An Cosantóir

EDITORIAL Comdt David McKnight info@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5306 Sgt Karl Byrne (Stand in) magazine@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5307 Cpl Lee Coyle (Overseas) journalist@military.ie A/M Sam Gibney photo@military.ie Mr Seán Shinnors The new PC-12 aircraft Photographer Sgt Colum Lawlor, AC Photo Section, 105 SQ JM Publishing & Media Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)87 1344135 Email: info@jmpublishing.ie 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 Cpl Martin Bennett subs@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5312 Vacant Vacant admin@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5308 webmaster@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5309 MANAGER: EDITOR: PHOTO/JOURNALIST: PHOTOGRAPHER: MAGAZINE ARCHIVIST: FRONT COVER DESIGNER/JOURNALIST:: ADMIN CPL: DF/PR INFORMATION: DF WEBMASTER: Hello, and welcome to our first issue of 2021, our 81st volume of the An Cosantóir magazine. Looking back at 2020, we can only hope that 2021 brings us all a fresh new start and we'd like to wish all our readers and supporters a happy new year. Our On Parade feature this month sees the Air Corps Fire Service training in the Bray fire training centre, Air Corps recruits being put through their paces in a battle PT's session, Merrion Square hosted a memorial attended by the Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM and finally photographs from a Young Officers course which took place back in November. With a new year comes new beginnings, and the first of these is a feature on military fitness, by Sgt Mick Lennon, his first instalment of the year is Acquiring Military Robustness pretty much explains itself, and is a good read for anyone looking to toughen themselves up. Up next we have a bio piece on the ACOS, Brigadier General Adrian Ó Murchú, looking at his career in the Defence Forces right through to his appointment as ACOS. The ACOS pens his own piece on the work the DF has done in protecting itself and in turn the country in his piece called Protecting the Force. We move on to an LTAV article by Capt Kevin Diffley, Kevin gives us an insight into what it takes to become LTAV qualified and more specifically the 29th LTAV Operator Drivers course. Our centre spread this issue is brought to you by Capt Anthony Davey (AR Ret'd), his piece My experience of the Aer Lingus PPE Airlift from China, he tells us of the journey back and forth from where Covid-19 originated from and all the planning and preparation that went into such a mission. Our front cover article is a piece about the newly purchased PC-12NG Spectre aircraft, purchased by the Air Corps last year, the process of which began back in 2017, these planes have already seen mission time in the air and will surely continue to do so for many years under the wing of Comdt Mick Barcoe OC 104 Sqn. Moving on from aviation matters, our resident journalist, Tony O'Brien, had the opportunity to speak with Lt Col Fred O'Donovan, OC 117th Inf Bn UNIFIL. Fred spoke of the training his troops underwent and what life was initially like in the mission area. An Cosantóir would like to wish the 117th Inf Bn good luck on the remaining months of their mission. SCPO Ruairí de Barra continues his piece in Part 2 of Fleet Support Group, with his insight into the workings of an active Naval Fleet Support group. We look forward to Ruairí's next instalment from a Naval perspective in the March edition of An Cosantóir. Our People of the Defence Forces feature is split into two, with a piece from Gnr Robbie McCarthy and A/m Billy Doyle. Dirty Boots (Previously the Tac-Aide feature) continues with our hillwalking serious and sees the climb of Carrauntoohil via the Devils Ladder. Choose your suffering by Cpl Martin Bennett, looks at the adventure sports undertaken by Capt Gearoid O'Briain of the Air Corps. And our final piece and new addition is our mental health series, Headspace & Timing, provided by PSS, this feature will address the mental health issues faced by the Defence Forces and give you invaluable information on how to address those issues you may be facing. Our Curragh Pens competition continues this month which is running for a limited time and could see you win 1 of 5 unique handcrafted pens kindly provided to us by Bill Dooley of Curragh Pens, see page 4 for further details. Many thanks to all our contributors, and we hope to continue producing the magazine through 2021 that we know you've enjoyed through the years. «Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.» – Winston S. Churchill Sgt Karl Byrne – (Stand-in) Editor. Vacant

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