An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir June 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie 42 | Withheld Special OperatiOnS MaritiMe taSk Unit (SOMtU), arMy ranger Wing (arW) Withheld What inspired you to join the arW? I always had an interest in the outdoors and hunting when I was younger, so I suppose those aspects of my personal- ity pushed me in a military direction. I decided that if given half the chance to join the army I would, with full focus on attempting selection after recruit training. Like all teenagers, sports and other distractions took over my teenage years and I pushed the army career towards the back of my mind. I had worked for a couple of years in the building trade and then one day in university, 18 months into a degree, I applied for general enlistment and was successful. I was based in an infantry battalion in the 1st Brigade, where I completed my recruit and 2-3 star training. 14 months later I went on the Special Operations Forces Qualification (SOFQ) Course. What challenges did you encounter in your preparation for the sofQ Course? Physical challenges are probably the most obvious answer here but anyone who is in the mind-set of passing SOFQ relishes the physical challenges, as exhausting as they may be. In my opinion the mental side is the most overlooked aspect of preparation by candidates. In a battal- ion there are a lot of personalities, who either intentionally or unintentionally can make SOFQ a very intimidating topic for young soldiers. For me this had a small bit of an effect on my confidence, as so many experienced and higher ranks had failed. The other challenge I faced was time to train, especially in the hills. I took a lot of annual leave to train, as it wasn't always possible to get into the hills for navigation training through my unit, not due to the lack of support from my NCOs though. What were your expectations prior to sofQ? how did those expectations compare in reality? I completed the ARW Prelims prior to SOFQ and found it very beneficial. It gives a good insight into the unit and offers candidates guidance, which will help them pass SOFQ. I didn't have any expectations, so don't worry about things out of your con- trol; what you can control is your physical and mental state. Arrive on the first day of SOFQ in peak condition and let the rest take its course. Can you tell us about sofQ Modules 2-5? Every aspect of your character and your existing military skillset will be tested thoroughly. It's a massive learning curve. It's roughly 8 months until you are assigned to a Special Operations Task Unit (SOTU), which covers a broad range of skills. From weapons handling, marksmanship, abseiling, heli-casting, boat-casting, conventional green role assessments, long-range recce, direct ac- tions, advanced medical, counter terror- ism and more. It's tough and unforgiving, everyday you are being test- ed physically and mentally. When you're presented with the Green Beret and assigned to your team, it's worth it. A team leader with 20 years of experience said to us at the end: "the feeling of putting on the beret for the first time never leaves you". He was right, I'd do it again in the morn- ing if I had to. What about your post-sofQ Course development? After SOFQ there is a period of up- skilling, where you are assigned to your SOTU and team. In my case this was maritime and there were many other skills to be learned from care and maintenance of the dive equip- ment to boat handling, surface op- erations and more. I then completed my Combat Divers course and Advanced O2 course. Outside of the maritime specific role there are other skills like close protection, driving, static-line parachuting and an opportu- nity to do some AFF (Advanced Free-Fall) parachuting. You can also specialise in areas such as medical and sniping. 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? Yes it is demanding and an enormous commitment. I'm sure there are very few other people in the country working as hard or putting themselves at as much risk as you are in their day to day job. There is a myth (which discourages sol- diers) that the ARW operator never sees their family and it is exactly that - a myth. I do it because of the bond, because of the respect and pride everyone has, not for each other but for the unit itself, for the beret on their head and the tab on their shoulder.

• Cover