MILITARY INSIGNIA by Flt Sgt James G Perkins
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00-An Cos-FEB-08 (p1-9) 03/03/2008 14:49 Page 1 THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE ( E S T A B L I S H E D 1 9 4 0 ) FEBRUARY 2008 €2.50 (Stg £1.70) Chad page 7 Jumpers page 10 Housing page 24 ISSN 0010-9460 0 2 9 770010 946001 00-An Cos-FEB-08 (p1-9) 03/03/2008 14:49 Page 2 2 AN COSANTÓIR February 2008 00-An Cos-FEB-08 (p1-9) 03/03/2008 14:49 Page 3 An Cosantóir V O L U M E 6 8 N u m b e r 2 F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8 MANAGER: News Update Affordable Capt Pádraic Kennedy Picture Parade. 6 Housing 24 Air Corps Electrician helps EDITOR: out in South Africa. Sgt David Nagle Report by JOURNALIST: Armn Paul Hayles Terry McLaughlin Wesley Bourke CONNECT: Chad Mission Marking Time Sgt Willie Braine The Chief of Staff speaks 7 Should we record our 26 about our deployment to veteran’s experiences? PHOTOGRAPHER: Chad. Report by Armn Billy Galligan Report by Armn Michael Whelan Lt Gen Dermot Earley SUBSCRIPTIONS: Cpl Paul O’Neill ADVERTISING: Killelan Marketing Ltd Operation ‘Toy A Helping Hand Mobile: 086 3842946 Tel: 01 8042691 Drop 2007 10 Troops serving in Kosovo 27 reconstruct a school with Email: [email protected] DF parachutists take part funding from Irish Aid. in US parachuting concen- Report by Printed by tration. Lt Col Matt Murray Kilkenny People, Report by Kilkenny. Lt Steve O’Sullivan The fact that an article appears in this magazine does not indicate official approval Sports Update Military of the views expressed by the Athletics, basketball and 13 Insignia 28 boxing are featured. author. Badges of FCÁ and Army Report by Reserve MP Coys. Sgt David Nagle © Published by Report by OiC Public Relations Section Flt Sgt James G Perkins for the Defence Forces at DFHQ, Parkgate, Dublin 8, Ireland. Tel: 01 8042691 In the Service On Exhibit Fax: 01 6779018 of Peace 16 The Bofor AA Gun. 29 E-mail: ancosantoir Report by @defenceforces.iol.ie – ONUC Mr Lar Joye An analysis of our first troop Front cover: deployment to the Congo. DF and Garda runners take part Report by in inter-service cross-country race in the Phoenix Park. See Maj HED Harris page 13 for more. Photo: Armn Billy Galligan. Soviet Prying Letters to Eyes 22 the Editor 30 Maps of Dublin prepared by Readers give their Soviet military planners in opinions. the 1980s. Report by www.military.ie Col Des Travers (Retd) AN COSANTÓIR February 2008 3 00-An Cos-FEB-08 (p1-9) 03/03/2008 14:49 Page 4 news update… news update… news update… First Timer At a medal parade in Camp Ville, Kosovo, Brig Gen Gerry Hegarty (Comd MNTF (C)) presented Mr Colm O’Conaill (Political Advisor to the General) with his KFOR medal. Mr O’Conaill is a Department of Foreign Affairs diplomat and it’s the first time an Irishman held such an appointment, attached to a Defence Forces unit overseas. Photo by: Comdt P White. In Memory On February 13th, EUFOR laid a memorial stone in honour of the eleven members of the Macedonian Contingent who died in January 2008 when their helicopter crashed near Skopje on their return home. Irish troops serving with No7 Irish Contingent took part in the Ceremony. Pictured (l-r): Sgt Maj Paddy Doyle, CQMSs John Nolan, Dan Aherne, Sgt Joe Naughton, Cpl Francis Flood, Coy Sgt Peter O’Rourke, Lt Col Des Doyle, Cpl Vanessa Wrenne, Sgts Cathal Quirke, Paul Devine and PO Andy Devine. Fire Fighter Aye Aye Remembered Captain On February 8th a memorial serv- Miss Orla Thompson is seen ice for the late fire fighter Sgt here trying out the Captain’s Denis ‘Jack’ Whelan took place in chair during a recent visit to DFTC, Curragh Camp. Jack was a LÉ Orla. Photo by: Mr Kevin member of the Camp’s Fire Service Thompson. and former president of PDFORRA who died tragically while on a fire call in 1996. Pictured at his memo- rial are (l-r): Lt Col Patrick O' Leary (OC DFLB), Cpl Terry O' Leary, Ptes Mick Winders, Noel Ging, Col Joe Dowling (OC CSC), Ptes Bernard Lynch, Vinny Burke and Sgt Dan Whelan (all Fire Service DFTC). Well Done Kevin At a ceremony at IT Carlow in November, Sgt Kevin Gibbons (1 Ops Wing) was conferred with a First Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Sgt Gibbons, an Aircraft Inspector in 103 Sqn, also won the Irish Business Systems Award for achieving the highest results in his year. Sgt Gibbons is pictured receiving the award from Dr Ruaidhrí Neavyn (Dir IT Carlow). 