An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 5 Manager Comdt Colin Lawlor 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 Armn Adam Murphy photo@military.ie 045 44 5307 Subscriptions Cpl Kelly Gallagher +353 (0)45 44 5312 subs@military.ie DF/PR Information Cpl Lynn Ryan 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 ARW team members training in Fort Davis, Cork in May 2017. Photo by Armn Adam Murphy For more Defence Forces photographs, checkout: www.flickr.com/photos/ dfmagazine Editorial H ello and welcome to our Army Ranger Wing special edition for June. We have spent the last number of weeks working with the ARW to bring you a comprehensive number of articles covering topics like their founding, training, and fitness, as well as looking at their operational uses at home and abroad. At the outset I would like to acknowledge and thank all those who helped to make this special issue possible. Meanwhile, as usual our popular On Parade features your photographs from around the DF and the military community. In Focus covers both ends of the island, starting with a piece about the 5th Listowel Military Tattoo, down south, and then An Easter Monday to Remember at Rockhill House, up north in Letterkenny. In our Veterans News slot we learn of our Irish brethren who fought with Australia in the Great War, and about the United Irish Ex-Services Association of Australia's (UIESAA) battle to have a monument built in Sydney in their honour. Our ARW features start with a look back at the unit's origins in Forging A Special Operations Force (SOF), by author and military historian Paul O'Brien. Our front-cover feature looks at the SOF Qualification Course in detail and is written by a successful candidate. This is followed up by Recommended Reading List for all SOFQ Candidates, which is a comprehensive list of military books covering leadership, experiences and tactics. Next we have two articles looking at the use of SOF: Using SOF to Respond to Terrorism refers to SOF being used on-island for ATCP tasks; and SOF: An Underutilised Tool in UN Peace Operations looks at SOF on peace-support operations overseas that may require specialised military elements to complete the mission. Our centrespread features a fitness guide for SOFQ candidates to help with their training and recovery. Our features continue with Counter IED: train the trainers, written by students on a recent counter-IED instructor course conducted by the Ord Sch, DFTC. CQMS Michael Barrett RDF gives us a great look at RDF FIBUA training in "GO! GO! GO!" Staying with the RDF, Lt Col Gerry Maguire RDF briefs us on Developing the Reserve, which looks at continuous professional development (CPD) and professional military education (PME) programmes for reservists. In the first of three history articles Paul O'Brien brings us back to 1920s Ireland to look at The Auxiliary Division: British Special Forces during the Irish War of Independence. This is followed by a story about German Special Forces in World War II: Behind Enemy Lines: the Brandenburg Kommandos. Finally, Tom Burke brings us back 100 years to tell us how Ulster loyalists and Irish nationalists fought side by side to capture the village of Wijtschate and the Messines Ridge in June 1917 during the Third Battle of Ypres, or Passchendale as it became more commonly known. Plus, we have our regular Tac-Aide, Gear Up, Noticeboard, Reviews and What I Do features. Finally, check out our competitions and results on pages 11, 39 and 40. Sgt Wayne Fitzgerald - Editor 80KM ConneMara hiKe in aid of BeauMont hospital Jason Neary from Dundalk, and ten of his colleagues from the Irish army - all based in Gormanston Camp – are under taking a 80km cross country hike through Connemara on 29th May to raise funds for the Stroke Unit in Beaumont Hospital. In 2011, Jason suf fered a stroke at age 27, and spent several weeks in the care of the Unit. Six years on, Jason has made a full recovery and is once again 'fit for ac- tion!' He and his fellow soldiers want to suppor t the Stroke Unit following Jason's experience and have devised this challenge, which will see them set of f at midday and hike through the night to complete their challenge, while carrying 40kg packs. Speaking about their plans, Jason says: "We will set out from Maam village and the plan is that we finish at Croagh Patrick some 15 hours later. The lads and I have been training hard for the challenge and are confident that we can complete the distance in this time. Our real objective will be to raise as much funds as we can for the Stroke Unit in Beaumont Hospital, where I was looked after so well." If you would like to sponsor the lads, you can donate online at www.idonate.ie/80khike; call Beaumont Hospital Foundation on 01 809 2161 to make a donation by phone; or see www.beaumontfundraising.ie. Back (l-r): Jason Neary, Conor Branigan, Brian Geraghty, Brian McCabe and Craig Ratchford. Front (l-r): Blain Cromie, John Agnew, Mark Gardiner and Gerard Hoey.

• Cover