An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 13 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE successfully established themselves and gained a valuable foothold from which to work. The Blue Line posts of UNP 6-52 (A Company: IRCON) and UNP 6-50 (B Coy: POLCON) served as the eyes of IRISHPOLBATT on the Blue Line during this fraught period, providing invaluable situational awareness to both Brigade and UNIFIL Force Headquarters. Highlighting the battalion's proximity to the 'front line', UNP 6-52 Platoon Commander, Lt Tadgh Moore, found himself interacting with the IDF's then Chief of Staff, who visited the post unannounced one day during the conflict. Despite such challenges and the precarious situation in which our troops found themselves, the 125th Infantry Battalion held their ground, underscoring the battalion's fortitude and professionalism, a factor not missed by the local population. A significant milestone in the battalion's tour of duty was the announcement of a ceasefire, under the guidance and direction of the newly commissioned Ceasefire Monitoring Mechanism, which occurred on 27 November 24. Consequently, the battalion immediately began preparing for post conflict stabilisation operations and this pivot in framework operations required extensive planning and engagement with both civil and military stakeholders becoming known as the UNIFIL Adaptation Plan. In practical terms, this involved supporting the redeployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), as well as enabling the civilian population (CIVPOP) to return to the fourteen towns and villages in IRISHPOLBATT's AoR through engineer route clearance operations. Given the destruction caused during the conflict period and the quantum of ordnance to land in the AoR, the volume of unexploded ordnance and explosive remnants of war was very significant and IRISHPOLBATT engineer and ordnance assets were key to the reintegration of LAF and CIVPOP enabling patrol and mobility corridors throughout the AOR. By means of assisting LAF with the performance of their duties, IRISHPOLBATT and LAF routinely conducted joint operations, as well as conducting several company sized operations (Operation ROADRUNNER 3 & 6), with some lasting up to thirty-six hours. These operations were pivotal in setting the conditions for CIVPOP to return to their homes, as well as building relations and developing interoperability with the LAF. From a humanitarian perspective, IRISHPOLBATT regularly assisted the Lebanese Red Cross with the extraction of casualties and fatalities from bombed buildings, and the IRISHPOLBATT medical team provided much needed medical care to CIVPOP in several towns and villages. As we reach the end of our tour of duty, the IDF continues to maintain a strategic presence in five locations in UNIFIL's AoR, with one located in the SouthEast of IRISHPOLBATT's area of operations known as AVIVIM Shield. Tensions and fear continue to remain high in towns and villages which still experience acts of hostility, such as drone strikes, on a regular basis. The IDF's strategy to occupy key areas along the Blue Line in Lebanon is a matter of some concern for UNIFIL and the Lebanese Government and one which will no doubt be an important talking point in the upcoming UN mandate renewal discussions scheduled to take place in August 2025. As this mandate renewal fast approaches, UNIFIL's role in south Lebanon is coming under intense scrutiny and questions remain over the viability of the mandate in its current form and what the future holds for UNIFIL. CIMIC: IRISHPOLBATT'S STRATEGIC ENABLER CIMIC has always played a significant part in any Irish deployment both in terms of Key Leader Engagement (KLE) and the practical assistance a CIMIC team can offer. Given the level of destruction in IRISHPOLBATT's AoR, with some towns assessed as being 95% battle damaged, the Irish CIMIC's team faced a monumental challenge to manage their financial envelope effectively across the fourteen towns and villages in the AoR. Notwithstanding the financial constraints facing the IRISHPOLBATT CIMIC team, an array of impactful projects were delivered with an emphasis on the restoration of key life and medical supports, and a focus on restoring emergency infrastructure. IRISHPOLBATT CIMIC also coordinated a blood-drive, providing much needed blood donations to local hospitals in close cooperation with the Lebanese Red Cross. Based on the volume of CIMIC requests being received by IRISHPOLBATT weekly, the CIMIC team successfully made representations to increase the CIMIC budget for this battalion and future battalions that deploy to South Lebanon. VISITS TO UNP 2-45 IRISHPOLBATT hosted several high profile visits during the tour including the visit of D COS OPS, Major General McKenna, on 13 February 2025, and An Tánaiste, Mr. Simon Harris, on 26 March 2025. On both occasions, IRISHPOLBATT presented the work and achievements of the battalion, as well as highlighting the challenges the battalion faced. The visit of An Tánaiste was a particularly important occasion, marking his first time to visit Irish troops and Camp Shamrock. The visit also allowed him to witness, at first-hand, the devastation caused by OPERATION NORTHERN ARROWS and the important and dangerous work carried out by IRISHPOLBATT in UNIFIL. FINAL REMARKS During what has undoubtedly been one of the most violent chapters in Lebanon's history, IRISHPOLBATT remained steadfast and focused on delivering the mission's objectives to Monitor, Assist, Support and Protect as part of UNSCR 1701. With an unwavering spirit and collective togetherness, the men and women of IRISHPOLBATT rose time and time again to meet, head on, the many challenges they faced during their tour of duty. As the battalion members return to their units, the Defence Forces can only gain from their experiences and knowledge. As the story of the 125 Infantry Battalion comes to a close, every luck is wished to the 126 Battalion who continue the Defence Forces' proud tradition in Lebanon. The High Mobility Engineering Excavator (HMEE): a critical capability which was instrumental in clearance operations CS Mark Lane, Sgt Mattie Regan, and Comdts Michael Campbell and Gerry Duff pay tribute to fallen comrades at the Tibnine monument

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