4 AN COSANTÓIR February 2008 00-An Cos-FEB-08 (p1-9) 03/03/2008 14:50 Page 5 te… news update… news update… news update… On Guard Pictured in Camp Ville, Kosovo are members of 1 Irish Guard Platoon who served as a securi- ty detail for the camp. The platoon has recent- ly returned to Ireland and all come from units in the DFTC. Standing in the front are (l-r): Sgt A Warm J Chapman and Lt G Fagan. Photo by: Welcome NEWS UPDAATE Comdt P White. Brig Gen Seán McCann (GOC DFTC) is Eyes seen here with Cllr Mary Glennon (Mayor of Kildare County Council) in the DFTC on Front January 28th. It was the first time the coun- Minister for cil held its monthly meeting in the Curragh Communications, Energy Camp and the visiting councillors and offi- and Natural Resources, Mr cials got a tour of the camp, including a Eamon Ryan TD inspects a warm welcome from the Chief of Staff, Lt Naval Guard of Honour Gen Dermot Earley. accompanied by S/Lt Tadgh Clarke at a ceremony in the new National Maritime Campus at Ringaskiddy, Cork Harbour. Photo by: Lt Cdr Ward. ye in son is seen e Captain’s ent visit to : Mr Kevin Good Luck Sean BQMS Sean Hensey (D Ord) one of the longest serving BQMS, retired in January after 40 year’s service. Sean joined in 1968 and trained in the CTD Curragh, before been posted to Clancy Bks in 1969. BQMS Hensey served 11 times overseas (10 in Lebanon and one in Cyprus). A Family Far from Affair the President Mary McAleese is madding seen here with members of crowd 2 Cav Sqn and their families Capt Ian Harrington send on February 19th in Áras an in this recent photo of him- Uachtaráin. The troopers of self with a couple of the 2 Cav Sqn provide the locals in the Western Presidental escort of hon- Sahara. Capt Harrington is our and the president invit- serving with MINURSO, ed the families to her home one of the remotest UN on a courtesy call. Photo by: missions in the World. Armn Billy Galligan. AN COSANTÓIR February 2008 5 00-An Cos-FEB-08 (p1-9) 03/03/2008 15:01 Page 6 6 AN COSANTÓIR February 2008 00-An Cos-FEB-08 (p1-9) 03/03/2008 14:50 Page 7 n Thursday February 20th, members of the Army operation to Chad and the Central African Republic Ranger Wing deployed to one of the world’s most (CAR), known as EUFOR Chad/CAR. This mission is acute humanitarian crises. Headquartered in the to protect over 400,000 refugees and internally dis- OCurragh this high readiness unit has a wide vari- placed persons (IDP’s), in Eastern Chad, with the ulti- ety of highly skilled specialist conventional military mate aim of creating the conditions to allow them to and Aid to the Civil Power capabilities. The Army return to their homes, mostly in Darfur. The interna- Ranger Wing is on immediate call for operations tional NGO community is working tirelessly to support throughout the State. Increasingly, the Defence these people, yet even their presence is in peril as Forces have utilised this unit as our ‘Initial Entry many armed groups turn their weapons on these Force’ during peacekeeping operations. The Ranger humanitarian agencies for the sake of common bandit- OVERSEAS Wing also has an established role in the advance- ry. Up to 450 Defence Forces men and women will ment of military standards and skills. Entry is by way eventually deploy to the mission area. During the 12- of an extremely challenging selection process. month period of the Government agreed participation, Thereafter, successful candidates undergo vigorous a total of 1,200 Irish Soldiers will serve with mission. training developing wide ranging capabilities in order There have been many headline delays to the to produce the Defence Forces most elite soldiers. deployment of this force. Shortfalls in resources have LT Gen Pat Nash. This deployment finally commenced Ireland’s con- been addressed and conditions in the Chadian capital, tribution to the UN-mandated, EU-led peacekeeping N’Djamena, have stabilised following hostilities In this article first published in Up to 450 Defence the Irish Times on February 21st, Forces men and the Chief of Staff Lt Gen Dermot women will even- Earley outlines our involvement tually deploy to the in this UN-mandated EU-led mission area, and humanitarian mission to Chad… during the 12-month period of the Government’s agreed participation, a total of 1,200 Irish soldiers will serve on this mission. Right: An ARW SUV on the road to Abeche in eastern Chad. Inset Chief of Staff Lt Gen Dermot Earley. Below: The mission badge. CHAD MISSION Irish Soldiers deploying to Chad will continue our proud tradition AN COSANTÓIR February 2008 7 00-An Cos-FEB-08 (p1-9) 03/03/2008 14:50 Page 8 Right: allowing the deployment of French, Swedish and An aerial view of one of the Austrian troops last week.