An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/63519
22 | THE FAR SIDE OF JUPITER REPORT AND PHOTOS BY CQMS MIKE BARRETT (D COY, 62 RES INF BN) tion in the exercise would require them to spend 72 hours on the ground, sleeping bags, kip mats, hexis and other neces- sary stores had been issued over the preced- ing weekend. The platoon was briefed on the exercise As the reservists' participa- RDF Participation in the EU Battlegroup Ex Exercise 'Jupiter', the work-up exercise for 2 ISTAR Coy, EU Battlegroup 2012, took place in the Wicklow area between March 26th-30th 2012. In response to a request to 62 Res Inf Bn for a platoon-size group to act as enemy/insurgents, a volunteer group of 30 personnel from the unit reported to Cathal Brugha Bks on March 26th. would not be wearing normal DPMs for the duration of the exercise, but was instead issued with an assortment of old blue Naval Service and Air Corps uniforms, giving them a realistic militia-like appearance. To reinforce the realism the platoon was issued with a variety of decommissioned foreign weapons, including Eastern Bloc AK rifles, a Soviet- style RPG launcher, a German HK rifle, and even an old Gustav SMG! These touches gave the platoon a very unique and unusual appearance. It would also give the ISTAR Coy plenty to report back on in terms of dress and weapons when they scenario, which involved a state breaking up into various warring sub-states, each with their own armed militia. The RDF platoon was to act as one of these hostile armed groups; the so-called Sylvanian Provincial Militia. To help make the Sylvanians stand out, the platoon ing a militia/insurgent force - training and carrying out operations such as posting sentries at the basecamp, local foot patrols, and mobile patrols in Sylvanian transits and 4x4s. An Cosantóir May 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie cold after dark. Our role was to provide a target grouping for the ISTAR Coy to locate, observe and report on. And so the platoon began a series of daily assigned tasks - simulat- fully the weather all that week was to consist of a cloudless mini heat-wave, with temperatures rising to 20°C or more each day, although becoming quiet be operating and setting up a base camp. Thank- the exercise involved the platoon moving to the area in which it would The first day of found us.