An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/1098889
www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 5 Manager Comdt David McKnight info@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5306 Editor Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald magazine@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5307 Connect Sgt Karl Byrne connect@military.ie Photo/Journalist Cpl Lee Coyle journalist@military.ie Photographer Armn Sam Gibney photo@military.ie Subscriptions Sgt Paul Kealy +353 (0)45 44 5312 subs@military.ie DF/PR Information Vacant admin@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5308 DF Webmaster Sgt Mick Burke +353 (0)45 44 5309 webmaster@military.ie Magazine Archivist Mr Sean Shinnors Designer/Advertising JM Publishing & Media, Arklow, Co. Wicklow,Ireland Tel: +353 15331911 Tel: +353871344135 Web: www.jmpublishing.ie Email: info@jmpublishing.ie Printer Turner's Printing Co., Ltd Earl Street, Longford, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)43 3350500 The fact that an article appears in this magazine does not indicate official approval of the views expressed by the author. © Published by OiC Public Relations Branch for the Defence Forces at DFHQ, Block 5, Ceannt Bks, DFTC, Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0)45 445312 Front Cover Pictured is a 7 Inf Bn Reserve Defence Forces member. Photo by CQMS Michael Barrett (AR), 7 Inf Bn For more Defence Forces photographs, checkout: www.flickr.com/photos/ dfmagazine Editorial H ello, and welcome to our April issue, which fittingly includes a number of articles by reservists as we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the Volunteer Reserve Force. "In seeking freedom, and in volunteering to fight for it, the hopes of the women and men who formed Óglaigh na hÉireann were to awaken 'the light of hope' and offer a liberating vision in what Liam Mac Uistín's poem describes as 'a desert of discouragement'." - President Michael D Higgins speaking at the Garden of Remembrance on 24th November 2013, the centenary of the foundation of the Irish Volunteers. Thankfully, we continue to be inundated with your photographs for our On Parade pages. This month's In Focus looks at the visit of rugby legend, Conor Murray, to Sarsfield Bks, Limerick, to see the newly erected Wall of Champions, followed by an account of 2 Fd Engr Coy's hosting of Engineers Week in Athlone, which saw 278 children from eight local schools visit Custume Bks during the national week dedicated to promoting and celebrating engineering. Retired Sgt Tony White supplies our Veterans News, with an account of his family's donation of his father's (Congo veteran Brian White) medals to IUNVA Post 1. Our lead article is by Sgt Rory Behan, an instructor with the NCOTW, who covers Earning Your Stripes - All Arms Standard NCOs Course. CPO/ERA Ruairí de Barra follows with a heartfelt article on members of the Defence Forces who volunteer with Cork City Missing Persons Search & Recovery Unit. In New Pips on Experienced Shoulders I report on the recently commissioned 10th Potential Officers course. This is accompanied by a short piece on the celebration of the 100th birthday of Lt Col Ned Cusack ((Ret'd) in Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa, Galway. In the firsts of our reservists' articles, Red Force Rising, CQMS Michael Barrett (AR), 7 Inf Bn, looks at the idea of having a designated company-sized unit to test, evaluate and prepare units and personnel before and during exercises. Michael follows this with Train Hard, Fight Easy!, which looks at the infantry soldier and a recent three- star training course conducted by C Coy, 7 Inf Bn, in Gormanston Camp. Next, in From Cathal Brugha Barracks to the International Space Station, Capt Damien O'Herlihy (AR), 2 Cav Sqn, tells us how a unit flash from 11 Cav Sqn FCÁ ended up orbiting the Earth. In Fighting for Your Life Paul O'Brien looks at the use of martial arts in close-quarter battle or fighting in a built-up area (FIBUA). In our first History piece, veteran Paul Maguire looks at his Memories of Rockhill House. This is followed by Ill Met by Moonlight, by Pat Poland, which takes us back to 1944 and the Irish connections to the daring kidnap of a Nazi general. In our Sports pages Comdt Barry Byrne looks at recent successes for DF sailing and how the application of military principles helped. This is followed by Irish Denali Expedition 2019, in which FQMS Francis Whelan and Sgt Paul O'Connell tell us about their role in an Irish expedition that plans to tackle the highest mountain in North America in June 2019. All this, plus our regular Tac-Aide, Gear Review, Noticeboard, Book Review and What I Do features. Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald