An Cosantóir

36 PEOPLE OF THE DEFENCE FORCES Can you give me a brief outline of your career so far? To date my career has been quite extensive and I have passed through some of the best units in the Defence Forces. I joined the DF in Apr 1994, trained in the Command Training Depot West (CTDW), passed out as a 28 Inf Bn soldier, but due to operational requirements, myself and nine other recruits were reassigned to 4 Cav Sqn, Connolly Bks Longford. I spent 13.5yrs in the 4 Cav Sqn where I made some lifelong friends of which only a handful are still serving. I did not realise it then, but those were some of the most formative years in my military experience. It was a fantastic unit with some of the most highly skilled, highly motivated, focused and driven personnel that I have ever had the pleasure to serve with and call my friends. In Oct 2006, I was seconded into 4 W Bde HQ – Operations section and transferred there in Jan 2007, where I spent over 6 years in the role as Bde Ops/Trg Sgt and it was during my time in Bde HQ that the 2012 DF reorganisation occurred. I was also serving overseas. I was also on the list for promotion and as the 4 W Bde colours were laid to rest, and when I was still serving overseas, I was promoted Coy- Sgt into 1 Cn Cois, A-Coy; an appointment that I held for 7.5 Rank - Sgt Maj Name - Mark Gallagher By Cpl Martin Bennett Photos provided by Sgt Maj Mark Gallagher An Interview with Sgt Maj Mark Gallagher years. During my posting to 1 Cn Cois I also was privileged to have had the opportunity to take over the role of A/BSM for a period of 18 months. The operational challenges and demands that the unit met and successfully conducted over those years was immense and is a testament to the professional soldiers that serve in An gCéad Chathláin Coisithe. At the end of this term, I transferred back to my native town of Athlone in June 2019, where I served with 6 Inf Bn, B-Coy. B-Coy are the centre of excellence for the DF Light Tactical Armoured Vehicle (LTAV). Shortly after returning to Athlone, I was selected for overseas again and deployed with 115 Inf Bn, UNIFIL. During the tour again, I was on the promotion list and was promoted to the appointment of 1 Brigade Sergeant Major on 10 March 2020. This appointment would mean that I was now back on the road travelling again as it is located in Collins Barracks, Cork where I am currently. After 27 years, my personal career has seen me on the road for 21 years. Overseas trips: 78 Inf Bn (UNIFIL) – BMR 82 Inf Bn (UNIFIL) – BMR 88 Inf Bn (UNIFIL) – C Coy 90 Inf Bn (UNMIL) – Sp Coy RECCE Tp (New Deployment) 93 Inf Bn (UNMIL) – Sp Coy RECCE Tp 97 Inf Bn (tChad) – Bn HQ (New Deployment) 3 IR COMP, (UNIFIL) – Sector West Bde HQ 47 Inf Gp (UNIFIL) – B-Coy 17 IRCON (KOSOVO) – Joint Effects Centre 113 Inf Bn (UNIFIL) – Bn Sp Gp 115 Inf Bn (UNIFIL) – Bn Sp Gp Marks first trip overseas in 1995 on the 78th Inf Bn, Lebanon at the Grapes of Wrath

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