An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/1056614
www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 25 Vox Pops SGT DEAN JACKSON, 7 INF BN, INSTRUCTOR 94TH CADET CLASS "The exercise went well, its quiet robust and can be hard to control while operating in the CRC role. It puts a lot of stress on the students in their command role. They en- countered a lot of hostility at various stages throughout the exercise and the training they completed during the week made the mission a suc- cess. On the run up to the exercise they practiced all elements of CRC, from run- ning a line, injured individuals, barricade removal and stairs and landing drills." CADET MICHAEL MURPHY, 94TH CADET CLASS "I was filling the role of platoon commander for the exercise. The CRC train- ing has been fantastic; it's something that we may get called on to do. The CRC is part of our Internal Security block on the cadetship and we were on 10 minutes notice to move in full CRC gear. It took us over an hour to gain access to the MTF with the barricades. Working in the gas masks was the most challenging part of the exercise for me, as trying to give commands was hard and the restrictive breathing while wearing it. The exercise definitely has left an impression on me, with one of the rioters using a kid's pram to throw at us, also the muck and balaclavas." CADET JASON MANNIX, 'RIOTER' 95TH CADET CLASS "I have served previously with the 1 BAR, so this was not my first experience of CRC training, however it is my first time on the other side being part of the riot- ers. It was a good exercise and was tough for both sides, with us all being dirty and sweaty at the end. The 94th Cadet Class done very well from my experience of the drill, they handled all obstacles we gave them, they were all very disciplined and well drilled." crashing into shields from above. It was like a 'last stand' inside some of the buildings as the rioters crammed into rooms and resisted being taken and arrested. Another challenging aspect that added to the exercise scenario was some simulated casualties that the CRC platoons had to deal with and take them from harms way. The students progressed forward with impressive command and control, adapting and overcoming all obstacles and challenges that were put in their way. The last big push to remove the rioters up along the road and out of their post marked the end of the exercise. Behind them the post was littered with debris and the marks of scorched earth, a typical scene from any riot or civil unrest. To see the importance of such training we don't have to look to far back into our past to see how important it is with the riots in Kosovo on St Patrick's Day 2004. These training exercises are designed to give the stu- dents as realistic experience as possible, while challenging them with possible scenarios; in doing so it gives the students the mind-set and the knowledge to deal with such a demanding environment when the need will arise again.