Hundreds of Defence Forces personnel prepare to head to Lebanon - right in the middle of an Israeli invasion
The Defence Forces have served with honour in Lebanon since 1978, but the mission is now coming to an end
More than 300 members of the Defence Forces are set to head to war ravaged Lebanon - right in the middle of an Israeli invasion.
The 128th Infantry Battalion travels to Lebanon in a few weeks to spend six months on a UNIFIL mission there - and their boss has insisted his personnel have the training to deal with whatever happens during their time there.
“Our training is not just built on the last couple of weeks,” their officer commanding said on Thursday.
The unit formed up several weeks ago and was in the middle of training and preparation when Israel launched a large scale invasion of southern Lebanon - and they now occupy many of the 14 towns in the Irish area of responsibility.
That has led to chaotic scenes, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the area and several towns being systematically destroyed by the Israeli Army - who have now advanced past the two Irish posts there.
But speaking at the Defence Forces’ training area at the Glen of Imaal, in Co Wicklow, Lieutenant-Colonel Damian Carroll - who will command the 128th Infantry Battalion that is set to spend the next six months in Lebanon on a UNIFIL mission - said his soldiers would be ready for anything.
He said: “Our training is built on the soldiers from when they first enlist, but also on the backs of all the other deployments that have gone before us.
“Irrespective of changes on the ground, we would train for all eventualities.
“Yes, we are going into a complex situation at the moment, but this is not unheard of in the history of UNIFIL or in the history of Lebanon.
“It is not a new situation, it is just an ever changing situation.”
The 344-strong Battalion is likely to be the last large scale Irish unit to serve with UNIFIL - which is slated to end its mission to Lebanon on December 31 - almost 50 years.
Ireland has served there on and off since 1978 - and 48 of our soldiers have paid the ultimate price.
The battalion will end its mission in mid November - and would normally be replaced by a similar unit. But the mission will officially come to an end about six weeks after their replacements arrive and it is not clear what the new unit will be made up of yet.
But Lt-Col Carroll told us that his unit would complete its mission.
He said: “Our key task is that we are an operational battalion. The mandate right now demands that us to be there and the mandate for the framework operations will continue until the 31st of December.
“That will fulfil the full duration of our six months.
“What comes after that and the drawdown is a matter for UNIFIL and I am sure negotiations will be in place to see what the next unit that comes out, what that will compose of and what that will look like.
“There may be a mission following us. What that looks like, we don’t know as of yet because we will have to fit in with the UNIFIL draw down plan.”
And he also spoke of the strong ties between Ireland and Lebanon because of the sacrifice of our peacekeepers there.
He said: “The Defence Forces has been there for 50 years, soldiers have lost their lives in Lebanon.
“Ireland and Lebanon will be intertwined irrespective of what happens in the future, based on our service with UNIFIL.”
Among the soldiers heading over to Lebanon is Corporal Darragh O’Boyle, from Celbridge in Co Kildare, but based in Galway. This will be his fourth mission to Lebanon.
He said it was important to him that he was part of what is expected to be the last full six month battalion serving there.
He said: “You will always be able to say ‘I was the last person in Lebanon doing the trip with UNIFIL.
“That is something to be proud of and that is what I am looking forward to saying at the end of the trip.”
He added that Lebanon service was the pinnacle for most members of the Defence Forces.
He said: “It is why most people join, to serve overseas. For a mission as long standing as UNIFIL, to be a part of that and part of history is monumental
“It is great to say that I have been three times, this is going to be my fourth.”
Trooper Tiffany O’Reilly from Edenderry in Co Offaly, who is on her first mission, said she was feeling confident about the trip.
She said “I am very happy with how training has gone and very happy with all the crew that we are going out with.
“I am very excited about the mission ahead.” The soldiers were in the Glen of Imaal for a mission readiness exercise ahead of their deployment.
That exercise saw them perfect scenarios they may see for real in the Lebanon - including their €1 million Mowag armoured personnel carriers coming under attack while on patrol and having to be rescued by colleagues.
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