An Cosantóir

visit us at www.military.ie UNIFIL Sit Rep T BY CAPT HOLOHAN he 105 Inf Bn are a few months into their tour of duty and in that short time the UNIFIL area of operation (AO) has experienced several serious incidents, including rockets launched into Israel. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) responded with a 155mm artillery barrage landing in the vicinity of the village of Rmaich, which is located in another contingents AO, it is 4 Km West of UN Post 6-50 where Irish troops went into "Groundhog" during this incident. Another UNIFIL contingent, were struck by an IED near the city of Tyre, fortunately there were no fatalities. The mission area is relatively stable but it is clear that there are simmering tensions and it is an environment that could become vol- atile with little or no warning. In fact due to the recent increased threat level all IRISHBATT patrols, which move outside of Tibnine, wear full Body Armour and Helmet. The 105 Inf Bn AO is divided into two Company areas. Many of the villages will be familiar to personnel with UNIFIL experience. B Coy has responsibility for 6 villages including Tibnine and UN Post 6-50, which, is positioned on the Blue Line approx 50 meters from an IDF Post. A Coy also has responsibility for 6 villages including Bint Jubayl, a town completely decimated during the 2006 war, however now it has been rebuilt and is flourishing. It is the administrative Capital of the South and houses UN Post 6-52. The relationship that currently exists be- tween IRISHBATT and the local population of South Leba- non is strong and friendly. The three manoeuvre Coy's, (A, B and Recce) conduct regular framework operations along with the Lebanese Armed Forces. These operations range from Blue Line Patrols, Area Domination Patrols, Counter Rocket Launching Op's and mobile and village patrols. There is an intense patrol plan, which provides the AO with robust, visible and interactive patrolling both day and night in armoured and soft skin vehicles. We recently enjoyed a very successful visit from GOC of 1 S Bde, Brig Gen Paul Pakenham. Now as the 105 Inf Bn look forward to the coming months in South Lebanon we intend to continue with our intense patrol plan, in conjunction with several planned CIMIC projects. These projects will compliment our recently completed project of providing a Generator to the village of Haddathah. We may see IRISHBATT take over responsibility of a larger AO when the anticipated rearrangement of the Sector West AO takes place. Uganda/EUTM S omalia is a training mission bi-locat- ed between the MHQ in Kampala and the BTC located in Bihanga. Ire- land took command of the mission in Au- gust 2011 after the mandate of the mission was extended. The training is conducted over 6 months with the intention of creat- ing effective section level field command- ers as opposed to teaching them the full skill set that would be expected of an Irish corporal, but also to identify and train approximately five of the Somalis to be platoon Sgts. To date EUTM Somalia has trained 1870 Somali soldiers. In Bihanga BY COMDT MC KEON EUTM Training Camp three Irish trainers join up with three Maltese trainers to constitute a training team under Irish Command. The present mandate is to train 600 Somali Trainees as 4 Inf Coy's and 60 train the trainers for duty with the National Security Forces of Somalia. The Defence Forces have 6 personnel deployed, Col Michael Beary, mission commander, Lt Col Peter O Hal- loran, Chief of Staff and Comdt Garry Mc Keon Visit and Protocol officer each based in the MHQ. Lt Phillip Quinlan, Sgt's An- thony Mc Grath and Steven Carr are based in the training center.

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