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■ Left: Lieut Col Mark Prendergast (centre) with members of the 48th Infantry Group during training at the , in Co Wicklow. Above: Pte Emma Ging, aspecialist search team engineer. PHOTOGRAPHS: DARA MAC DÓNAILLAND CYRIL BYNE

THE MISSION: THE ARMY GOES TO THE GOLAN

This month the 48th Infantry Group of the took up duty on the Golan Heights. Anew series follows their months of preparation and their experience in the perilous buffer zone between Israel and Syria

um of Finner Campthe men and women which is known as mission command. “It’s with plyometrics. Amix of high-intensity, umbilically linked. There’ssilence for amo- about70per cent of the Golan. In the Yom now under hiscommand are in their battle all about allowing peoplemake deci- strenuousexertion,performedinrapidsuc- ment as, inside the stricken Mowag, every- Kippur War, of October 1973,Syrian forces fatigues, ready for the start of two months’ sions ...They have to be able to make the cession, with the aim of enabling the sol- one takes their seatsagain,strapping them- initially recaptured much of the southern predeploymenttraining. right decisions.The person who will have to diers to unleash explosive bursts of energy selves in as if on aplane.The silenceisbro- Golanbut were pushed back by Israel. They do not applaudPrendergast’s entry make alife-or-death decision won’t be able atwill. ken when the disabled Mowag gives two Undofwasset up inMarch 1974, when Is- to the room; nor will they applaud his to ask me, if that moment arrives.” They do this on the Finner bluff for 45 beeps of its horn, signalling that they are raelandSyriaagreedtheYomKippurcease- speech and exit. That’s not the Army way. Doing the smallthings so oftenthat do- minutes, until even the hardened begin to ready for towing. The mobile vehicle pulls fire. Israel’soccupation remained in place, But they listen intentlytoevery word. ingthem wrong becomesimpossible. wilt. Severalofthe soldiers slump on the the disabled one to safety. and in 1981Israel formally annexed the Peter Murtagh He speaks without notes, and stands in mossy grass, gasping and retching. The first time they do this exercise it land,amove illegalininternationallaw.Be- the sameplace for the duration of his And in the howling wind, blue skies giv- takes 15 seconds. The second time it’s 30 tween the boundaryofthe Israeli-occupied 20-minute speech, aquietly delivered tour Eventhehardened ing way to sleet and rain, and blue once seconds. Not so good. But they do it over Golan and Syria proper, however, both de force.Hetells them why he is talking to more,you wonder: why? and over again, and they continue to do so sidesagreedtorespect aUN-patrolled buff- nApril7th the 48th Infantry them, whatheexpects of themand whathe begintowilt It’s so they are as ready as they can be if before and during deployment. er zone. Groupofthe Defence Forces took feelsthey should expect of him. On an icy coldmorning later in February, that momentarrives when,under major Perfection doesn’t come easy, but prac- This strip of land, about 75km long and upduty on the GolanHeights, “The purpose of this talk,” Prendergast sleet is sweeping in off the Atlantic and pressure or even underfire, they have to act tice makesasnear perfect asyou’regoingto never morethan 10kmwide,inthe providing militarysupport for UN begins, “is to give you my intent for the pre- whipping up the side of abluff behind fasttosave themselves or acolleaguein get. Because this is what it’s about; this is north-central area, is sandwiched between Oobservers in azone between deployment training, so that when we are Finner Camp. Standing there, 30 or so mortal danger. Adifferent exercise shows what the boss told them it was about:doing twolines,the AlphaLinetothe westandthe Israeli-occupied Syriaand Syriaproper. engaged in predeployment training you members of the 48th Infantry Group push why. thesimplethingsand doingthem well. Bravo Linetothe east. The buffer is known The UN missiononthe GolanHeights know exactly what my guidance to you is; themselvestothe limit,doing the small Doing them so often, so well, thatthey formally as the Area of Separation. It is un- hasbecome fraught with danger sincethe what Irequire of you as ajunior leader, as a things over and over. are incapable of gettingthem wrong. der Syrian jurisdiction and policing. It con- outbreak of the civil war in Syria. Substan- commander of agroupand as an individual Acorporal shouts orders. Those obeying RescuingaMowag tainsseveral dozen towns and villages that tial partsofthe zone have been overrun by soldier.” includeall ranks fromprivatetocaptain. AMowag –abox-like armour-plated troop are home to thousands of civilians. armed groups opposed to the regime of He sayshewants “simple things to the There are no concessionstostatushere. carrierwitheight wheels, known after its Lifeinthebufferzone Eachsidehasagreedtoamaximumnum- the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. highestpossiblestandards”.“Thereisanex- Up. Down. Up. Down. Other arm. Other manufacturer –istrapped, or bogged as The 48th Infantry Group deployed to the bers of troops and military equipment that The 48th,who took over from their pression: amateurs practise something un- leg. Again! Again! theycallit, inanimaginaryditch.It’s actual- GolanHeightsonApril 7th as part of it willstation in each of thezones. It is the Defence Forces colleagues in the 46th til they can do it right. Professionals prac- Cpl BillyFanneran, gunner and qualified ly sitting on the largely disused runway be- Undof,the United Nations Disengagement job of Undofinspectors to examine 500 lo- Infantry Group, comprise 130 men and tise until they can’t do it wrong.That’s the physical-fitness trainer, has to roar to make side Finner Camp, but it could be on adirt Observer Force. cations and count, with clockwork regulari- women: 14 officers, 115 otherranksand a