An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 17 We met up with Platoon Commander Capt Tadhg McCarthy to give us a brief overview of what to expect as we vis- ited different parts of the exercise area and stressed the importance of this type of exercise. "Patrol harbours are part of their offensive role on the course," he said. "It's the culmination of weeks of training for them." The students had set up three four- man observation posts (OPs), spaced out over the exercise area, with the specific role of observing enemy activity and relaying it to their patrol harbour. This information would then be used to paint a picture of the enemy that could be used to formulate and plan an of- fensive mission. Our first stop was a visit to one of the OPs. On the way Capt McCarthy informed us about what the instruc- tors expected from the students: "We need to ensure they are picking up on enemy activity, as this information will be used to set up an ambush at the end of the exercise." When we approached the position it was clear that the students had taken in the training they had been given and were putting it into practice as the OP was completely undetectable from the track and bridge that it had been set up to observe. Even close up the OP was hard to detect, and we were nearly on top of it before a watchful eye could be seen peering out from within the impressively camouflaged hide. Feedback from the students was very positive. With this being their first time operating an OP, most seemed to enjoy the unseen aspect: the idea that their presence was unknown to the enemy who were also completely unaware of how close they were to watchful eyes taking note of every move they made. The students were quick to get into an OP routine, even with it being new to them and very different from any exer- cises they had completed so far. Our next stop was to the patrol har- bour, which was located in a sleepy for- ested area where glimpses of sunlight penetrated the thick foliage that hid a platoon of quietly operating soldiers. As we entered from the six-o'clock position a vigilant student on watch halted and challenged us. After being allowed through, we moved into the heart of the patrol har- bour where a set of orders was being given. The students listened intently as their next mission was explained to them with the aid of a detailed model of the exercise area. Capt McCarthy informed us that over the last 24 hours the course had con- ducted a number of patrols throughout the exercise area with the objective of gathering information on how to dis- rupt and destroy the enemy. They had also carried out a resupply exercise. When asked how he felt they were dealing with the exercise so far, Capt McCarthy said: "They had a long slog into position and I'm sure some are feeling a bit stiff now, but they are working well together...they've got into a good routine and are showing good skills." The next patrol, which was going out that evening, was a standing patrol to recce an area for enemy movement in order to choose a suitable ambush site. Students selected for this patrol were packing equipment and loading up with ammunition. They also began to brew up in buddy pairs, in order to get enough fuel into them to sustain them for the task ahead. Talking with some of the students we found that they certainly seemed to be enjoying getting the chance to put their new skills into practice on the ground. Their confidence had grown from their last exercise and they were finding it much easier to get into the patrol harbour routine of prepping, conducting patrols, eating, and resting when the op- portunity arose. A patrol harbour is one of the best learn- ing environments for young soldiers as it gives them the chance to use all the field craft and infantry skills they have learned, and teaches them how to use the terrain around them to their advantage. The way they use this terrain can change from day- light to darkness can only be understood on an exercise such as this. The patrol harbour also gives the instructors the perfect opportunity to devise a wide and varied range of tasks and missions to put the trainee soldier through their paces. This includes recon- naissance, standing and fighting patrols, each with specific objectives, such as ambush, listening, protection, observa- tion, and even escort. Paragraph 0202 of the Manual of Infantry Platoon and Section Tactics (TM201) says: 'The fundamental role of the infantry man/women has changed little over recent centuries: their tasks are still to close with and destroy the enemy, or force them to surrender, to seize and hold terrain, to dominate and control close country and finally, to carry out close surveillance.' There is no better situation to see this in practice than in the exercise format of a patrol harbour: it is ultimately the bread and butter of infantry soldiering and is vital in pro- ducing confident, professional soldiers for the Defence Forces.

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