The Sunni Triangle Army Diving RDF Training Commissioning

■ The Sunni Triangle

■ Army Diving

■ RDF Training

■ Commissioning

97

70

01

09

46

00

1

06

ISS

N 0

01

0-9

46

0

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (p1-10) 16/8/05 4:05 pm Page 1

2 AN COSANTÓIR August 2005

page 2advt


AN COSANTÓIR August 2005 3

MANAGER:Capt Fergal Costello

EDITOR:Cpl Willie Braine

JOURNALIST:Terry McLaughlinWesley Bourke

CONNECT:Sgt David Nagle

PHOTOGRAPHER:Armn Billy Galligan

SUBSCRIPTIONS:Cpl David Nagle

ADVERTISING:Above Board PublishingPaul Kelly, Advertising ManagerTel: 0402-22800

Printed by Kilkenny People,Kilkenny.

The fact that an articleappears in this magazinedoes not indicate officialapproval of the viewsexpressed by the author.

© Published by OiC Public RelationsSection for the DefenceForces at DFHQ, Parkgate,Dublin 8, Ireland. Tel: 01 8042691Fax: 01 6779018E-mail: [email protected]

Front cover:Members of the RDF firingthe 105mm artillery gunduring a recent Course.See pages 16-19.Photo: Armn Billy Galligan

An CosantóirV O L U M E 6 5

N u m b e r 6

A u g u s t 2 0 0 5

www.military.ie/pr/an_cosantoir

i n s i d eNew UpdatePicture Parade of eventsacross the Defence.Forces.

4 Charity Beginsat HomeEx-Coy Sgt MartinCahill talks about hisappointment with CF.Report by Cpl Willie Braine

20

Controling theTriangleFrom 11 Cav Sqn to USNational Guard to Iraq. Report by Lt Nicholas Moran(US National Guard)

7 IndependenceDayCommissioning ceremony in theCurragh.Report by Wesley Bourke

23

Water, WaterEverywhere…DF Trainee ScubaDivers Course.Report by CQMS Mick Duffy & Cpl John McGuinn

11 New HomeOpensThe Presidenet opensthe new house for ex-servicemen.Report byCpl Willie Braine

27

Mayday!Mayday!Air Corps and Naval Servicerespond to mayday call.Report by Comdt Martin Clancy& Lt Cdr Declan Power

14 Going WildInternational MilitaryAthletics.Report by Wesley Bourke

28

Number One Gun, Fire!RDF Artillery Courses.Report by Wesley Bourke

16 Into the WestPhoto montage ofrecent activities in 4 W Bde.ByCpl Amanda Connolly

30



news update… news update… news update…

StandownSgt JJ Ryan's photos show (above) BQMS Nicky Aulsbery shak-ing hands with Pte Helena Poole during his BQMS's stand-downparade in the DFTC. BQMS Aulsbery served 43 years with theDefence Forces. While (below) Col Brian O' Connor reviewingtroops of the DFTC at his stand-down parade on June 23rd 2005.

10K RaceDon't forget the Cosantóir 10k is on the first Wednesday ofOctober. Now is the time to think about training, no matterwhat your fitness level. This month's Connect features atraining programme to suit all runners. Also see our article'Charity Begins at Home' in this issue for ideas to makeyour participation an occasion to help others.



te… news update… news update… news update…

NEW

S U

PD

AA

TE

OnParadeSgt JJ Ryan's photoshows the Minister forDefence, Mr Willie O'Dea TD, at the commis-sioning ceremony inthe Curragh. TheMinister, accompaniedby Lt Simon Cahill, isinspecting a guard ofhonour drawn from 81Cadet class.

SchoolVisitOn Tuesday July 11th a small group oflocal children visited Custume Bks,Athlone, where they were treated to aweapons display followed by a shorttour of the barracks. The event wasorganised by Sgt Maj John Touhey andCoy Sgt Thomas Hewitt.

Top Marks41 Pot NCO Course receivedtheir stripes on Friday July 22ndin Cathal Brugha Bks. Afterspending 26 weeks in 2 E BdeTraining Depot it was indeed aproud day for the newly promot-ed corporals. Cpl Willie Braine'sfirst photo shows Brig Gen LiamMcNamara (GOC 2 E Bde)inspecting the parade. His sec-ond photo shows (l-r) BestStudent R/Up Cpl CathalO'Reilly and Best Student CplAdam Henry (both 5 Inf Bn) withCpl Gerry Duff (Instr).

AirshowThe RAF's Red Arrows display team wereone of the more popular participants inaction at this year's Salthill Airshow.During the event LÉ Emer was keeping thewaters safe. She is pictured here with a USBlackhawk helicopter flying overhead.

Passing OutEleven recruits of Class 'Alpha' were advanced to the rank of ordinary seaman within the Dublinunit of the Naval Service Reserve on June 26th in Cathal Brugha Bks, having successfully com-pleted their recruit course. The class comprised O/S H Duggan, M O'Riordan, B Cunningham, TNelson, H Gilcreest, D O'Rourke, M Farrington, L Devlin, M Brohan, E Killeen and R Nolan. The training team were (front row l-r) L/S L Williams, P/O E Culshaw, Ens F Durcan (OIC RecruitTraining) and CPO A Hayes (NCO I/C Recruit Training).



advt page 6



IRA

Q C

ON

FLIC

T

At the beginning of the year 2000 I waved goodbyeto my colleagues in 11 Cav Sqn (RDF) and trad-ed the drizzle of Dublin for the drizzle of SanFrancisco. After a relatively short period I began

to miss running around fields with a rifle, and as aresult I found myself signing on with the CaliforniaArmy National Guard. Over the next couple of years Iworked my way through the system to become anarmour officer. Then in the autumn of 2003 as a newlybranch-qualified 2/Lt I was handed mobilisationorders for Iraq and transferred to a deploying unit.This was the beginning of a 16-month odyssey.

The job of our mobilisation was twofold. Firstly, toget a unit of part-time soldiers back into the swing ofthings, and secondly, to teach a bunch of tankers howto go around on foot with rifles. The latter was mostunpopular, as the tankers’ attitude can be summed upin one of our most popular sayings: ‘Why carry aweapon, when your weapon will carry you?’ Neverthe-less it had to be done as most line troops in Iraq areperforming an infantry role. Indeed, the 81st ArmouredBrigade was redesignated 81st Infantry Brigade(Provisional) and only one company brought theirtanks along. Everyone else was to be mounted in HighMobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWVs).

The first week of training was at home station (thecity’s armoury), where soldiers practiced their indi-vidual common tasks such as first aid and CBRN. AllUS soldiers, whether full-time or reserve, have gonethrough the same training courses so it is more amatter of refresher training. The commander was pre-sented with a regular army advisor and a large check-list of tasks that needed to be demonstrated to stan-dard before the unit would be authorised to deploy.

From the beginning of December 2003 through to

Controllingthe Triangle

The author studies the map dur-ing a navigation exercise. PhotoSgt Eric Penick (US Army).

