An Cosantóir

36 | what i do DAVE WHELAN LIEUTENANT 106 IRISH/FINNISH BN, UNIFIL I grew up and went to school in Clondalkin and after doing my leaving cert I joined the Defence Forces as a cadet in October 2004. In doing so I became the first member of my family to join the military. After 21 months training in the Curragh I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 27 Inf Bn, Aiken Bks, Dundalk. Over the next five years I held a number of appointments in the battalion including platoon com- mander, transport and signals officer. I also completed a number of courses such as the Javelin, MOWAG and the Specialised Instructors Course. During that time I also completed a BA in politics, sociology and history in NUI Galway. In the summer of 2011 I was posted to the Brigade Training Centre, in Cathal Brugha Bks, which is responsible for conducting various courses on behalf of units in 2 Eastern Brigade. Since I arrived I have been responsible for the organising and running of a number of different courses including a range managers course and an infantry light support weapons course. This has been an excellent experience, as the responsibility to ensure the highest standard of instruction is achieved constant- ly improves your ability both as an instructor and a leader. In January 2012 I was selected to serve overseas with 106 Irish/Finnish Battalion in Lebanon. On May 9th, after completing almost three months pre-deployment training, we departed for South Lebanon to serve with UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). It has long been a desire of mine to serve overseas with the Defence Forces and I was fortunate to receive an interesting appointment as part of a four-man CIMIC team. It is our responsibility to liaise with the local authorities and to discuss any issues that locals have in our area of operation. Currently, the Irish/Finnish battalion is responsible for 12 villages. Another part of our job is to identify potential ways that the local population can be assisted through funding that comes from Irish Aid, the Finnish Foreign Ministry and UNIFIL. Since the arrival of Irish troops in Lebanon for a third time in 2011, numerous projects have been achieved, ranging from the upgrade of social amenities in various villages to more practical projects such as the purchase and installation of water pumps to assist the local popula- tion in crop harvesting during the summer months. These projects have certainly had a positive impact on the lives of the locals and it is very rewarding to see. In order to be selected for this appointment I had to undertake the International CIMIC Course in the Curragh before my pre- deployment training. I then completed the Functional Specialist CIMIC Course in the NATO CIMIC Centre of Excellence in The Neth- erlands. This was a great opportunity to experience firsthand how other European militaries approach the concept of civil-military relations and has certainly benefited me on my current tour of duty. In mid-November I'm due to return to the BTC in Cathal Brugha Bks and I have no doubt that my experiences in South Lebanon will benefit me in my future career in the Defence Forces. An Cosantóir October 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie WHAT I DO

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