level of competencyIexpect during prede- himselfheard above the gale. trackonthe Golan. SinceSeptember 2013 the Defence Forc- ty twice amonth, the military hardware chaplain. ployment training. You will practise until “Down!” The people inside –adriver, agunner, es have provided Undof withanarmed rap- each side stations within the zones, to en- Thedeployment of Irish troops follows you can’tdoitwrong.” Andinstantly they crouch, folding their their section commander andsevencol- id-responseforce capable of intervening to sure the agreed limits are being kept. manymonths of preparation andtraining. Prendergast’s office in Finner, where he bodies in on themselves, pushing their leagues–havebeen toldthat their disabled aid UN personnel if required and of impos- ButthecivilwarinSyriahas changedeve- Since early February Peter Murtagh has is alsothe officercommandingthe resident knees up into their chests, arms clasping vehicle is under fire. The disabled Mowag’s ing itself on adversariesifattacked directly. rything. The war is ragingtothe east of the been behind the scenes, following their corps, would be theenvy of manyachief ex- their shins for balance, making themselves roof hatches are locked down, and they’re Undof has 789 troops, many of whom are bufferzone, and within it are armed insur- planningfor the mission andtraining ecutive. Beyond its window, looking south ascompact as possible. relyingonasecond Mowag, whose hatches UN observers. The main Irish component gents,whiletheBravoLinehasceasedtoex- exercisesat Finner Camp,in Co Donegal, across the paradeground androlling farm The wind gluestheir clothes to their bod- arealso locked down,toget them out. of Undof, 130 strong, is known as the Force ist in any meaningful sense. All UN posts andat the UnitedNations Training School fields, lies the mountain range that con- ies, as though they’ve been vacuum-packed ThesecondMowag –thetroopscallthem ReserveCompany; it must be capable of de- along it have been abandoned, as have Ireland,in theCurragh, andin theGlen of cludes with majestic Benbulbin overlook- intothem. Exposed flesh turns pink. There cars –draws up behind the crippled one. It ploying aquick-reaction force with15min- many on the AlphaLine. The job of the Imaal, both Co Wicklow. ingSligoBay. is no protection on the elevationoverlook- stops about ametre behind the bogged car utes’notice. ForceReserve Company, Ireland’s 48th In- This is the first instalment of his series, But inside, on the pale-yellow wallsofthe ing the Erne estuary and Donegal Bay, the and sounds along beep of its horn. The civil war in Syria has meant that the fantryGroup, inthis situation isto givemili- The Mission.Itcontinues next week and office, there is nothing. Not asingle photo- highest pointinthe camp. Nothinghappens at first. Then the hatch Undof operation is under threat, making tary clout to the rest of Undof when called will conclude with areport from the graph offamily or career to indicate aper- “Get up! Up! Up!” shouts Fanneran, and door on the back of the disabled Mowag this mission potentially the most hazardous on. GolanHeights. sonal or professional high point, no mo- they leap, armsraised, likesprings un- springs open and asoldier in battledress of the 16 UN missions, in 15 nations, in mentofpride to be relishedand shared. “I coiled. emerges in aburst of energy. which Ireland is involved. deliberately put nothing in the office,” he Then it’s down againfor more press-ups, Around the nose of the second Mowag Israel’s presence on the Golan dates Hehadbeenbeheaded says, “because Iwant people to judge me in avariety of awkwardpositions. the soldier unhooksaheavy-duty towing fromthe Six Day War, in June1967, be- At the United Nations TrainingSchool Ire- Practiseuntilyoucan’t professionally, form an assessmentofme, “Lower the hips! Lower!” urges Fanner- slingand places it on the hitchofhis disa- tween Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Syria. At land,inthe complex in Co for what I’m doing now. Not what Itold an. “Up down,updown, up down.Twenty!I bled car. He dives back into the disabled the time Israel’s border in the area was the Kildare, the officersofthe 48th Infantry are doitwrong themIdid –that Idid this15years ago,Idid want 20.” Mowag, struggling to pull his feet inside. As eastern shore of Lake Galilee and aline ex- being given ataste of what they can expect The 48th Infantry Group meet collectively that 20 years ago, Iwas there and there. The soldiers do it laughing, grimacing, he doessoacolleague leans out and putsa tendingfrom it, more or less straight,north on theGolanHeightsfrom two colleagues forthe firsttimejustafter10amon Monday, That’s irrelevant. “ cursing and spitting. But mainly laughing, holding pin into the hitchsothe slingwon’t to Lebanon and south to Jordan. West of who were on earlierUNmissions there. February9th, 2015, at Finner Camp, in Prendergastjudgeshimself as he wants strainingunderthe effort,cursingsoftlyun- snap out. Athird soldier inside the disabled this line lay Israel; east was Syria and the One, who spent 18 months as aUNmili- southCoDonegal. It is also the first time others to judge him and as he will judge der theirbreathand gasping for air. Shirts car slams the door the moment the hitch is strategically important Golan Heights, a tary observer, describes an incident in they meet their commanding officer, Lieut those who serve under him. It is clear, sim- pull free from trousers; their bodies look secure. commanding position from which Israel which two Scandinavian colleagues were Col Mark Prendergast. ple andfair,and partof hisadherence to the raw. The franticbut focused task is accom- was vulnerable. travelling in avehicle with aliaison officer When Prendergast enters the auditori- Defence Forces leadership philosophy, Burpee exercising,it’s called, together plished in seconds. The two cars are now During the Six Day War Israel captured Continuesonpage2