with A Company, decided that thiswas the moment for direct intervention by him’13 usinghis Tac 1 headquarters to storm two prominentmachine-gun positions on Darwin Hill that hadcaused several casualties. As Jones ‘moved into asmall gully with part of his Tac HQ to take out a posi-tion… he was hit by another gun dug in along the highground’14 and fell mortally wounded. He was to win aposthumous Victoria Cross for these actions.

‘The news of Colonel Jones’ death came in a terseradio message: ‘Sunray is down.’’15This was the cru-

Lt Col H Jones VC.

A burning house on the outskirts of Goose Green.

Below:Argentinean commanderLt Col Italo Piaggi.

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The following morning the PoWs returned with anotice from the Argentinean commander, Lt Col ItaloPiaggi. He agreed to the surrender and at 1242hrsBrigadier Julian Thompson received a messageannouncing ‘the Union Jack has just been raised overGoose Green Settlement’.20 2 Para had carried theday, but at a cost; 18 Paras were dead, 35 seriouslywounded and another 29 suffered lighter wounds21 –essentially one-in-six of the battalion were injured toa varying degree. The Argentineans were less fortu-nate however; the Paras determined attacks left 47dead and 145 wounded, not to mention the 900-oddwho were taken prisoner when Piaggi capitulated.

Although 2 Para had won a ‘brilliant victory’,22 inthe years following Goose Green certain aspects ofthe battle have been called into question. Firstly, it isworth noting that 2 Para went into action with inade-quate fire support. Theloss of HMS Arrowwas regrettable, ofcourse, as was theinability of 29Commando, RoyalArtillery, to effectivelysupport the attackingcompanies due to theclose nature of thefighting. These short-comings, whilst unfor-tunate, may be tolera-ble. What was not tol-erable however, wasthe inability of the SeaHarrier force to provideadequate close airsupport. The RoyalNavy cited poor weather conditions to explain the latearrival of the Harriers on 28 May, an explanation thathas little credence when one considers how activethe Argentineans were in the air throughout thecourse of the battle. While the Sea Harriers, in gener-al, provided a sterling service throughout theFalklands campaign, Goose Green was a major hic-cup for them. Had 2 Para attacked on 28 May withadequate air cover, the assault would not have provedso costly, a point reinforced by the ‘severe battering’23

that the few Harrier strikes inflicted uponArgentinean morale.

Another issue arising from the battle was theamount of fighting that took place during daylight

hours. Julian Thompson was painfully aware that ‘thefighting over bare, open slopes in daylight had beencostly’,24 and as a result, the brigade always endeav-oured to fight at night, a decision that played on the‘greater skill and better leadership’25 inherent in 3Commando Brigade.

But perhaps the most controversial aspect of theBattle of Goose Green was ‘H’ Jones’s lone assaulton an enemy machine-gun position. Many critics havedenounced Jones, claiming he invited death by posi-tioning himself ‘too far forward’.26This argument islogical if one considers the role of a battalion com-mander is to direct rather then to lead. Ultimately thisargument is flawed, as it depicts an ideal scenariowhereby a battalion commander can sit back andmove his sub-units around at will, somewhat likepieces on a chess board. In the heat of battle, howev-

er, things are usual-ly not as clear-cutand ‘an infantry COmay have to go for-ward at criticalmoments’27 toresolve, reorganizeand redirect. That isexactly what Joneswas thinking whenhe went forward tomeet A Company atthe foot of MountDarwin, andalthough he waskilled in theprocess his reor-ganisation and dis-persion of the bat-

talion’s command structure allowed his second-in-command to assume command effectively and effi-ciently.

The battle of Goose Green was a remarkableaction, a set-piece battle between two broadly equalopponents, the likes of which hadn’t been seen sincethe Korean War some 30 years previously. The battle,one which Brigadier Thompson initially felt irrelevant,had a ‘profound effect on the conduct of the rest ofthe campaign,’28 not only securing the San Carlosbeach-head and flank of the British advance but alsogifting Thompson’s forces with the initiative and‘moral domination’29 that would sustain them on theirlong ‘tab’ to Port Stanley.■

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End Notes1 Marshall Cavendish, The

Falklands War (London,2007), p.128.

2 Julian Thompson, 3Commando Brigade in theFalklands (Barnsley, 2007),p.91.

3 Ibid, p. 92.4 Cavendish, op cit, p.128.5 Thompson, op cit, p.94.6 Cavendish, op cit, p.129.7 John Geddes, Spearhead

Assault (London, 2007),p.xx.

8 Thompson, op cit, p95.9 Hugh McManners,

Forgotten Voices of theFalklands (St Ives, 2007),p.246.

