Page 13 - Signal_winter_17_web

| OVERSEAS SECTION |

ployments to Lebanon and deployments to Russia, Geor- uting to international peace and security. We stood up to
gia, Afghanistan, Liberia and Syria with the UNSMIS mis- be counted. It has been internationally recognised that
6
sion in 2012. I was part of a six man contribution from the we went in when other countries were not prepared to do
Defence Forces and spent nearly four months in Homs; it,” says Lt Col Hearns. The conflict that UNDOF was de-
supporting the Kofi Annan brokered agreement between ployed to contain, between Israel and Syria, has been suc-
the warring parties. I was also UNDOF Contingent Com- cessfully avoided for over 40 years. However due to the
mander in 2016.” Indeed, the Irish contribution to UNDOF, internal Syrian conflict there has been fighting taking place
illustrates the diverse military capability that the Defence in many areas of UNDOF’s area of responsibility creating
Forces can deploy to such theatres and the substantial ef- major challenges for security, logistics and fulfilment of the
fects such discrete deployments can deliver. The Defence primary mandated tasks.
Forces provides the Force Reserve Company whose two “For the UNDOF deployment, the Overseas Section
armoured platoons are supported by capabilities such as was instrumental in the planning of the deployment of
an Armoured Recce Section, Intelligence, Surveillance, Irish troops to the mission in terms identification of tasks,
Targeting, Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) ca- capability requirements including logistics support, force
pability, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Engineer protection and identifying pre-deployment training re-
Search and medical support. It is important to recognize quirements. Our section also considers countermeas-
the work of Overseas Section in coordinating the raising, ures against risks and threats that would be identified in
concentration and pre-deployment training of the contin- the mission area,” he explains, adding that this level of
gents, their deployment overseas, overseeing and coor- detail is necessary for each and every mission to which
dinating necessary support to their day to day operations Irish troops are deployed. No small task! On more familiar
and effecting their safe return to Ireland. ground, in Lebanon, Ireland provides the major contribu-
“The deployment of the Irish continent to UNDOF in tion to the Irish / Finland Battalion. Currently there are over
2013 provides an excellent example of the Defence Forc- 370 DF personnel serving in Lebanon. This includes the
es reacting to the Government’s commitment to contrib- Force Commander, Major General Michael Beary, and ele-

6 United Nations Supervisory Mission in Syria operated between April and August 2012. Ireland contributed to the mission
throughout but its effectiveness was severely curtailed and ultimately compromised by the violence in the country.

Cork County Council Commandant Robert Kearney
I am Senior Staff Officer in the Overseas Operations Section, where I have served
since 2016. Like all staff serving in this busy section, I have extensive overseas experi-
ence. I was commissioned in 1996 with the 71st Cadet Class and since then, in addition
to my on-island appointments, I have served overseas on seven different missions. I
have served with UNIFIL on three occasions in both platoon commanders appoint-
We are delighted to collaborate ments and as ADC to Force Commander UNIFIL for a two-year period in early 2000’s.

with the Naval Service I have deployed on Defence Forces missions to both Liberia (2005) and Chad (2008).
More recently, from 2012-2014 I served with the United Nations Truce Supervision Or-
on a variety of initiatives ganisation (UNTSO) as a Military Observer in the Syrian Arab Republic and later in the
Mission HQ in Jerusalem. I am currently desk officer for six overseas missions where
all of which are enhancing Cork Harbour UNDOF, UNTSO and Operation Sophia (EUNAVFORMED) are my primary responsibili-
ties. During the years 2014-15, I completed the Senior Command and Staff Course in
the Military College DFTC.
As you have probably gathered from Lt Col Hearn’s briefing, this is a very busy office
at all times, where we manage a range of challenges and developments relating to our
overseas deployments. It is intense work but also very rewarding and similar to successful running of overseas opera-
tions on the ground, so much depends on good communication and planning. I gained significant experience of that
during my deployments, particularly in the Middle East, where I developed a keen understanding of how things happen
in both a political and cultural sense that can have a massive impact on successful outcomes.
It is vital that we work well with our agencies here at home too, and I have to say that we have a very strong and
positive engagement with the Department of Defence International Security and Defence Policy Branch (ISDP) where
we continue to build and sustain on relationships already established by our predecessors. To conclude it is our job is
to help all overseas missions and most importantly, to ensure that we are doing our utmost at all times to protect each
and every member of the Defence Forces serving in those environments. ¾

| WINTER ‘17 | | 11