Over the next two months LtNicholas Moran of the CaliforniaNational Guard gives us an accountof his service with the US army inIraq. Nicholas, who is from Dublin,served with 11 Cav Sqn (RDF) beforeemigrating to America. This month’sexcerpt deals with forming up andtraining in preparation for opera-tions in the Sunni Triangle, ahotbed of insurrection activity.



mid-February 2004, the brigade mustered as a wholein Ft Lewis, Washington State. As a result tankersfrom the deserts of Southern California found them-selves training as infantrymen in several feet ofWashington snow in preparation for a year’s tour ofduty in the deserts of Iraq!

As my company was the one earmarked to take ourtanks along, we not only had to pass the infantrycrash-course, but also all the tankers’ deployment cri-teria. Long, hard days were endured. We were one ofthe first units to use the new Military Operations onUrban Terrain (MOUT (FIBUA)) training facility in FtLewis, and the level of detail has to be seen to bebelieved. Even the town’s mock police station hasbars on the jail cells in the basement.

One failing I found with the training was thatalthough basic Arabic classes were offered on anoptional basis, the classes were held at a time thatsoldiers in line units (and thus most likely to be out-side the wire dealing with locals) were involved infield training.

Our training covered everything from how to unob-trusively search Arab women, to anti-tank gunneryand trench clearing.

Then it was back down to the California deserts fora tour at the National Training Center at Ft Irwin. This



IRA

Q C

ON

FLIC

Tis the US Army’s premier manoeuvre training site,which is now seeing double duty as anIraq/Afghanistan deployment training site. To this end,they have created lots of little villages scatteredaround the desert and hired several thousand Iraqiimmigrants to populate it, so that it provides an effec-tive training area for counter-insurgency operations.This is where entire battalions start working togetherprior to deployment and we spent almost a monththere.

Before I move on to our deployment, a word on ourequipment is in order. As a National Guard unit, wewere not exactly at the pointy end of technology.However, we are a part of the US Army, so it’s allrather dependent on your point of view.

When we mobilised for Iraq, weapons fell from thesky. The usual authorisation for a tank company is thatevery soldier has a pistol, with two rifles per tank.Before we left the US, everyone was carrying two orthree firearms: at minimum a rifle and sidearm. Myplatoon also received a shotgun and a few M249SAWs (Squad Automatic Weapon) (FN Minimis)). Acouple of M21 7.62mm sniper rifles were also distrib-uted in the company. We weren’t issued bayonets, butas one chap pointed out, he’s got a 120mm, a .50cal,two 7.62mm machineguns, his rifle, and his pistol… if it

comes down to the bayonet, he’s giving up and goinghome!

Curiously, although we walked onto the airlinerfestooned with these weapons, they still required thatwe place any knives into our checked baggage.

While our mid-model SINCGARS radios had diffi-culty with the latest models used by 82nd Airborne,who we worked with for a while, they were still excel-lent systems. By the end of the tour, every one of oursoldiers would have night vision and optics for theirrifles. All pistols had laser sights (very useful for des-ignating targets), many rifles had infra-red spotlights,and commanders had infra-red pointers.

For our first few months in Iraq only half the sol-diers would be equipped with night vision and thisproved unacceptable. Given the 24-hour nature of theenvironment we would be operating in, the impor-tance of night-fighting systems cannot be overstated.

One Brit observed, looking at soldiers with pistolsin thigh holsters, that there is something about theAmerican culture of the gun that requires that you goin armed with rifle, pistol and three knives.Americans have always believed in the concept ofhaving firepower available if you need it (‘Peacethrough superior firepower’, as the saying goes).While I’m not sure about the knives, the pistol isn’t allthat bad an idea. I would use it often during house-clearing in preference to my M4 carbine, and there issomething about the pistol in the Iraqi mindset whichmakes it an attention-getter. Apparently it is theweapon of choice for executions and assassinations.They don’t bat an eyelid at rifles and machineguns,but focus quickly on a pistol.

Hand-held GPS systems were used in abundance,Garmins and Magellans in particular. Some of ourtanks and HMMWVs were retrofitted with Blue-ForceTracker. This is an inter-linked system that shows allusers where everyone else is, and more importantly,where you are. It superimposes a little ‘You are here’icon on a map, or a satellite photo, and gives you agrid. Excellent tool, particularly in cities.

We all had body armour, and ballistic eye protec-tion (Wiley-Xs). Many soldiers would have their eye-sight saved by wearing those sunglasses. For nightpurposes, they can be fitted with clear lenses.

Finally, almost everyone had a hand-held Motorolaradio.

Anyway, back to deployment. After a three-daypass to say goodbye to family members (in my casespent in nearby Las Vegas!) it was onto a charteredDC-10 to Kuwait. Several hours later some Irish peo-ple recovering from their St Patrick’s Day hangover in2004 may have seen our jet in the distance as we par-alleled Ireland’s south coast.

Even in Kuwait, as we drew, inspected and‘prepped’ our pre-shipped equipment, it wasn’t theend of the training. As one British officer put it: “TheAmericans are the best in the world at conventionalwar, but when it comes to peacekeeping and counter-insurgency, they need a bit of work.” I’ll come back tothat later, but the upshot of it was that the British mil-itary was asked to send a roving team of trainers tounits both in theatre and deploying, to brief them onhow the British do business. Particularly useful weretheir TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures) forthings like squad patrolling, searching for caches, andvehicle checkpoints, none of which had comparableequivalents in US military doctrine.

Finally, with all our training and preparation inplace it was time to pack our bags, and move Northacross the border into Iraq.

(Next month: A whole new ball game. Going oper-ational and coming under fire for the first time.)■

Left:The author’s crew (l-r): SPCAaron Peters (driver), SgtDouglas Gojkovic (gunner),SPC Joshua Morrow (loader)and Lt Nicholas Moran (com-mander).

Below:M1A1s (Abrahms Tank) firingon the range at Yakima,Washington.

Bottom left:A loader keeps AA watch on theturret while his gunner mansthe machinegun on the hatch.Photo: Staff Sgt Shane Cuomo(USAF).

Bottom right:The Governor of CaliforniaArnold ‘Arnie’ Schwartzenegergreets the troops on their wayto Iraq in Ft Irwin.



??

page 10advt


Not too long ago the only way to join the ArmyDiving Group was to start in September and trainonce a week in the pool doing length after strenu-ous length. If you survived the pool sessions you

went to the classroom for a lecture or two on the theo-ry of diving. Then if your diving officer thought youwere up to scratch, and the weather was right, youmight be allowed to snorkel in the sea in March orApril the following year, before moving on to scubatraining in May. This was a very slow process andunfortunately it deterred a lot of young aspiring diverswho opted instead for the quicker and easier approachby going off to sunnier climes and signing up for athree-day course in instant, ‘just-add-water’ scubadiving, (pardon the pun).

However, things have changed in recent years. Therevamped trainee scuba divers course, now in its thirdyear, comprises two weeks of intensive training. Notsurprisingly the short duration makes for a very physi-cally and mentally demanding course. The new systemof training is structured similarly to other courses thatmembers of the Defence Forces are used to. Anothermajor advantage of the new course is that successfulstudents also qualify as civilian divers and can diveanywhere in Ireland or the world, within the limits oftheir grade. The new, shorter course has certainlyattracted a lot of new people to the club and hasproven itself to be more effective in holding the inter-est of the Jacques Cousteau ‘wannabes’.

