2011
200 troops depart for peacekeeping duties in Lebanon
The Defence Forces will deploy the remainder of the 104th Battalion to Lebanon tomorrow morning,
Monday the 27th of June at 02.30 am from Dublin Airport.
The deployment of the 200 troops represents the second of two troop movements which will see a total of 440 members of
the 104th Battalion taking up Peacekeeping duties with the UNIFIL mission.
200 troops were deployed to Lebanon on the 23rd of June 2011, and an advance party of specialist personnel has been in
the country since the end of May.
The role of Irish troops in the UNIFIL mission will involve monitoring the cessation of hostilities, assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces (including extensive mobile
patrolling throughout the Irish area of operations) and helping to ensure humanitarian access to the civilian population.
The Irish Area of Operations will measure some 140 Sq Km extending from Tibnin in Southern Lebanon to the Blue line along
the border with Israel. The Irish contingent will occupy a large camp in the village of Tibnin, and two smaller posts along
the Blue line with Israel.
The current strength of the UNIFIL force is 12,000 personnel drawn from a total of 31 Troop Contributing Nations. The mission is governed by UN Resolution 1701 under Chapter Six of the UN Charter. Irish
officers first deployed to Lebanon as observers in 1958 as part of Observer Group Lebanon (OGL).The first Irish Battalion
to deploy to Lebanon departed in 1978, and in excess of 32,000 individual tours of duty were carried out until 2001.A total
of 47 Irish troops lost their lives in the cause of peace in Lebanon since 1978.Irish officers first deployed to Lebanon as
observers in 1958 as part of Observer Group Lebanon (OGL).The first Irish Battalion to deploy to Lebanon departed in 1978,
and in excess of 32,000 individual tours of duty were carried out until 2001.A total of 47 Irish troops lost their lives in
the cause of peace in Lebanon since 1978.
Lieutenant Colonel Joe McDonagh along with over 300 men and women of his 99 Infantry Battalion are being put through phases
of intense preparations for likely scenarios when the troops deploy to EUFOR Chad/CAR mission commencing in late January 2009.
This Mission Readiness Exercise puts commanders and soldiers through an intense series of scenarios based on the current situation
in Chad that troops would encounter in a ‘worst case scenario’ situation. The exercise designed by the Military
College encompasses up to date information fed in from troops of the 98 Infantry Battalion already deployed in Chad since
October and from personnel who returned earlier in the year. This exercises their tactics, techniques and procedures that
they may have to put into practice during their four month tour of duty. The 99th Infantry Battalion will deploy to Chad in
late January/early February 2009, to Goz Beida in south eastern Chad for four months. They will be presented with their unit
colours by the Minister for Defence in McKee Barracks on 14 January 2009.