An Cosantóir

| 17 On the day of the competition the 12 teams, each comprising at least six members, readied themselves to start the course that Lt Ryan had set up, comprising six challenges and a final race around the Tank Tracks. Warm-ups completed and battle-cries roared, the teams set out in pairs to face their first challenge. First on the menu was the GPMG stand where the teams carried out a relay involving stripping and assembling the GPMG, interspersed with 150m runs carrying water containers. Next came an endurance race involving an ammunition resupply in the area of the old graveyard. From there it was on to a small pond just near the Sheep Pens at Lumville House where they were tasked with retrieving a ball from 7ft-long tube. The teams quickly realised they needed to fill the tube with water to bring the ball within reach and with only helmets and bare hands to get the job done, all the competitors were soon drenched in pond water. A long stretch up to the Fairy Ring brought the teams to a map-reading challenge, where team members were tested on their skills with a map and compass working out grid references and bearings. From there a short 300m dash across the Plains brought them to their fifth challenge, which tested the team leaders' ability to control his team. They had to manoeuvre their way across an area using two planks, each of which was only just long enough to hold the full team. On reaching a designated area each team member then had to throw a dummy grenade at a marked target. This was followed by a long trek to the woods beside the pitch-'n'-putt club where the teams faced a CBRN challenge in which they were timed getting into full Cat 4 Romeo dress and field stripping and assembling their rifles. It was then on to the final event, a race around the dreaded Tank Tracks. Luckily for the teams the course only went over the hills and not through the deep pools in some of the tracks. While many would say that every team that completed the challenge were winners, that's not the military way and Section 1 of 2 Pl, BTC (Dublin), were triumphant overall. The winning section consisted of: Cpl Collins (2 BTC Staff, Sec Comd), Cpl Rochford (7 Inf Bn, 2i/c), Pte Connaughton (7 Inf Bn), Tpr Donnelly (2 Cav Sqn), Sgmn Browne (2 Bde CIS Coy), Pte Wright (28 Inf Bn), Pte Dowdal (4 Fd Eng Coy), Armn Saunders (No 1 Sp Wing), Pte McCabe (1 Mech Coy), Pte Hynes (McKee Camp Staff), Pte Holohan (LBH). www.military.ie the defence forces magazine

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