10 Thompson, op cit, p95.11 Geddes, op cit, p.xxi.12 Thompson, op cit, p95.13 Ibid, p96.14 Cavendish, op cit, p.130.15 Ibid.16 Ibid, p.132.17 Ibid, p.133.18 Ibid, p.133.19 Geddes, op cit, p.250-51.20 Thompson, op cit, p104.21 Cavendish, op cit, p.134.22 Thompson, op cit, p.10523 Marshall Cavendish, The

Falklands War (London,2007), p.133.

24 Thompson, op cit, p.105.25 Ibid26 Ibid27 Ibid28 Ibid29 McManners, op cit, p.235.

BibliographyBadsey, Stephen; Havers,

Rob; and Grove, Mark. TheFalklands Conflict TwentyYears On: Lessons for theFuture. Oxford, 2005.

Cavendish, Marshall. TheFalklands War 25thAnniversary. London, 2007.

Freedman, Sir Lawrence.Official History of theFalklands Campaign: Vols 1& 2. London, 2005.

Geddes, John. SpearheadAssault, Blood, Guts andGlory on the FalklandsFrontlines. London, 2007

McManners, Hugh. ForgottenVoices of the Falklands: TheReal Story. St Ives, 2007.

Middlebrook, Martin. TheArgentine Fight for theFalklands. London, 2003.

Thompson, Julian. 3Commando Brigade in theFalklands: No Picnic.Barnsley, 2007.

Underwood, Geoffrey. OurFalklands War, The Men ofthe Task Force Tell TheirStory. London, 1983.

Woodward, Admiral Sandy.One Hundred Days: TheMemoirs of the FalklandsBattle Group Commander.London, 2003.

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Apart from the prose, Michael drew all the illustra-tions throughout the book. To get your copy of OnHurting Ground, contact the author at: [email protected]

Through the DarkClouds Shining Written by: Neil RichardsonDirected by: Caroline BarryProduced by: Rain King ProductionsCast: Stephen Jones (Sgt Michael Curley), TommyCampbell (Sgt Jack West), Rory Dignam (Pte EddieO’Hara) and Vincent Browning (Harry Burke)Next Showing: February 19th-20th 2010 Venue: Athlone Little Theatre, St Mary’s Place,Athlone, Tel: 09064 74324NB (The box office only takes bookings three days inadvance of show).

Reviewed by: Sgt David Nagle

Through the Dark Clouds Shining* is an evocativestory of a group of Irishmen who endured the harshrealities of trench warfare during World War One.

Writer Neil Richardson, himself a reservist withthe 56 Res Inf Bn has ably adapted the real life storyof Athlone man, Sgt Michael Curley into a play - wellworth a night out at the theatre.

From the start, you are catapulted into the trench-es and are made to feel like free-faced soldiers as the

On HurtingGround Poetic Silhouettes onSoldiers, History, Love andTragedy

Author: Michael WhelanPublished by: Inisfail HistoriesPrice: €10 (Limited number of signed copies available)

Reviewed by: Sgt David Nagle

This collection of original poems is an ideal stockingfiller this Christmas for family or friends. Soldier, historian and author, Michael Whelan has composedthese 50 poems on his experiences in life as a soldierserving abroad, growing up in Tallaght and the lovesand loss of family. This book is dedicated to hismother, Bernadette Whelan-Warner, who died in 2008and all proceeds from the book are being donated toBreast Cancer and Heart Disease research. In his opening poem ‘On Hurting Ground’ (page 3),the author introduces the reader to the theme ofmotherhood and the earth, which features regularlythroughout the book.

‘That membraneThe dusty soilKeeps departed soulsLoved onesDisconnectedAn echoing earth’

One favourite of mine, is ‘My Grandfathers Old ArmyCoat’ (page 88), in which Michael remembers grow-ing up using his grandfather’s army coat to keepwarm in bed.

‘My Grandfathers great deedsHow it must once have kept him warmWhen he stood bravely by Ireland’s needsAnd when my father was a soldierWe slept under his old greatcoat tooDreaming, how one day we would be grownWearing army greatcoats new’

Of particular interest to soldiers are the series ofpoems on Michael’s military service. One poem enti-tled ‘Groundhog’ (page 47), recalls the experience ofsoldiers under fire.

‘Crunch… Crunch… Crunch!Impacts close, at bayRoll out of bedMozzy’s deadFirst casualties of the dayGround shakesPanic outsideShouted ordersBarking soldiersTannoy screaming‘Groundhog, groundhog, groundhog!Searching, in the darkFor accoutrements of war’

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seasoned Connaught Ranger, Sgt Michael Curleygives his new platoon the ‘do’s and don’ts’ and whathe expects of them - if they were to survive.

In his dugout, Curley debates with comrade, SgtJack West about the futility of the war, the situationin Ireland, their concerns for their men and theirfamilies at home.

