An Cosantóir

21 A DAY IN THE GLEN OF IMAAL BEATS SCHOOL in hand. However, it wasn't until they laid out body armour, helmets and hearing protection, that I realised what it really meant to be shadowing a live firing exercise. Capt Hoey explained that the purpose of the exercise was to simulate a scenario in which two wounded peacekeepers were stranded on a road and they needed to be extracted under fire. The sections we followed were tasked with rescuing the peacekeepers and they were to achieve this by manoeuvring down the left flank of a ditch while firing at targets that popped up, as suppressing fire was laid down from a distance. It was a shock at first when the shots first began, despite the ear protectors I could feel the repeated thud of the guns in my chest. We shadowed two groups, the first we followed at a distance, so the Sky News team got some general wide angle shots while I watched at the side in astonishment at the General-Purpose-Machine- Gun laying down suppressing fire as the rest of the section made their way further down the hill. After this part of the exercise, Capt Millane decided that we would follow the next section more closely in order to get better action shots for Sky News. This meant that we were right behind the troops as they sought cover, fired their rifles and manoeuvred for their final assault. When we finished shadowing the sections, we were driven over to the Mowag Armoured Vehicle live firing range where I was briefed on the weapons used on the vehicles. When we arrived on the range, there was a buzz of activity as they were making final preparations for the shoot. I witnessed the loading of the guns, soldiers on top of the vehicles hulking bullets which seemed the size of my forearm, strung together into the ammunition tracks on the turret with a fluidity that could only have been achieved through rigorous training. It was exactly what I pictured professional soldiers preparing for an exercise would look like, before driving off and leaving a cloud of dust behind. The troops were so concentrated on their task that they barely acknowledged our presence, which speaks of how seriously they took the exercise. I was given a quick tour inside the Mowag by one of the officers. I was also told that the vehicles' designs were extremely practical aside but would benefit from a better air conditioning system, which was only truly appreciated after a six-hour patrol under the Lebanese sun. While we weren't allowed follow the Mowags past a certain point it still didn't dull the impressiveness of the guns as they fired at targets more than a kilometre away from us, before throwing up smoke, so as to mask their departure. For me it was like something out of a movie or a video game. While most of my other work experience placements could be described as, "interesting" or "Educational" there is only one word that can describe my day at the Glen of Imaal; "Exciting". Compared to the office- based or even bedroom-based virtual placements, this week has been a refreshing break from sitting behind screens, as I was given the opportunity to experience at first hand and in real life, the efficiency and professionalism of military training. Bn Comdr Lt Col Denis Hanly, 120th Inf Bn UNIFIL Live Fire section attack

• Cover