An Cosantóir

12 | 4 Cavalry Squadron, currently based in Custume Bks, Athlone. I'm a Longford man and attended secondary school in my home village of Newtownforbes. My father also served with the squadron for over twenty years and my uncle still serves there. It was from their stories and from being immersed in the sport and social side of army life in Connolly Bks that shaped my future. I was accepted into 13 Rec Pl in 4 BTC Athlone and started My name is Jason McBride and I am a corporal with my training on March 28 1997. After training I was posted to 1 Inf Bn, Galway, where I completed my first infantry qualification courses. However, I served as an infantryman for just short of a year before I pursued my goal of follow- ing in my family's footsteps and transferred to 4 Cav Sqn, where I have served with pride since. In my haste to become a soldier I hadn't got as far as served overseas again, this time with 88 Tpt Coy, KFOR. It was there I decided how I wanted to further my edu- cation and upon completion of that tour I applied for and was granted a four-year leave of absence and was accepted into DCU to study sports science and health. This course provided me with knowledge on everything from sports psychology, physiology and injury rehabili- tation, to sociology, coaching, science and nutrition. As part of my work experience during the course I coached football in California for eight months before graduating in 2007. When my contract was reactivated after those four My cavalry life progressed with further courses and I alry life, completing all my cavalry driving and gunnery courses. This presented me with my first opportunity to serve overseas, as a SISU driver with Recce Coy, 88 Inf Bn, UNIFIL. I thoroughly enjoyed that trip, patrolling the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel and provid- ing humanitarian aid to the local villages in our Area of Operations (AO); experiences with the potential to shape any man. Thankfully, it would not be my only visit to Lebanon. An Cosantóir October 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie sitting my leaving cert exams and this was a constant irritation to me. Thankfully, the army provided the solu- tion and I was accepted on to the Back to Education course in 1999 to complete two years schooling and sit my leaving cert exams. This gave me a taste for continu- ing to pursue further education. On return to my unit I quickly integrated with cav- years I was immediately sent on a potential NCO course. There I learned the skills I would need to become a junior leader in the Defence Forces and soon got the chance to hone my new skills training two recruit pla- toons. These skills, combined with becoming an instruc- tor in the new cavalry remote weapons, presented me with the opportunity to serve overseas again, firstly with Recce Coy, 100 Inf Bn, in Chad, and then this time serving as a MOWAG car commander with 106 IRISH- FINN Bn. Our role out here is to patrol our AO, taking in the lo- cal towns and villages and the Blue line as well. These combined patrols of Irish/Finnish troops, carried out in conjunction with our Lebanese army colleagues, show a strong presence to the local population and provide an element of safety and security for them during these troubled times. A lot has changed for the good since my first trip to South Lebanon. The same friendly people greet us,

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