An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 23 Vox Pops PTE KEITH CALLAGHAN, 7 INF BN "It's a really good and enjoyable course, and it's nice to do all the MP stuff and get an insight into it. Although the exercise is really tough, mentally and physically, we are getting through it and we're all pulling together as a team. The set up of the whole exercise is very well done and the instructors are really experienced and have helped us a lot. "The RDF guys are playing a great part as well and they've made the exercise scenarios realistic." PTE ANN KENNEDY, 12 INF BN "The course is very interesting, particularly the investigation end of the job, but this exercise is tough; there's a lot to keep track of and it's keeping us on our toes, trying to guess what will happen next, which makes things very realistic and keeps us thinking on our feet. The instructors are very helpful when you need some guidance on what to do next, and they will point you in the right direction." SGT ALAN SHERLOCK, IN- STRUCTOR MP SCH DFTC "The course is going very well. The students are 16 weeks in and they have another six weeks remaining. Their first six weeks covered the infantry practical phase; things like patrolling and section tactics. After that they went straight into the polic- ing side of things, which is very heavily knowledge based. "This exercise is a culmination of all the work they have put in so far and is centred on a wartime routine. They will be tested on a number of aspects they've learned about, like route signing, processing of POWs and IDPs, and a wide range of incidents that may arise on the ground." set up manned control points and where directional markers would be needed. This tied into the wartime scenario, as MPs would traditionally be required to control traffic and supplies going to and from the battlefield. The large distance to the exercise location provided the probationers with their first main challenge. On the morning of the departure for the Glen of Imaal the probationers paraded in their section rooms at 0600hrs and each student was given spe- cific tasks and locations that they would be manning for the move. Everyone manning a location on the route would be in possession of a Pointman's card; these contain details of the route such as distance and dangers, and also a sketch map of the area. The main convoy departed the DFTC at 0800hrs. It passed through each control point successfully, and by 1200hrs the main convoy and all stu- dents were in location for the next phase of the exercise, setting up an MP hide. This is essentially similar to a patrol harbour, only on a larger scale to accommodate vehicles and other equipment inside the perimeter, while also insuring 360-degree cover. From the hide the probationer's would get their taskings from MP Coy HQ, which is part of Bn HQ. These tasks would be varied throughout the week and would be centred on a conventional battlefield environment. One of their main tasks during the week was the security and mainte- nance of the main supply route (MSR) to the forward edge of the battle area (FEBA), which was located a few kilometres from the hide. In the scenario the MSR changed daily, either due to being compromised or the FEBA changing as the front line moved. The only information provided by higher HQ was a start and end location for each MSR. Each section was then required to carry out a recce patrol based on this information and then mark and maintain the new route. There is a lot of planning involved in this activity as the route must be marked clearly and properly so that it can be easily followed, and MSR security and clearance patrols need to be planned and carried out throughout the day. On one of the MSR security patrols the students came across a road traffic accident (staged by RDF personnel) involving members of the local popu- lation. This difficult situation had to be dealt with quickly as things soon became aggressive and was in danger of turning into a hostage situation. Other problems for the probationers to deal with over the week included tampering to signage along the MSR and other damage and blockages on the route. All obstacles and dangers noted on the MSR had to be reported to higher HQ, which kept the students busy on their patrols. Another challenging task the students received was setting up a POW and straggler post. In this scenario they came across a number of displaced people while on patrol that they had to detain and identify. These detainees were put into four categories and segregated from each other until their identity could be ascertained. This was a very demanding scenario, with RDF personnel again playing a great role as the POWs and stragglers; some playing injured civilians crying out for assistance, while others were quiet and acting strangely due to shell shock. Mixed in with these were a few combatants from both friendly and enemy forces. The students stepped up to the mark in all these scenarios and put their training into good use, dealing with every aspect of the exercise with profes- sionalism, and showing the confidence required of junior leaders. It was a busy week for the students as they conducted their various patrols, set out signposts, maintained routes, and dealt with POWs and stragglers, while also having to cope with the security and defensive aspects of their hide, which was open to attack throughout the week. The RDF personnel involved, who came from MP Sch DFTC, 1 Bde MP, and 2 Bde MP, said the exercise and working with the MP course had been a great training opportunity, while in turn the exercise organisers expressed their gratitude for the excellent assistance provided by their RDF colleagues throughout the week.

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