An Cosantóir

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 Cpl Martin Bennett +353 (0)45 44 5312 subs@military.ie DF/PR Information Cpl Danny Maloney 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 are students on the 6th Infantry Platoon Sergeants' Course (IPSC). Photo by Sgt Brian Louth, 7 Inf Bn For more Defence Forces photographs, checkout: www.flickr.com/photos/ dfmagazine Editorial H ello and welcome to our June issue, where this month's main theme is on the infantry soldier and the tools of his/her trade. As always, your photographs and news from around the DF Community are On Parade. The the first In Focus article looks at the gruelling 25km DanCon march which took place on a very hot Easter Sunday in Kosovo, and the 2019 ANZAC Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) march in Sydney in April. This is followed by the heart-warming story of DF Veteran Martin Rowe's emotional reunion after 44-years with a 2-year-old girl who was missing for 19-hours in 1975. In Veterans News, I look at the recent Veterans Day 2019 in Collins Bks Dublin, which was held to recognise, honour, and commemorate our former servicemen and women, and their families. Our front cover feature Battle Stripes, is written by Comdt Gavin Egerton, the OIC and chief instructor of NCO Training Wing of the Infantry School. The article covers the recently conducted 6th Infantry Platoon Sergeants' Course (IPSC), where 40 corporals of the Army's Infantry Corps undergo their career course for the elusive 3rd stripe. This is followed by more infantry tactics in Sgt Eric O'Brien's article on Exercise 'Atlantic Gale', where 1 Inf Bn's Sp Coy (both PDF and RDF) conducted an exercise in devolved mission command, reporting procedures, OPs, CTR and deliberate offensive action. In the colourful 'Big shoes to fill' aviation photo journalists Geert Meuris and Michiel Peeters look at the NH90NFH taking over SAR duty from the Sea King Mk48 within the Belgian Air Component. Next Engineer Officer 'Captain X' attached to the ARW pens an exclusive article "Room Clear", looks at the Live Fire Shoot House (LFSH), which is a €1million euro investment which has given the ARW the latest state of the art live fire training system utilising the latest technology materials and design. In our Strategic Review article Paul O'Brien looks at The Wild Geese: Mercenaries Part 1 - mercenaries, dogs of war or soldiers of fortune, whatever name they appear under, hired soldiers were once described as the world's second oldest profession. Our regular RDF contributor CQMS Michael Barrett (AR), 7 Inf Bn looks at The GPMG – "The Old Reliable", the GPMG has been in service for over 50 years, it is a widely used weapon in service with over 80 armed forces around the world. Next, the Ordnance School have a short but very interesting piece on How Your Equipment Works: The Ballistics of Tracer. This is followed by The Battle of the Platoons 2019, where we look at a great charity event conducted by the students and instructors on the PTI course in the DFPES. Our first History article, by Defence Forces Librarian Pte Terrence O'Reilly follows up on his series of infantry battalions with 2 Infantry Battalion, one of the longest serving infantry units from 1927 to 2012. This is followed by an extended extract from Napoleon's Blackguards, Stephen McGarry's début novel which looks at the British Army's epic fighting retreat across Spain in 1808 during The Napoleonic Wars and pursued Capt James Ryan and his Irish voltigeurs. Our Sports section features two short reports on the CISM Orienteering Championship, which took place in The Netherlands in April, and the UNIFIL Inter Contingent Ladies Five-A-Side Soccer Blitz organised and hosted by 113th Inf Bn IRISHBATT in UNP 2-45. All this and our regular Tac-Aide, Gear Review, Noticeboard, Book Reviews and What I Do features. Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald C a l l f o r P l a t e l e t D o n o r s Pictured is platelet donor Pte Freddie Strutt, DFTC who was donating platelets recently. Freddie started donating platelets because of his 7-year- old cousin died of Leukaemia and his Dad died of lung cancer. He is hugely aware of the need for platelets and the shelf life of just five days. Freddie encourages everyone to give platelets. If you are interested please call Dublin 01 4322833 or Cork 021 4807429 - www.giveblood.ie/platelets - See advert on page 24.

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