An Cosantóir

| 19 with dogs, and after a long winding trail up the side of a valley to a layup point we rested. Food, water, and a little sleep for some and patrol reports and work for others, we moved on to our link-up with friendly forces at 0300hrs. Cpl Flanagan, who now led the patrol, was given a quick set of orders on our extraction. While this was ongoing I provided a quick CTR debrief while the patrol got instruction on survival techniques by other FF. After a short truck ride to the base of another hill, at the top we met two FF who directed us down the other side where we had to conduct a tactical river crossing. In location at 0500hrs, we stripped down to nothing but our under-armour leggings and top, stuffing 'rucks' and everything but our British SA80 rifles and chest rigs into 'bivy' bags for floatation devices. In four-man detachments we quickly crossed the 75m river, establishing security on the other side in shifts while the remainder changed. Not wet enough Mother Nature decided to batter us with torrential rain for the next six hours as once again we went up a massive hill to another RV. At 1200hrs we linked up with our 'int' source, who asked us to identify a stockpiled enemy weapons and mines. He then provided us with our next RV. A long hill march later, a thick-accented partisan welcomed us. He told us to relax and drop packs, and that he needed three members to help instruct survival techniques to some locals. Ptes McEvoy, McGuigan and Pentony took on this task and taught them how to start a fire and how to purify water. On completion we were given our next RV grid ref with friendly forces. We arrived 5km later, and told that we were moving by vehicle to a known enemy hotspot with contact likelihood very high. We donned our body armour and helmets and were transported to the Sennybridge area where we received a quick set of orders to attack an enemy location on the other side of a small hill. We moved out with live machine-gun tracer fire over our heads and mortars and simulators going off around us. Advancing along a track we came under fire from an enemy machine gun post. After returning suppressive fire and clearing the enemy position we had to assist friendly forces with some POWs. Finding that they were mistreating their captives we took control and showed them the proper way to handle prisoners. We were told that 2km away friendly forces needed an immediate ammunition resupply of 60mm mortar rounds. On arrival we were met by panicked friendly forces and then there was a loud explosion. Friendly forces yelled out that one of them had stood on a mine. After immediately securing the site we located the man who had lost his lower leg and was bleeding out. Cpl Flangan and Pte O'Connor quickly provided first aid, while I began building the '9-liner' and radioed in a MIST report. We extracted the casualty back up the hill through a cleared minefield to a helicopter evacuation some 600m away. The 'victim' thanked us and told us to head for a grid ref some 6kms away for further orders. At our next RV dark figures rushed us inside to a bright warm room where a warrant officer demanded we show him certain items of kit. We then moved to another room were the patrol had to debrief on the previous 48hrs to an intelligence officer and NCO. The room was stuffy and occasionally during the debrief a pen or notebook would drop as someone nodded off. To our delight, when our interrogators were satisfied we were told the exercise was finished. After travelling around 55kms in 48hrs it was all over. Morale was lifted as we met the friendly faces of Sgt O'Reilly and Lt Gray, and we were driven to quarters for much needed showers, an hour's sleep, and, for those who could walk, some breakfast. After an anticipated period sitting in a hall with a dozen other teams awaiting our fate we heard, "The Irish Defence Forces: awarded a silver medal." We proudly accepted our medals and smiled at each other on a job well done. Cambrian Patrol was an amazingly rewarding but brutal experience; it tested our physical conditioning, mental toughness and all our military skills. The difficulty of the exercise can be seen in that one fifth of the teams failed to complete the course. Every member of our patrol learned a lot about themselves and each other as a result, and no doubt it was the hardest thing a lot of us have done. Conclusion The excellent performance of the 27 Inf Bn team is testament to the quality and dedication of the unit's soldiers and is an excellent reflection on the Defence Forces as a whole. The DF will continue to train and test its reconnaissance soldiers at the highest level through the all-Army competition and to compare our best and brightest against our international colleagues. www.military.ie the defence forces magazine

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