Prospective candidates for the course must pass adiving medical as laid down by the Irish UnderwaterCouncil (CFT) and pay a course fee of €300 (this goestowards the cost of renting equipment, CFT fees,diver’s insurance and club membership for the year).

The course is held in the DFPES in the DFTC, withthe first week concentrating on a lot of theory as well


AD

VEN

TUR

E S

PO

RTDiving has long been a popular

sport in the Defence Forces. In this article CQMS Mick Duffy, 5 Inf Bn, tells us about thetrainee scuba divers course,while Cpl John McGuinn gives usthe student’s perspective aftercompleting the most recentcourse.

water, water,everywhere…

Cpl John McGuinn (5 InfBn), Gnr BrendanO’Connell (1 Fd Arty Regt)and Pte Yvonne Kearney(DFPES) make their wayalong the bottom of theDFPES swimming pool dur-ing their training.


as plenty of wet training (that’s in the pool, for all ofyou non-diver types).

The theory subjects cover a wide range of informa-tion on dive physics, dive physiology, diver first aid,scuba equipment, and much more. Between each lec-ture session practical lessons are conducted in thepool. These include hand signals, and snorkel andscuba drills. These help the trainees to develop asense of water confidence.

The first week is also dotted with progressiontests on areas such as swimming, breath-holding,snorkelling, underwater manoeuvres, and finning with-out a mask. Once these tests have been passed thestudents move on to scuba training; learning how toassemble the kit and carry out basic underwater taskssuch as buoyancy control, mask and regulator removaland fitting, buddy breathing and the out-of-air drill.Once the trainees are proficient in these tasks theyare tested again in full scuba gear. Having passed thistest they are ready for open water training.

The second week normally takes place in FinnerCamp, Co Donegal which is chosen because of itsproximity to a wide range of diving sites. This iswhere the trainees begin to realise the value of alllearnt in the first week, and the drills that they nerv-ously practiced in the pool, become more natural.

The week starts off with three snorkel sessionsgiving many trainees their first chance to see whatlies beneath the waves around our coastline. Thesesessions also help the trainees to determine the cor-rect weight of lead that they will need to put ontotheir belts, to compensate for the added buoyancy ofthe diving suit.

The working days are long and tiring to say theleast, with reveille at 0700hrs and dinner at around2000hrs. After dinner there may be compressordetails or more lectures, continuing until 2130hrs.

No time during the day is wasted. If students arenot at the Diving Officer’s briefing, they are preparingtheir kit, filling dive cylinders on the compressor,fuelling boats, or assisting the Shore Marshal in con-trolling the flow of divers into, and more importantlyout of, the water.

The first open water dives are to a maximum depthof 10m and last for about 20-30 minutes. During thesedives the trainee will be encouraged to carry out thedrills previously practiced in the pool. A lot of begin-ners seem to have a ‘startled rabbit’ look during thefirst one or two dives but as they get more confidentthey begin to relax, enjoying the dive and all that thesea has to offer. By the end of the week they arebecoming confident and competent trainee divers.

Divers operate in pairs and each diver mustdeclare to the Shore Marshal that he and his buddyare leaving the shore. On returning they must againreport to the Shore Marshal, informing him of anyincidents that may have happened. They also reporton their air consumption, as this is important for cal-culating the nitrogen levels they have taken on.

For the trained divers this course is also a chance toimprove on our training skills and to get new qualifica-tions such as diver cox’n, diver medic or rescue diver.

This course is only the beginning; it is up to thetrainee to continue training and stay in contact withthe group. We dive most weekends and some week-days. If you would like to find out more about diving,or if, like many others, you already underwent thecourse some years ago and are interested in gettingback into the sport, why not give us a call on one ofthe following numbers:-

The author, CQMS MickDuffy, (5 Inf Bn) in full scubagear.All photos supplied byauthor.


DFHQComdt Mark Brownen Ext 2668Sgt Paddy Morley Ext 6063

DFTCCapt Ruairí O’Brien Ext 2296Tpr ‘Doc’ Doherty Ext 5419

1 S BdeCQMS Gabby Hayes 087 2269756

2 E BdeCoy Sgt Mark Fitzsimons Ext 6266CQMS Mick Duffy Ext 6080

4 W BdeComdt Fintan Dunne Ext 1519Sgt Gerry Reynolds Ext 1720Sgt John Hynes Ext 1211

Air CorpsSgt ‘Red’ O’Keane Ext 7592Cpl Mick Ahern Ext 7954Cpl Mark O’Riordan Ext 7658



AD

VEN

TUR

E S

PO

RTders for the next day’s diving.

The following morning we set off forMullaghmore. The sun was shining but we soonfound out that the area has something in commonwith Kilbride Camp, in that they get all four sea-sons in one day and that you can’t really rely onweather forecasts.

The day started out with us donning our semi-dry suits, which don’t keep you dry but they dokeep you warm, which is some accomplishment inIrish seas. I noticed that all the instructors woredry-suits, which, while expensive (up to €1000),seem to be the only way to go if you are consider-ing taking up this sport permanently. We snorkelledall that day, practicing all our previously learnedtasks and drills, which became a bit more difficultnow that we were trying to compensate for the cur-rent and the waves. All that pool work really paidoff though, as I felt completely relaxed and confi-dent in the water.

The following day we went shore-diving off StJohn’s Point. This means simply walking into thesea and finning out over the depth we required andthen dumping the air in our stab jackets and drop-ping down. It took 38lbs of lead to get me to sink,although I was assured by my buddy that thisamount would decrease with experience. (What heactually said was “You have lungs like hot air bal-loons, no wonder you are still floating: you mustlove the taste of them bubbles!”)

When I finally did get down I realised that thereis a completely new world down there just waitingfor us to explore. I didn’t really know what to expectand found it really strange but exciting to be float-ing in mid-water 10 metres down and to be able tosee for 15 or so metres all around. I was also sur-prised to see so many fish and other marine lifedown there. I thought that the colourful species offish stayed in the warmer waters of theMediterranean Sea but we saw cuckoo wrasse,conger eels, dogfish, crabs, sea cucumbers, lob-sters, and much more. During these dives we weretested again and again on our drills. Mask removalis much harder in the sea as the cold salt waterhits your eyes, but it gets easier after the first fewattempts.

We arrived back at Finner at about 1900hrs andhad dinner before getting straight down to work,washing down all the gear to get rid of the saltwater and then filling the cylinders for the nextday’ diving.

The next day we did the same sort of dives, onlythis time the drills came easier and I didn’t need tobe told what to do as much.

The next day we progressed on to boat-divingfrom the RIBs (rigid-hull inflatable boat). By thistime we were all used to the weight, our kit fittedus perfectly, and we were becoming quite profi-cient at the drills. Consequently, we were enjoyingthe dives more and more. On the final day we divedto 15 metres.

While we were in Finner, some of the instruc-tors and one of the trainees completed a divercox’n course; this is a course in small-boat han-dling, concentrating on dropping off and picking updivers safely.

