An Cosantóir July/August 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie
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BY PTE SHANE CURRAN, DEFENCE FORCES PRINTING PRESS
T
he high intensity nature of military operations
places a unique set of physical and psychological
demands on the modern soldier. To meet these de-
mands the soldier must have a high level of physical readi-
ness at all times. In order to survive on the battlefield the
soldier must be stronger, more agile and faster than the
enemy to ensure battlefield survivability and mission suc-
cess. Physically fit soldiers are critical to mission success
as they show improved performance and higher levels of
resilience to the demands of sustained operations. To add
to this, physically fit soldiers may also be less susceptible
to injuries thereby improving longevity of service.
In the Defence Forces every soldier is trained as an
Infantryman first,
regardless of em-
ployment. In recent
years with increasing
demands placed on
the Defence Forces
the importance of
this robust training
has become more evi-
dent than ever. Given
the extreme physical and psychological demands placed
on modern soldiers, they should be treated and trained
similarly to elite level athletes.
In the same way the elite level athlete requires a train-
ing program specific to the needs of his/her sport so to
does the tactical athlete. There is however a number
of differences between the elite athlete and the tacti-
cal athlete. There is no defined season for the tactical
athlete who is required to have a high level of physical
readiness at all times. Tactical athletes are also required
to operate for extended periods in extreme environ-
ments with no scheduled rest and recovery periods.
The demands placed on the tactical athlete during
operations vary greatly with unexpected changes in
tempo being seen as the norm. The elite athlete on the
other hand, will be expected to train sport specific skills
and deal with a small number of circumstances when
compared to the tactical athlete. The tactical athlete
can be expected to go from low intensity operations
to receiving contact from an enemy, having to change
THE ROLE OF THE
INFANTRY IS TO DESTROY
THE ENEMY AND TO HOLD
GROUND IN NIGHT OR
DAY IN ANY TERRAIN