Both NCOs berate a young Pte Eddie O’Hara,who is sent into the dugout on a fool’s errand.Feeling sorry for O’Hara, they sit the young soldier

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down and give him a few tips to offset trench foot. With orders to go over the top issued, Curley and

West, reluctantly, but with a sense of duty to theirmen put on their tunics, grab their rifles and wisheach other good luck. Both leave the stage shoutingorders to their men to get in line, stick together andgive the Germans all they got.

The audience listened intently to the noises ofbattle off stage – explosions, machine gun fire, menscreaming and officers and NCOs shouting at theirmen to push on! Within this chaos, Sgt West is heardscreaming for a medic as his friend Michael Curley**is fatally wounded.

The first act ends back in the dugout, where youwitness a Pte O’Hara trying to console a Sgt JackWest who is devastated at the loss of his friend andwho is led off stage having had a mental breakdown.

In act two, you are introduced to WWI veteran andDubliner Harry Burke. In a superb monologue, theaudience are brought on a journey of a 16-year-oldboy who joins up and takes part in some of thebloodiest battles of war. Burke recalls his comradeslost, his hopes for love on his return, his pride havingserved, his mental and physical scars and theridicule he as a WWI veteran endured from an uncar-ing Irish population for taking the King’s shilling.

Though the story of the Irishmen who fought inWorld War One is well documented,

Through the Dark Clouds Shining gives a freshperspective on the horror, sense of duty and com-radeship that these men experienced. Many joinedup in the belief that their service would help Irelandsecure its freedom after the war.

The cast skillfully portrayed the spirit, the humourand concerns of the characters, especially VincentBrowning, whose monologue as Burke was com-pelling.

The director and production team must be com-mended in staging the play in an intimate setting,which gives the audience a feeling that they are inthe scene.■

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*Through the DarkClouds Shining isbased on storiesfrom a book enti-tled, A Coward if IReturn, A Hero if IFall written by NeilRichardson anddue for publicationby O’Brien Pressin 2010.**The ConnaughtRangers werepreparing to takepart in the ThirdBattle of Ypres,when Michael diedon August 3rd 1917after been shot inthe abdomen. Onhis last posting inIreland, he and hiswife conceived asecond child - adaughter, whichMichael never saw.He was 32-years-old when he diedand is buried inBrandhoek NewMilitary CemeteryNo3 in Belgium.

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These badges, worn on flight suit and jacket, first appeared in1986 when Cpl David Carolan and myself designed a badge forSearch and Rescue (SAR) Squadron, No3 Support Wing. Thepilot’s or crewman’s name, in orange stitching, appeared

below an image of a Dauphlin helicopter on a navy background. In the mid-90s, a variation to this badge was introduced, with

the words ‘Irish Air Corps’. In 1999, the individually named badgeceased to be worn, as a named wings badge was being intro-duced.

In 2002, the Air Corps’ new establishment saw the squadronsrenamed and given a numerical designation. This in turn led to the

production of a number of new badges with the new squadronnumbers matching the new wing designation. No 3 Support Wingbecame No 3 Operations Wing, with three squadrons designated301, 302 and 303.

The 301 Squadron badge incorporates elements of the formerSAR badge – the St Brendan the Navigator sail and North Star.The 302 Squadron badge incorporates a Celtic design and heli-copter rotor blade, while the 303 Squadron badge again incorpo-rates rotor blades, with a spanner and nut indicating its mainte-nance role. For more on Defence Forces badges, checkout:

irishmilitaryinsignia.com

Military Insignia— By Flt Sgt Jim Perkins —

Air Corps Squadron Badges – No 3 Operations Wing

302 Sqn (May 2004) 303 Sqn (Oct 2006)

3 Ops Wing (May 2004) 301 Sqn (May 2004)

SAR Sqn (1986) SAR Sqn (mid-90s) SAR Sqn (1999)

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On ExhibitDRESS UNIFORMS

This month’sMilitary Heritageof Ireland Trustarticle on aspectsof the militaryexhibition at theNational Museum,Collins Bks, iswritten by GlennThompson and init he talks aboutthe Army FullDress Uniforms1935-55.

After the First World War military ceremonial uniforms appeared generally forofficers, bands and guards regiments throughout Europe. Ireland was noexception and the 1930s could be described as a golden era as far as offi-cers’ full dress uniforms were concerned. In 1935 press photographs were

published depicting prototypes of uniforms worn by two officers of the CavalryCorps and the Supply and Transport Service, both ofwhom were members of the Army Jumping Team.These were influenced by the style worn by Belgianofficers of the same period and were then introducedfor officers of all corps and services in the Army.