The course just got better and better every day,and I must admit that for someone who had noexperience of diving, I have become a bit of a divejunkie and can’t wait for my next fix.■

A Student’s ViewCpl John McGuinn (5 Inf Bn)

I was a bit nervous on the first morning of the recenttrainee divers course as I’d never dived before, andalthough I could swim I was not really water confi-dent and had not done any pool work to get ready forthe course.

The day began with a swim test of eight lengthsfreestyle and two lengths on our backs followed by a30-second breath-holding test. Then came lectureson various subjects, a lot of which concerned thedangers of diving, such as burst eardrums and lungs.Initially I thought that they were trying to scare thebejeesus out of me, and they did. However, theinstructors pointed out that it was designed to makeus more aware of what could happen if we were notcautious in the water; and to help us avoid problemsbefore they came up.

Over the following days we did a lot of snorkeltraining and completed all of our snorkel tests.

We were then shown how to assemble and fit thescuba diving equipment. The first thing that hit mewas the weight of it. Once in the water, however, itseemed so light I wasn’t surprised when the instruc-tors said we would need to add a lot more to ourweight belts to take us below the surface. We thenhad to learn how to become neutrally buoyant.

On the final day in the pool we completed ourCFT scuba test, which was very demanding, in com-pliance with the Irish Underwater Council. Onceeverybody had passed we thought that we deserveda few well-earned pints but the course commanderCapt Ruairi O’Brien thought we deserved the chanceto load the trucks to prepare for the move to FinnerCamp on the Saturday morning! This was where wewould be doing the real diving, and according to theinstructors some of the best diving in the countrycan be done in that area.

On arrival in Finner we were told that everyevening we would be on work details to fill the cylin-

Below:A denizen of the deep edgesout of his shelter to pose forthe camera.

Bottom:Practicing snorkel drills in thepool.



ent that the vessel was burning out of control. The fishing vessel was the first surface craft to

arrive at the scene and it picked up the two crewmenfrom their life raft. The rescue helicopter arrived atthe same time but as the men were not injured it wasstood down and returned to base.

LÉ Orla was close by at this stage and in prepara-tion for the fire fighting task the XO, S/Lt AlanO’Regan, contacted the civilian vessel and requestedrelevant information from the skipper of the Saoirse,such as how much diesel was onboard, how manyfuel tanks, where they were situated, how many gasbottles, and where the fire had started. When thisinformation was received it was passed on to the firefighting and damage control teams. Meanwhile theBaltimore lifeboat had arrived on scene and carriedout a surface assessment, reporting that the vesselwas burning out of control.

Final preparations were quickly made on LÉ Orlaand a fire fighting team took their position on thefoc’sle. Lt Cdr Power informed Bantry Coastguardthat an attempt would be made to fight the fire andthe Baltimore lifeboat was stood down at this stage.

Orla manoeuvred into position and her fire fight-ers swung into action. The fire had spread from aft tothe vessel’s hold amidships, which was now burningferociously. The Saoirse was engulfed in large black

On July 8th while conducting routine patrols offthe south coast LÉ Orla and Casa 253 respond-ed to a Mayday call from a fishing vessel. Thestricken vessel, the FV Saoirse, was on fire

approximately 25nm (nautical miles) south of theFastnet and the two-man crew had taken to theirlife raft.

The Casa, piloted by Comdt Martin Clancy, wasfirst on the scene, arriving within 30 minutes of thedistress call. After locating the vessel the crew ofthe Casa quickly found the life raft and passed rel-evant information on its position and the weatherconditions to the various rescue craft that wereheading for the scene.

Meanwhile, LÉ Orla, the Baltimore Lifeboat, acoastguard rescue helicopter, and a fishing vesselwere all under way for the area.

Onboard LÉ Orla, which was under the com-mand of Lt Cdr Declan Power, preparations weremade to receive casualties, fire fighting equipmentwas checked and fire fighting and damage controlteams were briefed by the Marine Engineer Officer,S/Lt Dan Manning.

At approximately 12nm from their destinationLÉ Orla’s bridge team could see a plume of blacksmoke rising from dead ahead on the horizon. Asthe Orla continued her approach it became appar-

Mayday!Mayday!

Last month the Air Corps’ Casa 253and the Naval Service’s LÉ Orlaparticipated in a rescue missioninvolving a burning fishing vesseloff the south coast. Comdt MartinClancy (Casa pilot) and Lt CdrDeclan Power (OC LÉ Orla) gave usthe story.

Below:Fire fighters on LÉ Orla bringthe blaze under control

Right:The Baltimore lifeboat dashes to the scene

Far right:Saoirse’s two crewmen awaitthe arrival of the rescue services. All photos: CplsWillie Barr and Finbarr Cotter

Last month the Air Corps’ Casa 253and the Naval Service’s LÉ Orlaparticipated in a rescue missioninvolving a burning fishing vesseloff the south coast. Comdt MartinClancy (Casa pilot) and Lt CdrDeclan Power (OC LÉ Orla) gave usthe story.



RESCUE M

ISSIO

N…preparationswere made toreceive casualties,fire fightingequipment waschecked and firefighting and dam-age control teamswere briefed bythe MEO…

oily plumes of smoke punctuated by orange spoutsof flame, all being fuelled by a potent mixture ofdiesel oil, hydraulic oil, fish catch and the woodenhull of the vessel itself.

Due to tidal drift and prevailing seas LÉ Orlamanoeuvred a number of times upwind and upsea ofthe vessel in order to maintain the focus of the firefighting effort onto the burning hold amidships. Firefighting teams had to be relieved continuously due tothe physical exertion required in fighting the firefrom a moving ship.

For the next hour-and-a-half LÉ Orla’s fire fightersfought the fire and slowly but surely brought it undercontrol. However, their valiant efforts were in vain asat 1630hrs the stricken vessel succumbed to the fireand water onboard and slipped stern first beneaththe waves, still burning as she went. She sank in lessthan 10 seconds in 110 metres of water and all thatremained to mark her passing was a small oil slickon the surface.

The Casa and LÉ Orla remained on scene for awhile to make sure there was no pollution threat.When they were satisfied there was no threat thetwo craft returned to their respective patrols.■



Over the sound of high-explosiverounds impacting into the side ofthe Glen, and the clang of emptybrass-casings ejecting from recoil-ing 105mm light guns, WesleyBourke spoke to Sgt Gerry Setright(Artillery School instructor) aboutthis year’s RDF Artillery YOs andGun Detachment Commanderscourses.

Right:Waiting for word.

Near right:Sgt Gerry Setright briefs twoof the students during theexercise.

Bottom:The 25-pounder in action.

All photos: Armn BillyGalligan

??

From June 18th to July 1st the Artillery School con-currently ran the 5th RDF Artillery Young Officers(YOs) and the RDF Artillery Gun DetachmentCommanders (AGDC) courses. Working alongside

each other the reservists on the two courses under-went an intensive fortnight aimed at bringing them upto the same standard as their PDF counterparts.

In addition to the two-week concentration, bothcourses had completed two weekends of training earli-er in the year. Because the equivalent courses in thePDF are much longer than two weeks, reservist stu-dents need to spend a lot of personal time studying andcarrying out pre-course exercises. They are then testedto ensure that they are at the standard required to com-mence their courses.

