An Cosantóir

6 As Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, I am delighted to contribute to this Naval Service 75th Anniversary Edition of An Cosantóir. Throughout the history of the State, the members of Óglaigh na hÉireann have been the people of Ireland, citizens in uniform, soldiers, sailors and aviators. In 1946 following the evolution of the Marine Coast Watching Service the Naval Service was formed. Since then, the women and men of the Naval Service have served their country at home, and abroad, on land and at sea. Most of this service has been in what are statistically the roughest seas in the world. Our Naval Service is a key component of Ireland's security architecture and part of the bedrock that underpins our sovereignty. Sovereign rights that are not upheld are more imaginary than real. With almost one million square kilometres of sea area, Ireland has one of the largest sea to land jurisdictions in the European Union. Tasked with defence, security and government roles, as the primary seagoing agency of the State, the Naval Service has an extraordinary responsibility. I am so proud of all who serve, have served and who support the Naval Service. Whether it be in major search and recovery operations such as the aftermath of the Betelgeuse disaster, the terrorist attack on Air India flight 187 or more recent major maritime events, the loyalty, dedication and commitment has been exemplary. It has been evident in multinational operations such as Operation PONTUS and EUNAVFOR Mediterranean and Operation SOPHIA/IRINI where the Naval Service contributed directly to the rescue of tens of thousands of adults and children. The courage and commitment of all our personnel has been evident in major counter terrorism operations such as the interception of the MARITA ANN and the MV CLAUDIA for arms shipments during the years of "the troubles". The Naval Service has been successful in the ongoing battle against the importation of illegal narcotics, since the first major interception of the KETCH BRIME in 1993. More recently the interdictions of the Sailing Vessels DANCES WITH WAVES in Operation SEABIGHT and MAKAYBELLA in Operation UNITY have helped prevent nearly 1 Billion Euro of cocaine from fuelling misery on the streets of Ireland and Europe thereby protecting our citizens. The selfless manner that the members of the Naval Service meet all challenges, head on, reflects the spirit of the generations that proceeded them and inspires the next to make a difference. I wish to thank all members of the Naval Service, past and present for your commitment. I wish to thank also, the families that remain at home while a loved one goes to sea in service of the State. We all serve because of the sacrifice of our families and friends. In conclusion, down through the decades our Naval Service like our Army and Air Corps have strengthened the Nation, inspiring pride and leading excellence. I look forward to the celebrations in Dublin and Cork during their 75th Anniversary. CHIEF OF STAFF VICE ADMIRAL MARK MELLETT DSM 75TH ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE TO THE IRISH NAVAL SERVICE CHIEF OF STAFF 'Vice Admiral Mark Mellett' with 'Chief of Staff'

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