An Cosantóir

14 | Irish/Finnish Battalion UNIFIL By Wesley Bourke Photos by Cpl Colum Lawlor T he combined Irish/Finnish battalion serving with UNIFIL in South Lebanon comprises four companies, HQ Coy, A Coy, B Coy and Recce Coy, and the Battalion Support Group (BSG). In this series of articles Wesley Bourke will be taking a closer look at many aspects of the battalion, starting with Battalion HQ. ���Our battalion is the second combined Irish/Finnish unit to serve with UNIFIL in South Lebanon,��� we were told by Lt Col Dave Dignam, OC 107 Inf Bn. ���We have just over 500 personnel, with B Coy, Recce Coy, and the BSG being fully Irish, A Coy is entirely Finnish while the HQ is staffed by personnel from both nations. It is working extremely well, which is not surprising as it isn���t the first time we have worked closely with the Finnish Defence Forces: I myself had the pleasure of being the deputy commanding officer with 99 Inf Bn in Chad where our Finnish friends also joined us on that mission. ���While there are differences on how we operate and in our culture, we work together extremely well. My deputy here is a Lt Col Petteri Kurkinen and we work closely together, dishile most of us would be familiar with many cussing matters of mutual concern and working out solutions of the sub-sections within a battalion HQ, to any problems that may arise, of which there have been such as Intelligence-, Operations-, and Press very few. and Information Cells, one that we may be less ac���Irish/Finn Batt currently operates in a very sensitive part quainted with is the Tactical Operations Centre, or TOC. of the UNIFIL AO. Our own battalion AO, which is centred on While much of what the TOC does is classified and the town of Bint Jubayl, stretches from Tibnine in the north to we are not allowed to take pictures or reveal too much the Blue Line in the south, and incorporates many towns and information, Capt Fergal Joyce was able to give us a villages that are enshrined in Irish Defence Forces��� history and brief run down. folklore such as At Tiri, Haddathah and Rshaf. We are bordered ���The TOC is essentially the battalion���s control hub. on our west by Ghana Batt and to the east by Nepal Batt. It is staffed by both Irish and Finnish personnel and is ���Our mandate originates from UN Security Council Resoluintegrated with the ComCen. It is a tool that ensures tion 1701 and our primary role here is ultimately to support the that every bit of information that should get to speLebanese government and Lebanese Armed Forces in restoring cific people gets to those people. This sounds simple but when you are dealing with over 500 personnel, their authority in this part of the country. We will have suctwo nations, and 20+ patrols a day things can get ceeded in that mission when the Lebanese can operate in this lost in translation and it is our job to make sure that area without UN assistance. Hopefully that will happen in the doesn���t happen.��� not-so-distant future. TOC has six main functions; to receive informa���In carrying out our mandate the battalion conducts frametion; distribute information; analysis information; work patrols and counter-rocket-launch operations with the submit recommendations to the Bn Cmdr; integrate Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) where we go to areas that may be resources; and synchronise resources. used as launch sites, demonstrate a presence and monitor what All movement outside of camp is controlled via is going on in those areas. Our companies also carry out area the TOC. ���We know where everyone is at anytime. domination patrols, flying the UN flag and showing a presence, The idea being is that if anything happens we immaintaining situational awareness within our AO, and connectmediately know where that patrol is, how to get to ing with the local population. We carry out between 15 and 18 it, and respond accordingly. Also if a patrol loses its such patrols a day and they are working very successfully. comms we know when they should report in and ���Operating in this region of South Lebanon we have to be if they don���t��� report we can react quickly and deal conscious of the needs and requirements of the population. There with that situation.��� are genuine sensitivities that exist in the area as it has been a As well as reporting to Bn Ops the TOC also warzone on more than one occasion. The area in which we are reports to UNIFIL Sector West TOC, this is so they deployed was very badly hit during the 2006 war, so we have to have an operational perspective throughout the be attuned to the security needs and the perceptions of the local AO. ���If anything happens within our AO no matter people. Being sensitive, however, does not inhibit us from carrying what we send it on to Sector West TOC. In doing out our tasks and we are out there day and night doing our job.��� so they can be aware of any incidents that may occur and can be prepared to react if needed.��� Tactical Operations Centre (TOC) W An Cosant��ir March 2013 www.dfmagazine.ie

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