An Cosantóir April 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie
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T
owards the end of the yom
Kippur War in 1973 between
Israel, Egypt and Syria the Un
set up the UnEF II mission along the
Suez Canal between Israel and Egypt.
no similar deployment took place on
the Israel-Syria front until that sec-
tor became increasingly unstable in
early 1974 with escalating incidents
and exchanges of fire. As a result the
United nations Disengagement ob-
server Force (UnDoF) was established
on 31st May 1974 by Security Council
Resolution 350 to allow for the disen-
gagement of Israeli and Syrian forces
in the Golan heights. Since then,
UnDoF has remained in the area to
maintain the ceasefire between Israeli
and Syrian forces and to supervise the
implementation of the disengage-
ment agreement.
The Defence Forces have been pro-
viding troops to the UNDOF mission
since September 2013 and the latest
unit, 55 Infantry Group, are entering
the final phase of three months of in-
tensive training in preparation for their
forthcoming deployment in early April.
As part of these preparations a
Mission Readiness Exercise (MRE) was
conducted in the Glen of Imaal over a
number of days in early March.
The MRE puts commanders and sol-
diers through a series of demanding
scenarios based on potential threats
that may be encountered in the mission area. As their role with UNDOF will be
providing the Force Reserve Company, the troops rehearsed securing, extracting
and evacuating personnel under attack.
The 55 Infantry Group is comprised of 130 personnel drawn from units across
the army, Air Corps and Naval Service. The unit has a wide range of skills and
capabilities, enabling it to make a key contribution to the mission and comprises
infantry, artillery, cavalry, signals, engineering, ordnance, transport, medical and
military police personnel.
Training for Peace
by SGT WAyNE FITzGERALD
PhotoS by SGT KARL BYRNE &
ARMN ADAM MURPHY
