An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir October 2019 www.dfmagazine.ie 38 | KARL JOHNSTON INFANTRY WEAPONS WING (IWW) SGT/SNIPER INSTRUCTOR SGT K arl joined the army in March 2005. He's married to his wife Dee and they have two children, Jack (4) and Freya (9months). Before joining the army Karl worked in his families business, a launderette on Pearse street in Dublin's city center. 2 weeks before travelling to the ITC Catterick in the UK to join the British Army Karl got word that he had been accepted into the Irish Defence Forces. He completed his recruit training and three star cse in Gormanston camp with the 2 Bn. "I really enjoyed the training in Gormanston, looking back now the location was perfect and the training staff were excellent, the Pln Sgt who is now a CS, Paul O'Mara was a very good influence on all of us". After train- ing he was posted to A Coy, 2 Bn, where his very first course was a Regimental Signals cse. From there he did 3 months in the security Pln in Portlaoise Prison. Wanting to keep himself busy Karl then increased his infantry skills by completing an Infantry Light Support Weapons (ILSW) cse. Karl's first overseas mission was to Kosovo with the 33rd Inf Gp in October 2006. "It was a really good trip, I was employed as a signaler and I enjoyed the extra responsibility it brought to the mission". His first introduction to sniping was experienced on his basic sniper cse, which ran over a 7-week period in the early autumn months of 2007. "I loved that course, I really found my passion for sniping on the course and I haven't looked back since". Not resting himself, after his basic sniper course, within 2 weeks, Karl was afforded the opportunity to go for promotion, which he jumped at and after 7 months potential NCO's cse he was promoted in May 2008. Karl's love of sniping continued when he completed his Sniper Instructors cse in the IWW. "Doing that course I learned how to work as a sniper team and how to deploy a sniper team on operations both home and abroad". Immediately after his sniper instructors cse he formed up for his second overseas mission to Chad, with the 99th Inf Bn as a section 2 I/C. After 3 weeks the Bn Cmdr wanted 2 full time sniper teams and Karl was deployed in a sniper team with APC Coy, used as over watch for Camp Ciara and as over watch for the basecamps while out on operational patrols. After training the 71st recruit pln in 2009, Karl transferred into 2 Bde HQ working in the Adjutant's office, completing his Inf All Arms Standard cse and then almost straight onto the Inf Sgt's cse in 2012. Not long after those courses he com- pleted a Combat Trackers cse in the Cavalry school, Karl then progressed his Infantry career by completing the ILSW Instruc- tor's cse before being promoted to Sgt in the March of 2015. Getting promoted into the Admin School in the DFTC he had the opportunity to up-skill himself with an Ord Room Sgt's cse, Logistics cse's, Mif cse and the Logs mod 1 cse. In 2016 Karl spent 9 months overseas working in the special staff team for the then Head of Mission Force Commander of UNIFIL Major General Beary. This job was extremely demand- ing as it meant he was deployed as an operations admin clerk, a driver, photographer and note taker when needed. After his deployment to UNIFIL Karl completed a higher diploma in Sup- ply Chain Management in Carlow IT in May 2018. Karl's current position in the IWW came about after he completed an LFTT (Live Fire Tactical Training) cse as a precur- sor to a transfer into the unit. In March 2019 he was attached to the IWW and tasked as Sgt coordinator for an International Marksmanship Skills competition. Once the transfer competi- tion had ended he was able to transfer into the IWW on 16th June 2019. His main job in the unit is as sniper instructor sgt, this con- sists of running badge tests for unit level basic sniper cse's for various units across the Defence Forces. He also conducts the sniper instructor's cse's that are run in the IWW. Secondary to his job as lead sniper instructor is being an LFTT instructor, this involves planning, organising and the supervision of LFTT exercises for overseas mission readiness exercises (MRE's), weapons concentrations and conducting LFTT instructor's cse's within the IWW. Speaking of his love for sniping Karl told us "I really enjoy being involved with the Defence Forces Sniper community, they are a highly motivated and enthusiastic collection of Irish Defence Forces members". "Working in the IWW is a very demanding but a highly rewarding job, because I enjoy working in the IWW the hardest part of my job is trying to get a good working/life balance. I'm also looking forward to one of our on going projects coming to fruition with the first batch of new sniper clothing and equipment due to arrive before the end of the year". BY SGT KARL BYRNE PHOTOS BY SGT KARL BYRNE

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