The RDF Arty YOs course is relatively new. “Wetake in young officers from the RDF Artillery Corps andtrain them up to a similar standard as their PDF coun-

”NumberOne Gun,

Fire!”

terparts,” explained Sgt Gerry Setright. “Unfortunatelyall we are allowed for the course is two weekends andtwo full weeks, whereas the PDF equivalent is sixmonths long.”

The reserve officer students go right down tobasics, covering map-reading right up to being a com-mand post officer (CPO) in charge of a battery of guns.By the time they are finished the course they must beproficient in the full range of duties carried out by anartillery officer.

Students are trained on the 105mm light gun (boththe L118 and L119), the 25-pdr field gun and the 120mmheavy infantry mortar.

Subjects covered include basic gunnery, ballistics,fire discipline, duties in action (observation post andcommand post), and the duties of the gun positioningofficer (GPO).

(continued on page 19)



RD

F T

RA

ININ

G“By the time theyare finished thecourse they must beproficient in the fullrange of duties car-ried out by anartillery officer.”

Vox PopWe asked the students what it was like tobe on a full-time course with the ArtillerySchool and on life in the Reserve ingeneral.

Cpl Robert Cane (20)6 Fd Arty Regt, DFTC.It’s good being on a full-time course with the schoolbut we just don’t getenough time. The PDFAGDC course is ten weekslong and we have to do it intwo weekends and twoweeks. It can be quiteintense and we are kept going all the time.

Cpl Liam Mangan (27)9 Fd Arty Regt, Columb Bks, Mullingar.It’s a very professionalcourse. Over the last fewyears the RDF has becomea much more professionalorganisation. Our trainingis bringing us up to thestandard that in a few yearswe may be able to serveoverseas, and the PDF stafftreat us as equals. The Reserve definitelyseems to be going in the right direction.

Sgt Steven Tierney (29)6 Fd Arty Regt, DFTC.I’ve been in the Reserve forsix years. This is a greatcourse; I love every minuteof it. It’s been a bit hard;

very intense at times andthere’s a lot of late

nights studying, mainlyon your own time.

We’re amalgamating with 7 FdArty Regt, to form 62 Fd Arty

Regt. I’ve met some of the guysover the years. They’re good

gunners, so it should begood. I’ll be staying in the

RDF, I love it.


18 AN COSANTÓIR May 2004

page 18advt


AN COSANTÓIR May 2004 19

“The GPO is also known as the forward reconnais-sance officer, whose job it is to move in advance of theguns and reconnoitre a suitable position for theirdeployment,” says Sgt Setright. “When they have cho-sen the position they fix and orientate the position andput down gun markers for the battery, so that whenthe guns arrive they are driven straight onto the mark-ers and are ready to fire as quickly as possible. TheGPO then moves off to reconnoitre the next position.”

The Artillery Gun Detachment Commanders(AGDC) course covers basically the same as the PDFversion, although the RDF students again have to do itin two weeks and two weekends as against nine weeksin the PDF.

During the course the students have to becomeproficient on the 105mm (L118 and L119), the 25-pdrand the 120mm mortar. They’re tested on each weapon,and on the duties in action of each member of the six-man gun crew (as a commander they need to know theduties of each person on the gun crew). In order togive them a working knowledge of field artillery theyare taught the theories of deliberate and direct deploy-ment, ballistics and OP work.

The two courses culminated with a joint shoot inwhich the AGDC students manned the guns and theYOs practiced forward recce and manned the com-mand post. The YOs also had to take their turn to manthe guns.

“The scenario is of artillery supporting a brigadeassaulting several positions according to a fire plan.This includes putting fire down on targets that mayfire on you,” said Sgt Setright, “The highlight of theday is the ‘quick action’. The guns and the commandpost drive from one position to another, and en routewe will give the students impromptu fire missions.They have to stop and go into action from whereverthey are.”

For the first time RDF personnel deployed the newshort-barrel L119 105mm. This is effectively the sameas the L118, which PDF artillery regiments areequipped with, but is lighter, with a shorter barrel andshorter range. The ammunition is also substantiallycheaper.

“This is an excellent weapon for training,” SgtSetright told me as a gun crew brought a 105mm intoaction. “With the old ammunition it was very expen-sive to run a YOs or AGDC course. Now with this newgun and cheaper ammunition we can do the samedrills but fire off more rounds, so the crews gain moreexperience.”

Many countries are now doing the same, using theL119 as their training weapon: although some forces,such as the US Marines, use the L119 as their frontlineweapon as it is lighter and more mobile.

“When it comes to being up to standard on aweapon you need qualifications and experience,” saidSgt Setright when asked about his reserve counter-parts. “The RDF have the qualifications, but they sim-ply do not have the time or experience on the guns.But that’s through no fault of their own.”

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind just how dedi-cated the RDF personnel are. It is clearly evidentwhen so many people give up their free time and holi-days from work to spend two weeks in the Glen under-going these courses.

“To train RDF personnel is an absolute pleasure,”Sgt Setright told me. “You meet a great mixture ofpeople from all walks of life: they’re committed andwilling to learn and are grateful when you put in timeteaching them. The enthusiasm, commitment and ded-ication displayed by the Reservists who come here oncourses is a great example to us all.”■

Vox PopCpl Philomina Dunne (24)9 Fd Arty Regt, Columb Bks, MullingarIt’s brilliant: a great experience. Icouldn’t wait to get down here. It’sbeen really hard but worth it. You thinkyou know it all until you come downhere and get the hands-on experi-ence.

We’re amalgamating with 5 FdArty Regt from Galway. We always goaway on Camp with them anyway, so we’ll get ongreat. There will be two batteries in Galway, andanother two, including the HQ battery, inMullingar.

2/Lt Michael Boyle (30)3 Fd Arty Regt, Templemore.I’ve been in the Reserve for 13 years.The last couple of weeks have done alot to improve our confidence. A lot ofinformation has been thrown at usand it’s hard to assimilate it. We’relearning a lot and it’s great to be herewith the Arty Sch as they’re a veryprofessional outfit. In everyday lifeI’m a secondary school teacher in Roscrea soI’m used to instructing. I teach maths but after afew mistakes out here today I think that could berevoked!

My unit will be amalgamating with 8 Fd ArtyRegt to form 31 Fd Arty Regt. It’s hard to knowwhat the changeover will be like, but anythingthat is designed to improve training and profes-sionalism has to be positive, so I’m looking for-ward to it.

2/Lt Esther Granger (27)7 Fd Arty Regt, McKee Bks, Dublin.I’ve been in the Reserve Forces for

ten years. Working with the ArtillerySchool is a great buzz, because

you are putting into practiceeverything you have learned in

theory but might not get to doin your own unit. You also

get to see how a regimentsupporting a brigade or battalion

would operate. These are thingsyou wouldn’t get a chance to

experience at unit level. I cannow give back to my unit

when I return throughpreparing others for the

next YOs or AGDCcourse.

There is no doubtin anyone’s mindjust how dedicatedthe RDF personnelare.

Enjoying themoment.

For the first timeRDF personneldeployed the newshort-barrel L119105mm Light Gun.

