The Irish Mirror has been given exclusive behind the scenes access at Camp Shamrock – and the massive operation that keeps the Irish United Nations base running 24 hours a day.
The sprawling camp is home to almost 600 soldiers – including 338 from Ireland – and personnel are constantly working to make sure the site and the troops’ mission to keep the peace run as smoothly as possible.
We were yesterday given a tour of the camp, officially known as UNP 24-5, to see a constant hive of activity at the base – close to the border between Lebanon and Israel.
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The area where the camp is located is close to the so-called Blue Line, an effective border between the two countries, that was set up after the brutal war of 2006 between Shia Islamic armed group Hezbollah and Israel –and the Irish are there to protect the fragile peace.
That sees infantry and cavalry soldiers from the 122 Infantry Battalion, who started a six-month tour of duty in May, mounting regular patrols in the Irish area of operations – but those troops rely on a huge operation back at base to keep them safe and sound.
We visited several elements of the so-called Battalion Support Group, the unit that runs and protects the base – and provides key logistic support to soldiers on patrol.
The Irish Mirror saw how mechanics have a series of workshops and stores – with spares worth more than €1million – to keep patrol vehicles in top condition.
The specially-trained soldiers have to maintain everything from Toyota Armoured Utility Vehicles – the mainstay of the Irish patrol operation – to Mowag Armoured Personnel Carriers.
That means they have to know to fix every vehicle at the camp – as well as have the parts necessary on hand to repair every fault.
The camp also has a dedicated engineering platoon, under the command of Commandant Conor Butler. That platoon does everything from fixing toilets at the site to purifying 60,000 litres of water every single day at the camp – to make sure soldiers have enough to drink in the stifling conditions, which can hit more than 40C in the summer.
Commandant Butler’s unit is also responsible for maintaining more than a dozen bunkers in the camp – where soldiers shelter when any major incidents occur that place them under threat.
And he also runs the camp’s fire service, which deals with any emergencies on site – but is also tasked with responding to incidents outside the base.
The camp also has a major communications hub, where soldiers run high-tech systems that allow troops on the ground to stay in constant contact with the base.
And it also allows Battalion commander Lieutenant-Colonel Cathal Keohane to stay in contact with bosses back in Ireland.
Meanwhile, The Irish Mirror also visited an isolated Irish outpost right on the Blue Line, the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon.
Some 30 soldiers from the Irish battalion, including one from Malta, spend two months on rotation in the small base, which is around an hour from Camp Shamrock.
The detachment, led by Longford native Lieutenant Peter Keenan, mounts daily patrols to make sure that there are no breaches of the line of separation.
And they also monitor activity in the area – and report any incidents back to HQ.
The platoon also has a number of Mowag armoured personnel carriers, armed with 12.77mm heavy machine guns – to protect themselves and others in case of a serious escalation of violence.
The soldiers regularly mount exercises and drills to prepare for the worst – and laid one on for us yesterday.
They mounted a scheme of defence drill where they have less than five minutes to get Mowags ready – as well as to man pre prepared defensive positions in case of attack.
