Athlone troops will be among first to return to Lebanon

Athlone troops are to be among the first to return to Lebanon later this year when a battalion of 440 troops will be stationed in the Middle Eastern country. The 4th Western Brigade will be the lead brigade when the Irish Defence Forces is based in Lebanon later this year, following a decision late last year by Government to commit to the UN mission in the country. Press officer for the 4th Western Brigade Comdt Kevin McDonald told the Westmeath Independent yesterday (Tuesday) that the Western Brigade was getting ready to deploy to Lebanon. “The West is the lead brigade, we are tasked with getting ready to deploy,†he said. “The strength of the battalion is to be 440 and the West is to supply the bulk of that. We have had a very strong uptake from people wanting to go.†He added that a recce group, made up of logistics and engineering personnel, is in Lebanon this week where they are meeting with UN officials to discuss the viability of where the Irish battalion will be deployed. Ireland first participated in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in 1978 and retained a battalion in the country until 2001, although the Irish Defence Forces retains seven personnel in the country now. Between 1978 and 2001 the Defence Forces had an infantry battalion of approximately 540 personnel in Lebanon, which rotated every six months, plus almost 100 others in UNIFIL headquarters. The battalion's headquarters was located in Tibnin and it was responsible for an area of approximately 100 square kilometers. It performed its duties mainly by providing a presence in the area, by operating patrols, checkpoints and manning observation posts. The battalion also rendered humanitarian assistance to the local population including aiding the local orphanage in Tibnin. After the withdrawal of Israeli troops from South Lebanon and the completion of its mandate with UNIFIL, the Defence Forces withdrew from the Area of Operations leaving behind eleven Defence Forces personnel in Lebanon to oversee the handover of the mission to Ghana battalion. Following a return to intense conflict on the Israel/Lebanon border in June/July 2006, in response to a request from the UN, the Defence Forces returned to Lebanon on October 31, 2006, for 12 months. The unit consisted of a Mobile Mechanised Infantry Company Group and operated in reconnaissance, patrolling and security roles alongside a Finnish engineering company as part of joint Irish-Finnish Battalion. This unit has now withdrawn and seven Irish personnel remain committed to UNIFIL HQ. And while the Western Brigade is preparing to deploy troops to Lebanon, a platoon of 40 recruits began their training in Custume Barracks this week and once completed, they will be based in various units throughout the Western Brigade.