RD

F T

RA

ININ

G



Ex-Coy Sgt Martin Cahill recentlytook up the position ofFundraising Director with theCystic Fibrosis Association ofIreland. Martin didn’t know it atthe time, but the seeds of hisfuture move were sown in 1985when he competed in theCosantóir 10k run. Cpl WillieBraine spoke with Martin about his military career and his new post…

CHARITYbegins at home

Martin Cahill walked through the gates of CathalBrugha Bks on August 7th 1969. “Within anhour,” he recalls, “I was on a bus heading forthe Curragh to start recruit training.” Having

already served some time with 21 Inf Bn (RDF) hedidn’t find the military training too hard to adapt to.After recruit training Martin was posted to 5 Inf Bn,Collins Bks, Dublin. In July 1970 with a stream ofrefugees from the Northern Ireland troubles headingsouth, Gormanston Camp was set up as a refugeecentre and Martin was sent there as a clerk.

Martin also spent some time with 1 Inf Gp,Dundalk, (now 27 Inf Bn) which had just been estab-lished, before transferring to the Signal Corps, wherehe trained as a dispatch rider and wireless operatoruntil his promotion to corporal in 1973. “In 1976,”Martin told me, “I was posted to the Director ofSignals office where I spent seven years, duringwhich time I was promoted to sergeant.

After promotion to company sergeant, Martinspent the remainder of his military career (22 years intotal) with Air Support Signals in Baldonnel. Duringhis time with Air Sp Sigs, Martin served overseaswith 51 Inf Bn in Lebanon. “In 1991,” Martin recalls, “I realised that my chances for further promotion wereslim and I started applying for interviews for jobs inthe dreaded ‘civvie street’.”

An application for a job as an insurance rep withRoyal Liver was successful and Martin spent the next10 years with the company before going out on hisown as a mortgage broker for two years.

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 6:39 pm Page 20


PR

OFIL

Etrip. He also organised a cycling event and atriathathon during his time there as well as raisingfunds through sponsored competitors taking part inthe New York marathon. In addition to his work Martinalso took on a Batchelor of Business Studies inIndustrial Relations and Human Resources at UCD.

Martin spent the next four years with Crumlinuntil May 2005 when the Cystic Fibrosis (CF)Association of Ireland offered him the position ofNational Fundraiser. This was a new position thatwas being established following an internal reportthat highlighted a lack of adequate fundraising inthe Association.

“The job of the National Fundraiser,” Martinsays, “is to organise events and raise the profile ofthe Cystic Fibrosis Association. The Associationhas 22 branches in Ireland, all of which are staffedby volunteers. Unfortunately, as dedicated as thevolunteers are, they are nearly all either parents ofCF sufferers or have the condition themselves andare therefore restricted or constrained with the timethey can give.”

After only six weeks in his position Martin is stillsettling in but he is bustling with ambition andideas to raise both the profile and funds of theAssociation.

“Ireland has the highest incidence of CF percapita in the world,” he told me. “One in 20 peoplecan be carriers of the CF gene and most don’t knowit. When both parents carry the gene the chance oftheir child having CF is one in four. This gives someidea of the scale of the problem.” CF is a diseasewhich affects the lungs, pancreas, digestive tractand reproductive systems.

The aims of the Cystic Fibrosis Association are:to provide support and services for people with CFand their families; to fund medical research into thecause and cure of CF; to fund specialist CF nursing,physiotherapist and dietician posts in hospitalsthroughout Ireland; to provide domiciliary physio-therapy services to people with CF, including train-ing young children in breathing techniques; andcampaigning/lobbying for increased and improvedservices for people with CF.

Martin is well aware from his own time in theDefence Forces of the long tradition of charitablefundraising carried out by members of the Forcesthrough a wide range of events both at home andoverseas. Almost everything is converted to anopportunity to raise funds for charity; from runs togun-pulls and from moustache shaving to climbingMount Kilimanjaro. Armed with this knowledgeMartin is calling on members of the Defence Forcesto take two upcoming opportunities to raise funds toaid those suffering from CF. Firstly there is theCosantóir 10k in October where runners could raisesponsorship through their participation in the raceeither individually or as a group. Secondly, Martinsuggests this could be used as a warm-up for takingpart in the Dublin City Marathon in November. “Iwould love to see a platoon of soldiers in uniformbeing the first group to march the marathon,” Martinenthused, “particularly if they were raising funds forthe CF Association at the same time!”

If you are interested in any of these suggestions,or have any additional ideas yourself, you can con-tact Martin at 01-4962433, (fax 01-4962201), or byemail at [email protected]. For more information onCF or the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland,visit their website at www.cfireland.ie.■

“I earned a good living from my insurance work,”he says, “and had no intention of moving to anythingelse.” However, when he least expected it seeds thatwere sown in 1985 began to flower. Back in that year,when Martin was in the Air Corps, he was interestedin promoting fitness in his unit and as a result he per-suaded many of his colleagues to enter the fledglingAn Cosantoir 10k run. They also decided to use theirparticipation in the run to raise funds for Our Lady’sHospital for Sick Children in Crumlin. “I found thateven completing the race did not compare to thesense of satisfaction I gained from the fundraisingefforts,” Martin recalls.

At the time Martin was a member of a hill-walk-ing club in Tallaght and when one of his fellow walk-ers mentioned that he was raising funds for dia-betes through a sponsored walk in Canada Martinjumped at the chance to get back on the fundraisingtrail again. After successfully completing that ven-ture another opportunity came up, this time a trip toNiagara Falls to raise money for Our Lady’s Hospitalin Crumlin. “More fundraising ventures came overthe years,” Martin told me, “until one day in 2001 afriend told me about a vacancy as a developmentexecutive with Our Lady’s Hospital. Without hesita-tion I applied for the job and was successful.”

Martin was responsible for the southern region,comprising Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Carlow,Kilkenny and Tipperary. While there he organisedmany fundraising events including sponsored walksoverseas, with up to 80 people participating in each

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 6:39 pm Page 21


??

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 4:50 pm Page 22


CO

MM

ISSIO

NIN

GThis year’s commissioningceremony took place in theCurragh on July 4th. Themembers of 80 Cadet Classreceived their commissionsfrom the Minister forDefence, Mr Willie O’Dea TD.An Cosantóir journalistWesley Bourke went alongon the day to speak to someof the newly commissioned officers…

All photos: Armn Billy Galligan

The people of the United States celebrate July 4thas Independence Day, and most likely they werejoined in their celebrations this year by the 49members of 80 Cadet Class who finished their

cadetships on that day and were commissioned asofficers into the Defence Forces.

After 21 months of tough training in the CadetSchool this would be a day like no other for theyoung men and women who had put so much workinto reaching this day.

The commissioning was a colourful and impres-sive ceremony, with music being provided by theDefence Forces No1 Band, and a guard of honourprovided by 81 Cadet Class.

Each officer cadet was called out by name andmarched forward in ranks to the Colours, where theoath of commissioning was taken. The cadets werethen invested with the rank of 2/Lt and received theirswords. Each then received their presidential com-mission, which was presented by the Minister forDefence, Mr Willie O’Dea, TD.

