An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/35286
EX CAPSTONE The exercise is the final phase of a three-week APC Commander’s Course, coming at the end of the student’s Peace Support Operations Platoon Commander’s Course. In the subsequent two-weeks, the officers and NCOs of B Company, 3rd Infantry Battalion (Detached) in the Curragh have taught the students all they know on how to run an APC unit properly and more importantly the challenges they will face in conducting company-sized offensive operations with the supporting combat support, combat service support and air assets over vast distances. The general exercise scenario involved the company, as part of a bigger multi-national mechanised battalion deployed overseas to a war torn country and having to deal with varying types of defensive and offensive operations. CAPSTONE | 13 BY SGT DAVID NAGLE I can categorically state that as an observer on Ex Capstone, that this was one of the toughest An Cosantóir assignments I have ever under taken. I completely lost track of time, and sleep as the five days of this tactical exercise ‘on wheels’ seemed to merge together as each scenario came and went. Capstone is based on real life, hi-tempo operational missions and our experiences in Liberia, Kosovo and Chad and it is deliberately designed to give officers a taste of what is required by them to lead a mechanised company on the ground. B Company has been running Capstone for a number of years now and they are expert in mechanised infantry manoeuvres. The planning for this exercise commenced month’s ago and it is a testament to all involved. Remember, B Company were hard pressed in the lead up, as were the rest of the Army on standby in May for Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama’s visits. On top of that, the company had lost a large contingent to the 104th Infantry Battalion UNIFIL, so they had to augment their numbers with exercising troops, APC crews, special forces, artillery, CIS, engineering, medical, MP, Air Corps and logistical specialists - who all helped to make Capstone run smoothly. In all, some 200 troops in 60 vehicles and three helicopters where involved covering 19 counties. The following is just a short outline of the exercise. THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE