An Cosantóir

on parade | 7 AIR CORPS SAVE ILL CHILD FAREWELL TERRY On June 10th, McKee Bks said goodbye to one of its longest serving soldiers, when Gnr Terry ‘The Sniper’ Corrigan retired after 35 years of dedicated service. BQMS Noel O’Neill (McKee Bks Coy) and CQMS Malachy McCaul (2 LSB) are seen here making a presentation to Terry on behalf of all his colleagues and friends in McKee. Photo courtesy of CQMS McCaul. BRUSSELS CALLING On a recent family holiday to Brussels, Col Joe O’Sullivan (Retd and Pres McKee Offrs Club) called into Ireland’s mission to the EU in Brussels and presented a copy of the Chiefs of Staff Portrait book to Brig Gen Tom Behan (Mil Rep to the EU). Photo courtesy of Col Joe O’Sullivan (Retd). The Air Corps was called into action yesterday to fly a sick child for vital treatment. The young patient, and a HSE team were transferred from Crumlin Childrens’ Hospital to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel and flown to Northholt Airbase in London on the Air Corps Learjet. This is the 32nd Air Ambulance mission carried out by the Air Corps so far this year. The Irish Daily Mirror, May 26th IRISH HEROES TO SOLDIER ON Defence Minister Alan Shatter yesterday reviewed the members of the 104th Infantry Battalion who will leave for Lebanon this month. After the parade at Custume barracks, Athlone, Co Westmeath, the minister paid tribute to the 47 Irish soldiers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace in the troubled state. The Irish Daily Mirror, June 3rd €3M SPENT ON DEPLOYING IRISH TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN The Defence Forces have spent €3 million on deploying personnel to the Nato-led force in Afghanistan, the Department of Defence has revealed. The expenditure does not include the salaries of the 130 personnel deployed to date, which when included would bring total expenditure to at least €6 million. Richard Boyd Barrett TD, who is opposed to the war in Afghanistan and has raised the issue in the Dáil, said it was unacceptable that the Government was spending millions deploying troops to Afghanistan at a time of ‘savage cuts’ on vulnerable sectors of Irish society. The Irish Times, June 8th OUR NAVY TESTS DEVICE TO BLOW UP OLD MINES The Navy as tested out a revolutionary underwater anti- ordnance device for blowing up old sea mines, which fishermen frequently dredge up in their nets. During the Second World War, tens of thousands of sea mines were dropped near shipping lanes in the Atlantic, Celtic Sea and Irish Sea by the Germans and Allies. The Kracatoa device consists of a tiny waterproof tin- can-type canister filled with high explosives, and is even safe for divers to handle. The Irish Daily Mail, June 13th FORCE ‘DEADBEAT DADS’ TO JOIN THE ARMY, SAYS FINE GAEL TD Jobless ‘deadbeat dads’ who expect the State to support their children should be forced to spend a year in the Army, a Fine Gael TD has claimed. Mayo TD Michelle Mulherin said that the radical approach would end the ‘culture of entitlement’ whereby men fathered children and then expected the social welfare to support. The Irish Daily Mail, June 13th THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE

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