An Cosantóir

| 13 At any one time the Defence Forces has personnel serving in at least nine missions. Some may have a few personnel, like Mali with a few dozen personnel or EUTM Somalia with ten. Others are quite large, such as UNIFIL with 355 and UNDOF with 114. "All of these personnel have to be processed going out and coming home," BQMS Denver said, "and for the larger contingents we ask the military police to assist us." The NSRC works in partnership with Logs Branch (J4). After a bag is processed it then has to be shipped to the respective mission. For smaller missions it may simply be couriered while for larger missions J4 may charter an aircraft, and a ship for larger cargo. "On returning, the same process takes place as it would if you were flying home from a holiday," BQMS Denver told us. "In Lebanon, for example, we check the luggage with the MPs and then ask the same list of questions, as well as asking each individual if they have anything to declare. Once back in Ireland the luggage is placed in a sealed container and delivered to our compound. Customs officers then come to the DFTC open the container and check the luggage with sniffer dogs, looking for drugs or other contraband, just as they would at the airport or docks." To ensure the NSRC's procedures and facilities meet the required security standard they are inspected by the Dept of Transport at least every two years. The NSRC also provides the Defence Forces' only heavy-lift capability. This requires a fleet of DROPS (Dismountable Rack Offload and Pickup System) vehicles plus articulated trucks. There are no Nissan Patrols or Transit vans here: heavy lift means Scania 6x6s and 8x8s, Iveco 8x8 DROPS and the Fiat Fantuzzi forklift, capable of lifting up to 20 tons. Brigade transport companies have similar equipment but primarily transport lighter cargoes and troops. "The NSRC was originally established in 2001 as a heavy-lift transport company in order to bring home the vast stores and equipment from Lebanon," BQMS Denver went on to tell us. "We have the only heavy-lift forklift and two of the three truckmounted cranes in the Defence Forces." While a DROPS can lift and move a container the truckmounted cranes can lift, stack, and even place a container around a corner. Adding to this capability all the unit's drivers hold a 'Dangerous Goods' licence, which allows them to transport fuel, ammunition, or explosives. Importantly, in the event of an accident this qualification means the driver is able to inform the emergency services of exactly what category of cargo is involved. This in turn allows the emergency services to put specific safety procedures in place. The workhorse of the fleet is the Iveco 410E42 8X8 LHD hookloader with multilift/Drops system. "This is an 8x8 that can lift anything from palettes to bulldozers and containers," Pte Jimmy Maher told us. "It can carry 16 tons and 32 tons with a trailer, has excellent cross-country capabilities and has proved excellent overseas. I've driven it up the Macedonian Alps and it handles very well." Another vehicle employed by the NSRC, and often also used by civilian shipping companies, is the Scania articulated truck. Capable of carrying 40 tons, the Scania tractor can either pull a lowloader or a 40ft trailer. Pte Daniel Crofton, who has been with the unit for a year-and-half says: "The Scania is a great machine. You can lift anything from a trailer of pallets to heavy armour on the low-loader. Just the other week we transported eight decommissioned Panhard AMLs from Cork to the DFTC over two days." According to a lot of those we spoke to, however, the unit would be lost without the Fantuzzi forklift. Anything big that needs to be lifted and stacked anywhere around the country is done by the Fantuzzi. While the DROPS lifts containers at an angle, the Fantuzzi is counter-balanced to enable it to lift them vertically. Consequently, if the container needs to remain stable the Fantuzzi has to be used. This is especially vital at the docks where containers are sealed and the NSRC personnel may not know exactly what's inside. In these cases a vertical lift is the only way. The NSRC's drivers operate large, heavy machinery that can be dangerous in the wrong hands. "We have really experienced drivers here," Cpl John McCombe told us. "We work very well together and pass on to each other the personal knowledge and experience gained on a particular vehicle." The NSRC is one of those small units in the Defence Forces that has a huge impact. Without these 21 specialists from the Transport Corps no mission would be able to deploy overseas, and no container or heavy freight could be moved around the country. www.military.ie the defence forces magazine

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