An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 25 by CAPT PAUL O'DONOGHUE O n 2nd September 12 members of the Engineer Corps deployed to UnDoF to carry out force pro- tection works, primarily in Un Post 80, which is located in the Area of Separation (AoS) as laid out in the ceasefire agreement after the 1973 yom Kippur war. The post is an isolated forward operating base (FOB) bordered on the north and east by villages controlled by anti-government armed elements (AGAEs) and is manned by Fijian and Irish troops. Consequently, the risk from direct and indirect small-arms fire spilling over from local conflicts has posed a direct threat to the occupants of UN Post 80. The engineers' tasks include the construction of over 1.4km of HESCO protective wall, two 40-person bunker positions, four new observation/defensive positions, vehicle fighting positions and a field ammunition storage facility for the post. In addition, the engineers have carried out survivability tasks and contributed to the real-life support of the post through works including repairing a water main and elec- trical power lines and installing a generator to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to the COMCEN. The engineer group's tasks required over 4,000m3 of material fill, which had to be transported to the post during a pre-arranged three-hour opening of the IDF's technical fence by the Fijian Heavy Plant Section. As all crossing of the technical fence to gain access to Post 80 was strictly controlled by the IDF, the engineering projects required ex- tensive logistical planning, some of which had to take place up to three-weeks in advance to ensure no delays occurred. In addition to the routine challenges of an overseas deployment, the engineer team faced a two- to three- week deployment into the austere conditions of Post 80, followed a by a three- to four-day rotation back to Camp Ziouani for personal admin and rest. While, long days in de- manding, hot and dusty conditions were the norm, morale within the group remained high, even when temperatures plummeted with the onset of the Golan winter during the two-month deployment. The project highlighted once again the expeditionary mindset of the Engineer Corps and its ability to deliver complex projects on time while operating in challenging environments. As the engineers return home after a job well done, the gunners, troopers and infantry of 50 Inf Gp serving in Post 80 will benefit from the enhanced security and other improve- ments to the base provided by the engineer deployment.

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