An Cosantóir

24 LAST OF THE FEW UNIFIL REPORT, 117TH INF BN COVID-19 has affected every aspect of Irish life as we all know only too well. But it is also impacting considerably on our UNIFIL troops serving in the Lebanon. The recent deployment had to spend 14 days in quarantine in the Glen of Imaal before departure, wait out another fortnight in quarantine when they got to camp in the Lebanon, will have to go without any leave (and visits home) during their full six months away and must suffer various restrictions while on duty there. But as professional soldiers trained to deal with all eventualities, they take it in their stride: "As soldiers we are very adaptable and we have adapted quickly", explained Lt Col Fred O'Donovan, Officer Commanding 117th Infantry Battalion. In his role as Commander of around 600 UNIFIL troops from four nationalities in Lebanon, Dubliner Fred O'Donovan certainly has had his hands full in the time of COVID. Lt Col O'Donovan and his Irish troops arrived in Lebanon on November 11th, but it was not a simple trip or preparation. "We were in quarantine for 14 days in the Glen of Imaal before we left and on arrival here we have had to do another fortnight in quarantine," he said. It is the seventh tour of overseas duty for Fred, his third in Lebanon. In addition, he has served in Chad, Afghanistan, Kosovo and in Brussels for a time. "A lot of our troops are now very experienced in terms of serving overseas. Its par-for-the-course really, part of the job and we have come to accept it as part of our service," he says. And, of course, serving overseas brings its own challenges, personally and professionally. "It's always hard leaving home for all of us. It is a particular sacrifice this time because of COVID, as it is a six-month trip without any leave, which is unusual. That's particularly tough because of Christmas, especially for those with young children." He added: "On past missions we could have looked forward to leave so we would get home to see the family and loved ones at some point but that's not going to happen this time unfortunately. But we have to accept it and get on with our job here." Irish troops have been serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon since 1978. This means they have built up an extraordinary rapport with the local people and a great understanding of local culture and way-of-life. "We have spent a lot of time here, more or less in the same area, so we have gotten to know the people very well. They appreciate our presence and what we are doing here and they have always been very welcoming. The locals love the Irish, in fact some now even speak with a Dublin, Cork or Mayo accent", recalls Lt Col O'Donovan. Indeed, so long have Irish troops been in the Lebanon, that serving overseas there with the Defence Forces has gone down through various Army families. "Some of our troops would have seen their fathers serve here as well, maybe even grandfathers! But that longevity here has allowed us to build a great relationship with the local people and that is very important in terms of the job we are here to do." He is in charge of a multi-national battalion: 347 Irish troops; 220 Polish; 11 Maltese and some Hungarians. "There is no particular problem in terms of commanding different nationalities, we are all soldiers, and we know we have a job to do." At the time An Cosantóir spoke with Lt Col O'Donovan A member of the 117th Inf Bn ebing interviewed by Virgin Media during the MRE OC 117th Inf Bn Lt Col Fred O'Donavan prepares for an interview with the press during their MRE v A member of the 117th In Bn patrols the roads of the Glen of Imaal while on exercise for the battalions MRE v Members of the 117th Inf Bn fire an 84mm Anti - Tank round during the MRE By Tony O'Brien Photos by A/M Sam Gibney

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