Estonia Republic of Ireland Military Items.

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Gents,

my brother forwarded the following picture, which he spotted while surfing the web,

all he remembers is its off an American Web Site:

It shows Irish Army Defence Force Members of I.S.A.F. deployed in Afghanistan in their

unigue Desert camouflage.

Why somebody photo-shopped the original names in the picture caption is beyond me as its obviously been released

for Publication.

Left to right ranks:

1. Commandant, 2. Company Sergeant, 3. Commandant,

4. Lt.Colonel, 5. Company Sergeant, (para qualified),

6. Cavalry Commandant (Glengarry on head), 7. Company-Sergeant.

Points to note: Officers have a blackened Bronze Capbadge on Black Beret - Glengarry.

Other ranks have "Staybright" plastic cap badges (which I hope the subdued with paint or boot polish quick!!!).

Name tapes appear to have a mini Irish Tricolor then the name then the I.S.A.F motif in Green and White.

Kevin in Deva.

PART TWO:

Defence Forces News = E.U. Battle-groups, 18 October 2007

The Nordic Battle-group Shoulder Flash

On 18 Oct 07, 71 troops will fly to Sweden and join up with 15 advance troops that are in Sweden. They are deployed as part of the Nordic Battle-group (NBG) Exercise Nordic Resolution in which the full battle-group (2,600 troops) will be on exercise in Sweden. The bulk of troops (2,300) come from Sweden with the remainder from Norway, Finland, Estonia and Ireland.

In Sweden until 15 Nov 07, the NBG troops will receive their equipment which has been shipped by sea to Gothenburg. The equipment contains 9 armoured personnel carriers, 11 other vehicles, weapons, pyrotechnics and equipment contained in a total of 230 tonnes of stores. During the time the troops will be accommodated in SKOVDE (300 km from Stockholm) initially where they will marry up with other nation?s troops in the battle-group. They will carry out initial interoperability training from 19 Oct ? 01 Nov 07. This will get all troops familiar with each others operating procedures and clarify command and control procedures.

The main exercise (Ex Northern Resolution) takes place from 03 ? 12 November 2007 over 1,000 km NORTH of SKOVDE and inside the Arctic Circle in the area of BODEN. The temperatures can get down to as low as -28 degrees C and daylight at this time is between 0830 ? 1530 hours. The strategic movement and deployment of the 2,600 troops (mainly by rail) is part of the exercise as any Battle-group deployment will necessitate a strategic move. The troops will also be exercised in strategic, operational and tactical communication and establishing initial operational capability and the securing of the exercise area in and around the town of BODEN and working through a peace support operation scenario from a peacekeeping perspective.

On return to Ireland in November the troops will undergo final preparations for standby for any potential battle-group deployment from 01 January ? 30 June 2008. During that time the troops in Ireland (based in Custume Barracks, Athlone) will be on 5 days notice to move with all stores and equipment to include food, water, ammunition to sustain the troops for 30 days.

Ireland has provided a stand alone Improvised Explosive Device Disposal and Engineer Specialist Search unit as part of the battle-group, of 86 troops, under command of Commandant John Whittaker. This team offers the battle-group commander the ability to systematically detect, isolate, clear and dispose of conventional military munitions, land mines and improvised devices (home made/?booby traps?) which may be in any potential area of operations. We also have 5 troops in the Operational H.Q. that will be based in Northwood, U.K. for the exercise and throughout any potential deployment, and a further 14 troops in the force HQ, that will deploy in Sweden and to any potential troubleshot if the battle-group is deployed.

Our troops have been in preparation for this exercise beginning with our own collective training in May of this year culminating in Full Operational Capability testing last July in Kilworth Camp in Cork.

The term battle-group is a generic military term denoting the size of a force that is capable of standalone operations. Thus, the word ?battle-group? does not refer to any proposed mission of this international military grouping but to its size and structure.End of Article.

PART 3:

Irish Defence Forces News: Lebanon Stand-down, 26 October 2007.

The relationship between the Defence Forces and Lebanon reaches another milestone tomorrow when the last Irish unit is stood-down at a ceremony at Camp Ida tomorrow, 27 October 2007. Defence Forces troops returned to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in October 2006 following the re-emergence of conflict in southern Lebanon. Troops were deployed with Finnish troops in a joint Finnish-Irish Engineer Battalion, in which the Irish troops were conducting reconnaissance, security and protection duties as the Finnish element went about de-mining and reconstruction work. The unit was deployed by Government decision for 12 months.

The 160 strong Irish contingent of the 36 Infantry Group U.N.I.F.I.L., under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Michael McCarthy, is drawn mainly from the 2nd Eastern Brigade, with the bulk of troops from Dublin and Dundalk. Following the stand-down parade the unit will commence preparations for return to Ireland of their equipment and themselves which will be completed by late November 2007.

Note:

The Defence Forces previously served with U.N.I.F.I.L. from 1978 ? 2001 serving over 32,000 individual tours of duty in which 46 members of the force gave their lives in the service of peace. There are currently 565 members of the Defence Forces serving overseas.

Photograph courtesy of Sarah Hunter.

Kevin in Deva

Edited November 8, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Der Stahlhelm]

Great pics....any close up shots of the new desert uniform?

Thanks

[molders]

That picture originally appeared in a recent An Cosantoir, from memory one from sometime around last August/September. The guy on the left is Commandant Robbie Kiely from Laois, I can't remember the other names but I think I still have the magazine in my office. If I can route it out I'll fill in the missing names tomorrow.