An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir April 2016 www.dfmagazine.ie 14 | interview with A rAnGer up a number of advanced medical courses to me in Germany, Belgium, and the UK. My secondary appointment is as a unit medic. Outside of the ARW I completed the All-Arms Standard Course and the Infantry Standard Course. This gave me a more rounded view of my role and I was very impressed by the calibre of instructors and the variety of skills of the students on these courses. Can you tell us about some of the operations you've been involved in? I was involved in operations for the visits of President Bush, President Obama and Queen Elizabeth. I've assisted the navy divers in searches and acted as close protection to VIPs and members of the General Staff on overseas visits. Also, as an EMT I get the chance to do placement on ambu- lances with the HSE. This is beneficial as it involves dealing with real situa- tions, which builds your confidence and experience and can't be replicated in a training environment. I travelled overseas in 2008, when the ARW provided the Special Opera- tions Task Unit with EUFOR tChad. We were also the Initial Entry Force for the battalion that followed, patrolling large areas of Chad, gathering information for EUFOR, tracking routes, conducting meetings with locals and building up a detailed picture of the AO that the battalion was coming out to. This was a challenging trip, due to the nature of the climate, the limitations of resupply and the isolation from friendly forces. We had a massive amount of freedom of movement and patrols were carried out in small teams, which was great. I worked in a six-man team with two vehicles on patrols of up to ten days. We recce'd routes and villages de- stroyed by rebels along the border with Sudan, met with Chadian Forces, and had encounters with rebel forces. I learned a lot during the trip about planning and preparing for patrols. Navigation was a big learning point, using latitude and longitude and the use of GPS track-back and imagery. We also worked with foreign SOF units, including French, Belgian, Swedish and Austrian. Overall it was an arduous mission but very satisfying and it has been the highlight of my time in the ARW, so far. Service in the Arw requires enormous commitment and can be very physically and mentally demanding, not to mention the risk of injury. why do you still do it? yeah, it can be a tough at times and it's not all roses but I work with some of the best individuals in the Defence Forces and there is a genuine bond between us. Even when members retire they still keep a very close link to the unit. Rank is respected but the working relationship between all, including officers, is very close. It has to be that way because you depend on each other so much. you speak your mind and question things and people are honest with each other, but when the decision has been made everyone tows the line. We have such a variety of skills and insertion methods, such as close-quarter battle (CQB), hostage rescue, sniping, combat diving, and high-altitude low- opening (HALO) and high-altitude high-opening (HAHO) air insertion, to list a few. We train with some of the world's most tested and highly regarded Special Forces units on an ongoing basis, confirming that we are on par with our international counterparts. Our capabilities are continually evolving and changing, based on our experiences on overseas deploy- ments and international courses. These changes are primarily instigated and driven by members of the task units. This is exciting because I feel my input is valued and that I can make a real difference here. The chance that we could be deployed not only on-island but also overseas at short notice is also a real possibility. This means my skills need to be sharp; it keeps me focused and motivated. Every member of the ARW is a volunteer, wants to be here, and has fought hard to get here, so you are surrounded by people who constantly push and challenge you. I love my job and it's a thrill to come to work every day; every day is different. I can't imagine myself leaving that type of work environment any time soon

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