Lebanon troops due home in two weeks
by Karen Downey Updated: Wednesday, 2nd November, 2011 5:30pm
Local troops who have been serving in Lebanon for almost five months are due home this month.
The first group of troops will fly into Dublin Airport on Thursday, November 17, with the second group due to fly in a week later on November 24.
Some 440 troops from the 4th Western Brigade have been serving in Lebanon since June as part of the 104th Infantry Battalion, under the command of Lt Colonel Frank Bolger. An advance party of troops departed Ireland for Lebanon in April.
The 104th Infantry Battalion is drawn mainly from the 4th Western Brigade and deployed two mechanised infantry companies, a recce company with armour, anti-armour, fire support assets and an extraction capability.
The mission involved the protection of civilians, extensive mobile patrolling throughout the Irish area of operations, ground holding and monitoring along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.
The Irish Area of Operations measure ssome 140 sq km extending from Tibnin in Southern Lebanon to the Blue Line along the border with Israel. The Irish contingent occupies a large camp in the village of Tibnin, and two smaller posts along the Blue Line with Israel.
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