An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 5 Manager Capt Donal Gallagher info@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5306 Editor Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald magazine@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5307 Connect Sgt Karl Byrne connect@military.ie Photo/Journalist: Cpl Lee Coyle journalist@military.ie Photographer Cpl Neville Coughlan photo@military.ie 045 44 5307 Subscriptions Cpl Kelly Gallagher +353 (0)45 44 5312 subs@military.ie DF/PR Information: Cpl Lynn Ryan (Overseas) admin@military.ie +353 (0)45 44 5308 DF Webmaster Sgt Mick Burke +353 (0)45 44 5309 webmaster@military.ie Magazine Archivist Mr Sean Shinnors Designer/Advertising JM Publishing & Media, Arklow, Co. Wicklow,Ireland Tel: +353 15331911 Tel: +353871344135 Web: www.jmpublishing.ie Email: info@jmpublishing.ie Printer Turner's Printing Co., Ltd Earl Street, Longford, Ireland Tel: +353 (0)43 3350500 The fact that an article appears in this magazine does not indicate official approval of the views expressed by the author. © Published by OiC Public Relations Branch for the Defence Forces at DFHQ, Block 5, Ceannt Bks, DFTC, Curragh Camp, Co Kildare, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0)45 445312 Front Cover Pictured is the brass bell on the LÉ James Joyce. Photo by A/B Davy Jones For more Defence Forces photographs, checkout: www.flickr.com/photos/ dfmagazine Editorial H ello and welcome to our June 2016 issue, we are halfway through the year and we still have many more stories to bring you over the coming months – if you have a story let us know. This month's issue starts with the best 12 of your photos On Parade. In Focus looks at the opening of the New Military Archives Building in Cathal Brugha Bks, and in A Day to Remember, is a heartfelt story of 3-year-old child with a terminal illness visit to the Air Corps. Veterans News is by Sgt Anthony Gallagher (retd) on the 2 Field Artillery Regiment Association's first day out for their annual shoot. Our front cover story by Lt Cdr Martin Brett, OC LÉ James Joyce, Enhancing Naval Co- operation covers the recent Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) exercise. I recently met up with Defence Forces Veterans who will take on the Brecon Beacons in aid of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind in Team Alpha Take on the SAS Challenge. Next up in 2 Bde Recruits, Cpl Colin Delany, 2 Bde HQ followed the 80 recruits of the 58th and 59th Recruit Platoons over the last number of weeks to see how they progressed through their training. In our centre-spread Cpl Lee Coyle covers the 53 Inf Gp UNIFIL on their Mission Readiness Exercise in the Glen of Imaal, which is an important part of overseas training. For Strategic Review, Robert Tarrant looks at Innovation Offset: Hardware, Software and the Future of Military Spending. Our In Reserve feature is New RDF Soldiers for 27 Inf Bn by Lt Martin McCabe, RDF Training Officer, which looks at the latest RDF soldiers to make the grade as 2 Star Privates' in the 27 Inf Bn. For History, Paul O'Brien covers the first of a number of articles on the Vietnam War, starting with The Battle of Khe Sanh. Our Sports feature The 'Fighting Micks' is by Capt SA McMichael, 1st Battalion Irish Guards and is on the first British Army regiment's Gaelic football club, playing under the name Gardaí Éireannach. For our What I Do Now feature we look at Defence Forces Veteran Declan Power, now a highly respected security and defence analyst as well as an author of many books, one of which is soon to be made into a major movie. We also have our other regular features Gear Up, Noticeboard, and Reviews. Check out our competitions and results on pages 32 and 33. Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald - Editor Thank You For HELPING Last month we asked you to help Peter Guerin identify an old photo he found at the back of a picture frame showing a wedding of a 2 E Bde officer between 1935 & 1950. With thanks to Col George Kerton (Retd) who replied: "He is the late Comdt John (Jack) O'Brien, born in 1925, and a member of 20th Cadet Class, commissioned in November 1948. He served in Depot Cav, 1 Armd Car Sqn and 2 Mtr Sqn, where he completed numerous escorts of honour. In 1958 he was one of the 50 Defence Forces officers who were selected to serve with the United Nations Military Observer Group in Lebanon (UNMOGIL), Ireland's first ever peacekeepers. In September 1954 he married Margaret Lemass, a daughter of Seán Lemass (An Taoiseach 1959 – 66). Later in his career he was ADC to An Taoiseach Seán Lemass and he appears in many photographs taken during the visit of President John F. Kennedy to Ireland in June 1963. Comdt O'Brien retired in 1981 and the family lived in Ranelagh, Dublin. Sadly he passed away in 1999 and his wife, Margaret died five years later." We will now try and pass the photo along to the family.

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