An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 5 Manager Capt Declan Barrett info@military.ie 045 44 5306 Editorial Staff Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald Sgt Karl Byrne magazine@military.ie 045 44 5307 Connect Cpl Paul Millar connect@military.ie 045 44 5307 Photographer Cpl Neville Coughlan photo@military.ie 045 44 5307 Subscriptions Cpl Kelly Gallagher 045 445312 subs@military.ie Magazine Archivist Mr Sean Shinnors DF/PR Information: Cpl Kelly Gallagher admin@military.ie 045 44 5308 DF Webmaster Sgt Mick Burke 045 445309 webmaster@military.ie Designer/Advertising JM Publishing & Media, Arklow, Co. Wicklow,Ireland Tel: +353 1 443 3476 Tel: +353871344135 Web: www.jmpublishing.ie Email: info@jmpublishing.ie Printer Turner's Printing Co., Ltd The fact that an article appears in this magazine does not indicate official approval of the views expressed by the author. © Published by OiC Public Relations Branch for the Defence Forces at DFHQ, Block 5, Ceannt Bks, DFTC, Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, Ireland. Tel: 045 445312 Front Cover Aviation Fire Fighters pictured in Baldonnel. Photo by Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald For more Defence Forces photographs, checkout: www. flickr.com/photos/dfmagazine W ell it's officially the summer here in the An Cosantóir office as we bring you a 44 page July and August double issue, we hope you enjoyed the issues from the first half of this year as much as we did putting them together. We have another shift in personnel as Sgt Karl Byrne moves to the editorial team and Cpl Kelly Gallagher takes over our subscriptions desk – good luck to them both. There will be a Cpl Admin vacancy coming up soon so keep an eye on Routine Orders! This month's issue as always has your photos On Parade – I hope yours made it. In Focus has two small veteran's pieces; firstly in Portlaoise, Minister Burton visits IUNVA Post 27, and then we visit Limerick for the recently held International Veterans Day. Also in this section, Cpl Paul Millar visits the Irish Model Soldier Society, who held their Annual Show and Exhibition in Dublin. Our first main feature is by Capt Andrew Shinnick on the current process of Upgrading the Steyr rifle. Next Cpl Paul Millar visits the Cavalry Corps and sees how they are Pushing the Boundaries of their corps capabilities. In Gaisce – Bronze Level Challenge, Sgt Karl Byrne sees how 30 teenagers get put through their paces by 2 Arty Regt. That is followed by IUNVA Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony, which was held in their HQ behind Arbour Hill Church recently. Our Def-Tec double spread I had the pleasure to meet with the Aviation Fire-Fighters who were undergoing their 4-year revalidation training in Baldonnel. Our Strategic Review feature by Guy Warner is a story of Irish/British post-war co-operation in Operation 'Sandstone'. Our 3-page In Reserve feature by Wesley Bourke, Keeping The Limbers Rolling Along is about how the 2 Arty Regt have adapted to the 'single force concept' and with their new Air Defence Role. On page 26 we have a small piece on the DF Small Arms Competition held in Kilworth in May. In the first of our large history section this month, Terry McLaughlin's Setting Fire to Europe continues on the 100th anniversary of WWI, and Paul O'Brien follows this up with A Call To Arms, which looks at Ireland at the out break of WWI. Our final history piece is on Charles Kearney, a lesser-known tale of an Irishman who was in the Congo during the early 1960s. In Sport, we have the 2014 DF Relay Orienteering Championships and we hear how Sgt Ann Marie Larkin successfully completes the 29th Marathon Des Sables. Plus we have all our regular features – Military Media Round-Up, Tac-Aide, Gear Review, Noticeboard, Reviews and What I Do. editorial Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald - Editor In MeMory During a recent trip to South Lebanon to visit Defence Forces personnel serving with UNIFIL, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, laid a wreath at the Tibnin Mon- ument to the 47 Irish Soldiers who died in Lebanon. Photo: Cpl Neville Coughlan Last 5 Inf Bn rsM retIres On Friday 13th July, former members of 5 Inf Bn, along with members of the 7 Inf Bn and the CMU, SBH paraded in McKee Bks for the 'Stand Down Parade' in honour of Sgt Maj Gerry Hanly. Gerry was the last serving RSM of 5 Inf Bn prior to its amalgama- tion with the 2 Inf Bn and thus formed the 7 Inf Bn. Photo: Sgt John Mullally (retd) socIaL MedIa award wInners The Defence Forces won the award for 'Best Use of Social Media by a State Body' in the 2014 Social Media Awards. So a big thank you to our Defence Forces members and to our followers who contribute every day on social media. Pic- tured (L/R): Capts De- clan Bar- rett (Info Officer), Brendan O'Dowd (AC PIO), Comdt Denis Hanly (Press Officer) and Donal Gallagher (Asst Press Officer). df faLLIng PLates wInners The 2 Arty Regt Falling Plates Team are pictured outside their Regt HQ in Custume Bks Athlone, with the 2 Bde and All Army Trophies. Pictured are (L/R): Gnr Ian Magee, Cpl Olly McNamee, Gnr Stephen Evens, Gnr Anto McArdle, RSM Noel O'Callaghan (Master Coach), Lt Col John McCrann (OC 2 Arty Regt), Gnr Michael Carson, Sgt Gerry Graham (Team Captain), Sgt Willy Bastic and Lt George Balfe. Photo: RSM Noel O'Callaghan

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