The basic colours were black and dark blue, withmedium blue for the Air Corps and medical blue inrespect of the Medical Service. The headdress wasthe cylindrical and peaked shako, which was commonto all. Tunics were either double- or single-breasted,which denoted a mounted or dismounted corps orservice respectively. Irrespective of the colour of theuniform, all wore black cloaks with black velvet col-lars. Each corps or service had their own facingcolour, which appeared on thecrown of the shako, the collar,cuffs, overall stripes, pipingand the artificial silk lining ofthe cloaks. Badges, buttons,embroidery and lace wereeither gold or silver.

Some of these beautifuluniforms are on display in theSoldiers and Chiefs exhibitionat the National Museum,Collins Barracks, Dublin.These illustrate the high stan-dard of workmanship involvedin the tailoring of these dis-tinctive uniforms, which wereofficially worn until 1955. MajGen Michael Brennan, Chiefof Staff from 1931 to1940, wore the shako andtunic shown here.

The Museum is anx-ious to complete the fullrange of these dress uni-forms and would be veryhappy to obtain, eitheras a donation or as along-term loan, one eachof the following: TheArmy School of Music;the Ordnance Service,the Supply and TransportService and the MilitaryPolice Service. Theauthor can be contactedat the National Museumof Ireland, Dublin.■

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LETTERSTO THE EDITOR

Dear EditorDue to a recent article in An Cosantóir, I was contacted by amember of my recruit platoon, who like myself was now retiredfrom the Defence forces having both put on a lot of years.

We met up and he produced a copy of our platoon photo. Atthe end of training we had both just turned seventeen – it wasAugust 1963.

Many of our platoon, including my friend Christy McQuaid,were dispatched to serve in infantry battalions throughout theDefence Forces and very shortly afterwards we found ourselvesserving in the Belgian Congo.

The old ‘Bulls Wool’ uniform of the day shows how differenttimes were. The tunic buttoned up to the neck over a collarlessshirt and the slacks hung neatly over leather leggings, held inplace by unseen lead weights.

The ‘greybacks’ shirts were very long – like a nightshirt withthree metal buttons at the neck.

The material of the uniform was a heavy wool-like texture andwas notoriously difficult to keep in shape. A little dampness inthe air could ruin hours of ironing and pressing! Boots and leg-gings were red and we were also issued with a cap and a beret(both green).

Our platoon (the 17th) was the first to be trained with theBelgian FN Rifle, though the .303 rifle was still widely in use. Infact, on reporting to our respective units following recruit train-ing, a good number had to be retrained on the .303 in order toperform guard duty. Today’s soldiers who use the Steyr wouldhardly remember the FN!

Incidentally, the .303 rifle was perfect for arms drill, especiallywith the ‘fix bayonet‘, which was a spectacular sight to see. Itwas also favoured by military marksmen!

Following enlistment, our civilian clothing was taken intostores and the wearing of uniform (at all times, both on and offduty) was compulsory for six weeks until final approval. Thisincluded going out to socialise of an evening to the cinema ordancing.

At the time no one would have paid particular notice to a sol-dier in uniform. This situation had its advantages in that a sol-dier never queued. The uniform commanded a respect, which

rendered queuing unacceptable, so you and your partner couldpass the long cinema and dance queues of the time.

The weekly pay back then was £3, 11 shillings and 3 pence –about six euros in today’s money and on return from our first tripoverseas, we received a cheque at the end for £147 (about €180today).

Most unmarried soldiers lived in barracks, so life was livelyand entertaining. Living together in dormitories (billets) andlearning the standards for co-existence with others formed thebetter aspects of the character of many a young soldier. This wasalso good preparation for overseas service.

The highlight of 1963 during our platoon training was the visitof US President John F Kennedy. Our platoon – indeed the wholeof the Defence Forces, were involved in the ceremonial duties forhis visit.

Our platoon were at Dublin Airport to ‘present arms’ for himand we were given strict instructions not to look up as he passedwithin feet of us. (All broke the rules on that occasion)

There are few comparisons between the conditions of thosetimes with the soldier serving in today’s Defence Forces. Thismodern and sophisticated group with its technological knowl-edge and training continues to expand its operations and fron-tiers throughout the world with distinction.

Other armies look to them for training because of their expe-rience in the field. In countries where they have served, youngadults have adopted for themselves many of the fine humanqualities they experienced through contact with Irish soldiers.

Those of us who served in times past hold them in highesteem, as do all of the people of this country.

It’s a great organisation indeed, which teaches high morals, asense of duty, love of country and the democratic system – cou-pled with a strong sense of comradeship and a care for others.

However, it’s important to remember we are where we aretoday, to some extent, due to the paths cleared by, and the expe-riences of, previous generations of military men and women.

Yours faithfullyHarry MulhernCoy Sgt Retired

A Veteran Recalls

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