Minister O’Dea spoke of his pride as Minister ofDefence in being able to attend the commissioningceremony on the Curragh. “Each annual commission-ing ceremony,” Mr O’Dea said, “marks the coming ofage of a new generation of leaders…As newly com-missioned officers, you have just taken an oath thatpledges each one of you to be faithful to the Irish

“As newly commissioned officers, you havejust taken an oaththat pledges each one of you to befaithful to the Irish nation and the constitution.”

Independence Day

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 4:50 pm Page 23


??

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 4:50 pm Page 24


2/Lt Stephen Wade (24)Ashbourne, Co Meath.I’m extremely happy all the hard work has paid off.I’m going to CIS Coy, DFHQ. That was my firstchoice as I have a degree in telecommunicationsengineering from DCU, so I’m really looking forwardto starting work in my new unit.

The hardest part for me was not getting home tosee my family for nearly the first two-months.

2/Lt James O’Hara (20)Scotstown, Co Monaghan.I’m feeling a mixture of relief and elation today. I’mgoing to be posted to 2 Inf Bn in Cathal Brugha Bksand I’m really looking forward to it. I’m hoping to goto college in 2006 to study English and history, so I’llbe kept busy.

The hardest part for me was probably the count-er-insurgency training in Aughavannagh, when wecrossed over Lugnaquilla in the snow at three in themorning. We spent seven days on the ground. It wasexcellent training and very enjoyable but very demanding.

2/Lt Rory O’Reilly (20)Clara, Co Offaly.Like everyone else I’m looking forward to joining myunit, 28 Inf Bn. It’s hard to pick something over thelast 21 months and define your hardest moment. It’san accumulation of everything. I certainly found thephysical training difficult. Although, probably thehardest part for me over the last two years was get-ting up early in the morning!

2/Lt Ian Snee (21)Ballybrit, Co Galway.I’m absolutely delighted today. It was a tough 21months but I thoroughly enjoyed the training. I’mvery happy now I’ve reached my goal to be an officerin the Defence Forces. The hardest time for me wasdefinitely the field assessment in Aughavannagh.

I’m going to 6 Inf Bn and I’m really looking for-ward to it. I hope to go to NUI Galway in 2006 tostudy commerce.

CO

MM

ISSIO

NIN

G

2/Lt Catherine Lundon (22)Mullingar, Co Westmeath.I’m absolutely overjoyed, it's an unreal feeling. Thehardest moment for me was probably coming to theCadet School in the first place. You have to give upeverything you’re used to: your family and friends,and the teams and sports you are involved with athome. But it was all worth it.

I’m going to be posted to my first choice, Tpt Coy,2 LSB, Cathal Brugha Bks. I can’t wait, as I don’t justhave an interest in vehicles but also in their manage-ment side.

I’m going back to university this September. I have a year left inmy degree in economics in UCD. I’m looking forward to being a stu-dent again. After I graduate next year I’m sure I’ll be going on myYO’s course, so I’ll see from there were my career takes me.

2/Lt Adrian McGettigan (21)Kerrykeel, Co Donegal.There was no overall hardest moment. What I foundhard was coming around to the fact that it was moredifficult than I anticipated: we had to put in moretime and effort then I realised.

I’m delighted today, 21 months is along time andjust before we went out on the square all the experi-ences we had over that time went through my head.

I’m being posted to Tpt Coy, DFTC, which was myfirst choice. I’m going to university in September2006 to study science and I would like to eventually transfer to theOrdnance Corps and go on to work in EOD.

2/Lt Claire Mortimer (23)Westport, Co Mayo.I’m over the moon today: it’s a great feeling. I’mgoing to 2 Cav Sqn, in Cathal Brugha Bks. This wasmy first choice as I’ve heard that this is the best cavunit in the army and the cav are the best corps!

I found the march over Lug in the snow duringAughavannagh week very tough with every five stepsending up in rivers of water, snow and mud.

As I already have a degree – in geography andsociology from NUI Maynooth – I hope I’ll be able toget overseas as soon as possible.

After the ceremony we asked the newly commissioned 2/Lts howthey were feeling and what was the hardest moment for themover the last 21 months?VOX POP

nation and the constitution. This solemn undertaking marks youout from every other profession and I know that you have nottaken on these responsibilities lightly.”

“Your training,” the Minister continued, “as military leaders ofthe future in the modern Irish Defence Forces will have equippedyou with the skills necessary to face the many and varied chal-lenges that will confront you.”

This year the Lt Gen William Callaghan Sword, which isawarded to the best overall cadet in tactical exercises and practi-cal leadership, went to Cadet Philip Ó Caoinleáin.

Surrounded by family, friends and the staff of the CadetSchool, the newly commissioned officers cheered as the ceremo-ny ended. The delight of knowing that they would be arriving as2/Lts in their new units within a week was slightly tempered bythe fact that they would no longer be together as a class.However, though they may go their separate ways in the future,the bonds and friendships they have established over the lastgruelling 21 months will travel with them wherever they go.■

Left: Lt Col Pat Herbert (Adjt 2 E Bde) with his daughter newly commissioned2/Lt Laura Herbert.

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 4:50 pm Page 25


??

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 4:51 pm Page 26


ON

ET

On Friday July 1st, President Mary McAleese offi-cially opened the new Brú na bhFiann 40-bedcomplex for homeless ex-servicemen andwomen of the Defence Forces. The original 20-

bed Brú na bhFiann was established in QueenStreet by ONET in 1994 in response to a number ofhomeless ex-servicemen being found dead onDublin's streets. The new, larger facility on NorthKing Street came about as a result of the redevelop-ment of the area. During the building project thedeveloper provided alternative accommodation forthe home’s existing residents.

Speaking at the launch, President McAleese said:“This is a place of comfort, ease and welcome formen and women who honoured this country in theirservice with our armed forces; often making them-selves uncomfortable in that service, undertakingwork that was far from easy, and often working inless than welcoming environments. I have frequentlydescribed the members of our Defence Forces asIreland's primary ambassadors, for wherever theyhave served abroad they have showcased the verybest of the Irish. They are held in the highest regardby the United Nations and by the peoples of all thecountries they have served in under the UN flag.”

ONET has just over 1,600 members, but for manyyears has been the link to over 100,000 retired mem-bers of the Defence Forces. ONET's Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Joe Lynch, speaking at the opening ceremo-ny, said: “We are delighted with this incredibledevelopment, as we have always believed that digni-ty and respect are the key to self-esteem. In the lastfourteen years our organisation has catered to over460 ex-service personnel on the East Coast whowould otherwise have had nowhere else to go. Ourtime in uniform has been important to us and hasafforded us some marvellous opportunities andONET simply wishes to look after our comradesthrough projects like this.”

ONET also has an eight-bed facility inLetterkenny, and plans to open another eight-bedcomplex in Athlone in August. Plans to source a res-idential facility for retired members in the Munsterarea are also under way.

ONET is funded primarily by donations fromretired and serving Defence Forces personnelthrough direct debits. Local authorities have con-tributed to the building of the various residentialfacilities and there was also some general fundrais-ing. If you would like more information on ONETcontact Joe Lynch on 087-8154467/01-4850600 or visittheir website at www.oneconnect.ie.■

Above:Mr Paddy Dunleavy and hiswife Catherine receive a pres-entation from PresidentMcAleese to mark Paddy’sretirement from ONET. It wasalso given in recognition ofthe many years of excellentservice he gave to the associa-tion and in particular his cru-cial involvement with the Brúna bhFiann project since itsinception.

