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| OVERSEAS SECTION |

View of the World: The Work Of

Overseas Section

Since the Defence Forces first began contributing to UN mandated international peace
support operations over 60 years ago, Ireland has contributed to missions all over the world,
from Lebanon to Liberia and East Timor to Kosovo, Rwanda to Georgia and Russia to Central
America, to name just several of the missions. The operational planning which accompanies
the deployment of Irish troops overseas is considerable, and while stakeholders throughout the
Department of Defence and the Defence Forces contribute to the preparation and execution of
the deployment, it is the Overseas Section of the Operations and Plans Branch that effectively
manages the day to day running of these missions, in addition to other roles. The Section
operates with a staff of only four officers and currently has responsibility for managing
missions which currently accounts for 643 Defence Forces personnel. The head of this section
is an Officer with over 34 years of Defence Forces service, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Hearns. He
talks to SIGNAL about the roles of the section and the unique and dynamic challenges which
it faces on an almost daily basis. Photographs by Peter Shaughnessy.

Comdt. Robert Kearney, Commandant Aine Flynn and Lt Col Mark Hearns (OiC Overseas Section).

he J35 Operations and Plans Branch (Overseas that there is a rich level of expertise available to the General
“TSection) has two primary responsibilities, the first Staff and the Government. The office utilises this by provid-
is to manage the Defence Forces missions which we’re ing military advice, via the Director of Operations and the
currently conducting overseas. Our role is also to plan for Deputy Chief of Staff for the COS consideration when he
future operations, as directed by the General Staff and advises the Minister for Defence on issues in his capacity
Government. We do that with a very small staff and in a as the principal military advisor to the Minister for Defence.
very complex and challenging environment. Every mission “This could be recommendations about participating in
is unique and constantly evolving,” explains Lt Colonel a particular mission or the military capabilities required in a
Hearns. particular mission. Any advice generated is based on mili-
The four officers serving (see accompanying panels) in tary analysis and complements the policy advice received
the Overseas Section all have extensive overseas experi- from the Department of Defence,” explains Lt Col Hearns.
ence, and this cumulative ‘corporate knowledge’ means “It’s one of the military inputs available to the COS when

6 | | WINTER ‘17 |