An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 29 The lead up to the exercise commenced the previous week with a four-day, work-up training phase in the Car- nagh training area, where activities included company-, pla- toon- and section-level tactics, VCPs (vehicle checkpoints), Mowag dismount drills, and CBRN training. This preparatory period proved to be invaluable as it helped members of the unit to revise many necessary skills, ranging from leader- ship to administration in the field and TLPP, to collective tactical training. On Monday 14th May, after an address by OC 6 Inf Bn, Lt Col Johnny Whittaker, 200+ personnel departed Custume Barracks in convoy, led by the LTAVs and Mowag APCs, and headed to a laager just outside Tobercurry. On arrival the unit was met by the recce platoon, which had departed earlier and secured a suitable patrol harbour for the first part of the exercise. B Coy, commanded by Comdt Jamie Feely, then conduct- ed an insertion tab and went straight into patrol harbour routine. Over the next 48hrs the recce platoon and rifle platoon elements conducted CTRs (close target recce) of suspected enemy positions, while reacting to new inputs from the DS staff on the changing situation. This tested leaders at all levels on their ability to adapt their plans to an ever changing environment. The following evening, Comdt Jamie Feely gave orders for a company group attack on a suspected enemy position. Thanks to the recce element, ably led by Lt Mike Fogarty and Sgt David Ryan, a secure and safe route to the objective and covered from enemy view was located. This provided a great opportunity to showcase to the younger soldiers, the benefits of recce detachments and how they aid the MDMP (military decision-making process). At 0230hrs the company group departed the patrol harbour for the enemy location to carry out a dawn attack (H-hour was set for 0530hrs). All elements were in position by 0500hrs and at 0515hrs pre-H-hour firing commenced, with organic direct and indirect fires reigning down on the enemy. Simulated mortar fire and direct fire support by the weapons platoon helped to soften up the enemy. The company commander then tasked 1 Platoon (+) with taking a number of challenging enemy positions on a nearby hill, with 2 Platoon securing vital road junctions to the rear. By 0545hrs all enemy positions had been taken and the company group was retasked into their second exercise role, ATCP operations. The unit moved in convoy to Ireland West Airport, Knock, to carry out operations in support of An Garda Síochána (GS). The unit occupied an aircraft hangar at the airport, which was then used as a forward operating base (FOB). This proved to be a valuable 24 hours, as exercise troops got to work closely with the GS on VCPs - something many of the younger soldiers have not done before - on the access roads into the airport. Keen to keep the unit alert, the DSs constantly provided inputs. These culminated in notification of an incoming aircraft with a possible IED on board. All members of the unit went into CBRN mode for the fi- nal few hours of the exercise. Engineer Corps and Ordnance Corps personnel arrived to deal with a suspect device, and 6 Inf Bn was tasked with providing inner and outer cordons in full CBRN equipment. The final serial of the exercise was the decontamination line, set up by 6 Inf Bn's CBRN instructors, using the Karcher CBRN decontamination wash. The instructors then tested the troops in the correct application of clean/dirty lines in a CBRN environment. This was a crucial element of the exercise for 6 Inf Bn as it is 2 Brigade's lead unit in the event of any CBRN attack that may occur in the state. An end-of-exercise address by Lt Col Whittaker in Knock Airport delivered a 'job well done' to everyone involved before the unit returned to Athlone at the end of a busy four days. Overall, the exercise ran smoothly and highlighted some areas for follow-on training for the battalion. This was the first time in many years that the battalion was able to concentrate to such an extent on training and evaluating itself and was well received by all personnel involved. The exercise also proved to be a realistic test of the unit's readi- ness in the selected areas. Particular thanks must go to Bde HQ and all the support- ing arms, ordnance, engineers, transport, CMU, MPs, 6 Inf Bn RDF, An Garda Síochána and Ireland West Airport staff, for their support and participation in making this exercise a success.

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