Bottom:President McAleese withmembers of the ONETNational Executive at theopening ceremony for Brú nabhFiann. Photos: Armn BillyGalligan.

Brú na bhFiann recentlly opened anew premises on North KingStreet. The house was opened byPresident Mary McAleese and theopening was also attended bymembers of ONET (theOrganisation of National Ex-ser-vicemen & women), Lt Gen JimSreenan and the General Staff.

New HomeOpens

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 4:51 pm Page 27


The competition, the first event of its kind inIreland, was launched by local TD and Minister forDefence, Mr Willie O’Dea.

In order to bring the rapids on the course up toGrade III the ESB released extra water into the river.(In winter when the Shannon is in full flood thisstretch of water can reach levels in excess of GradeVI, making it off limits to paddlers.)

Many of the athletes competing were serving, orhad served, in their respective armed forces. Armiesthroughout the world have always prided themselveson having athletes within their ranks, and militaryorganisations by their very nature provide excellentenvironments for athletes, providing both logisticaland financial support. This in turn benefits both themilitary and the country, with the athletes competingfor their country and also in CISM events for theirarmed forces.

While most armed forces allow for individual ath-letes in their ranks to train and compete, some, suchas Austria and Germany, have a system in placewhere athletes join the armed forces specifically toserve with, and train in, specially established sportsunits. These units provide the logistical supportrequired by any athlete; coaches, physiotherapists,doctors, sports scientists and top-class facilities. Itmay cost money, but the end results are medals andprestige.

Just before it reaches the sea the river Shannontakes a drop at Castleconnel, Co Limerick, andfor 4km provides a fantastic wild-water coursewith wave-trains, stoppers and rapids. Wild-

water racing is said to be the purest form of canoe-ing/kayaking. The paddler versus the river: man ver-sus nature. It involves aerobic and anaerobic fitness,technique, skill and, above all, courage.

Wild-water racing is a minority sport in Irelandbut from May 20th-23rd 200 athletes from 21 countriesdescended on the Shannon to take part in two legs ofthis year’s Wild-Water World Cup series.

At a recent canoe/kayak wild-water world cup event on the Shannon, Wesley Bourkespoke to several soldiers fromAustria and Germany who were competing in the eventabout life in the army as an athlete.

Going WildON THE SHANNON

Right:French pair Frederic Momotand Michael Didier compet-ing in the MC2 event

Centre:German sports soldierGernot Wilscheid picturedduring a sprint race

Far right:The German Army’s sports-soldiers who took part in theWorld Cup event on theShannon. Coach Sgt MajGunther Schroter is stand-ing at left of the photo.

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 4:51 pm Page 28


INTER

NA

TIO

NA

L S

PO

RT

One such competitor in Limerick was MathiasSchmidt, a gefruter (a grade of private soldier) inthe Austrian Army, where he is based with theHeeres Leistungs Sport Zentrum, training daily forthe Austrian wild-water team.

“I am stationed in an army sports centre, where Ilive and train,” explained Mathias. “We have con-scription in Austria, so if I did not meet the criteriato be a sports-soldier, I would have had to join theregular army.”

“I have to do very little military work,” Mathiastold me. “My day-to-day work is training alongsideother athletes from our national and CISM teams. Iwould like to stay in the army but I have to beranked in the top five in my sport at the end of thisyear to be allowed to stay for another three years.”

The German Army (Bundeswehr) has a similarapproach, except on a bigger scale with the equiva-lent of a regiment specifically for athletes, calledthe Sportfordergruppe. There are places for 700 ath-letes, or sports-soldiers, from various sports. Thereis also all the necessary back-up staff for the ath-letes.

“Everybody has to do nine months conscriptionor social service work for a year,” says Master SgtStefan Stiefenhofer, a legend in the wild-water cir-cuit. “After your conscription is finished you canvolunteer for service with the regulars. To be asports-solder you must get good results, and to stayin the unit you must keep getting good results.”

“Athletes do three months basic training andthen join the Sportfordergruppe,” explained wild-water coach Sgt Maj Gunther Schroter. “Militarytraining takes up about 30% of your time with 70%devoted to training and competition. I have been inthe army for 28 years: I was athlete for eight yearsand then I took up a job as coach.”

Due to their lack of military training, a regularmilitary career is not open to the athletes. Forexample they are not allowed serve overseas.However, if a sports-soldier wishes to pursue a mili-tary career later they simply receive extra militarytraining to bring them up to standard.

In order to reach the highest levels of achieve-ment in sport it is important to have the most sup-portive environment possible. An athlete can onlyachieve his or her best if not constrained by the lackof facilities or support. The Austrian and Germanarmed forces provide the very best support, ensur-ing that their athletes are among the best in theworld.■

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 4:51 pm Page 29


Left:Thirty recruits of 18 RecPln passed out inCustume Bks, Athlone onThursday July 21st 2005.Following a well deservedbit of leave the 2* Pteswill begin their 3* train-ing in August in the BTC4 W Bde. The recruitshave already beenassigned units, as fol-lows: 11 go to 6 Inf Bn,Athlone, 8 to 1 Cn Cois,Galway, 7 to 4 Fd ArtyRegt, Mullingar and 4 to4 Cav Sqn in Longford.Cpl Amanda Connolly’sphotos show Sgt StevenKileen (Pln Sgt) receiv-ing a presentation fromPte Paul Doolin (18Recruit Platoon), whowas also Best Soldier, onbehalf of the recruit classand Sgt Marty Gilliganwith his Daughter Leona.

Right (top):Members of the DefenceForces are no strangers to rais-ing funds for charity throughvarious activities and whilemany may have ‘been there,done that, and got the T-shirt,’how many have got the CD?Well a group of musicians havedone just that while servingwith 29 Inf Group in KFOR.Calling themselves ‘Gael ForceWest’, the band made a CD toraise money for charity. Afterthe stand-down parade for theunit on June 23rd in FinnerCamp, Donegal, the group pre-sented a cheque for €5,000 toBridie Mullen and John Begley,from the Donegal Hospice.

Right:Further south in the WesternBrigade, Custume Bks,Athlone, had a very busy twodays during July welcoming avariety of visitors through theirgates. On Tuesday 11th, Sgt Maj JohnTouhy and Coy Sgt ThomasHewitt organised a visit to thebarracks for a local school, thechildren were given a weaponsdisplay and tour of the bar-racks (see ‘News Update’).During the same day cyclistsfrom the Irish Prison Servicewho were participating in their6th annual round-Irelandcycle for charity dropped in forlunch.

Below:The following day the IrishWheelchair Association paid avisit, with 20 children spend-ing a great day in the barracks.The children were entertainedby the 6 Inf Bn pipe band; theywere given a weapons display;there was face painting andthe chance to play with ‘MrDucky’.

INTOTHE

WEST

00-An Cos-AUG-05 (20-30) 16/8/05 6:17 pm Page 30

Documents

The Sunni Triangle Army Diving RDF Training Commissioning