www.military.ie the defence forces magazine
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This tactical exercise was strongly
supported by the Dublin-based 7 Inf
Bn, who over the 72-hour duration
of the exercise had over 140 person-
al in Camp Lynch and the Kilworth
training area, in a wide variety of
support and staffing roles.
One of the roles for the 7 Inf Bn
support troops was the deploy-
ment of an enemy party to act as
hostile elements during an exer-
cise involving the NCOTW student
platoons. This 16-strong enemy
party consisted of ten RDF and six
PDF personnel.
Presenting themselves as sup-
porters of an unnamed Middle-
Eastern terrorist organisation,
and wearing a mixture of foreign
camouflage gear and civilian dress,
the initially unarmed enemy group
was to confront and antagonise the
course students in their forward
operating base (FOB).
Over the duration of the 72 hours
on the ground, the hostile ele-
ments were to be observed in their
encampment by recce teams and
a UAV, as they received weapons,
practiced contact drills, set up
minefields and barbed-wire em-
placements, and received training
on the deployment of IEDs.
The final confrontation was a
night-time assault on the enemy
encampment by the course stu-
dents who were transported to
their target in Mowag APCs.
On a practical level for the enemy
party, admin in the field in late
November, with almost 16 hours of
darkness each day, meant every-
one had to refine their night-time
military skills, in order to have confi-
dence in operating during darkness.
This included the use of night vision
equipment (NVE), honing weapons
drills, the proper loading and storing
of ammunition by touch, and refin-
ing personal admin in the dark, and
also very cold and wet, environment.
Despite heavy rain on the second
night, the exercise continued to
its planned conclusion, with the
hostile elements getting their just
desserts in the final assault!
After 72 hours on the ground
we got 'ENDEX' and the 7 Inf Bn
personnel returned to Dublin in
convoy, with the troops looking
forward to assisting the NCOTW
again in 2018.
