REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE MISSION READINESS EXERCISE OF THE 102ND INFANTRY BATTALION
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT THE MISSION READINESS EXERCISE OF THE 102ND INFANTRY BATTALION BEFORE DEPLOYMENT TO MINURCAT
Dia dhíbh a chairde, tá an-áthas orm bheith i bhur measc anseo ar an ócáid speisialta seo. It is always a pleasure to visit the Defence Forces and I was delighted to have been invited by Minister O’Dea to come to view your mission readiness exercise today here in the beautiful Glen of Imaal. And what an exercise it was, encapsulating all the elements that you are likely to come across in Chad – except perhaps the weather! It was good to see at first hand the modern technology and equipment you will be using during your mission. And as well as Mowags, recovery vehicles, helicopters and all the rest of it, you will also bring one other vital piece of equipment - the human touch, the very value system that has become the hallmark of Irish peacekeeping. You will be following in the footsteps of over fifty years of Irish peacekeepers, men and women who have long been interested not just in doing the tough demanding job that you are sent to do, but also interested in engaging with the lives of those that you protect, interacting with local communities, treating those you meet with dignity and respect, generosity and human decency. And these same qualities will also allow you to help each other, as you deal with the personal challenges of homesickness, loneliness, and the harsh physical environment that is far removed from what we are experiencing here in the Glen today.
Until the Defence Forces began their mission in Chad, many people in Ireland would have barely heard of the country. But all of us had heard of Darfur and the terrible atrocities and human rights violations committed there. And since conflict and human misery do not always respect geographical boundaries, the effects of Darfur spilled over into neighbouring countries, impacting on refugees, internally displaced persons and the local population. You and your colleagues of many different nationalities, first under EUFOR and now as MINURCAT, are the vital lifelines that create a safe and secure environment that is the prerequisite for effective humanitarian work and the resumption of normal life. Without you, humanitarian organisations are hampered in their efforts, their supplies are disrupted or diverted, their personnel impeded. Without your presence, women in refugee camps are not safe to leave the camps to gather essential firewood, water or food. You are protecting the most vulnerable, the helpless and are providing the conditions that allow them to begin rebuilding their lives which have been torn apart by conflict. You are the faces and the hands of peace, of hope, of humanity in a region where these have been sorely lacking. You have high standards to live up to; the 2500 Irish men and women who have served there before you, firstly under Lieutenant General Pat Nash and more recently as part of MINURCAT, have had a real, tangible impact on the lived lives of countless of people in the region. I am confident that your training and professionalism and the wonderful Irish spirit of compassion and humanity will enable you to excel in your challenging mission.
And while this is a time of excitement and anticipation, I know that this particular preparation period is also tinged with sadness, as the late Captain Derek Furniss was due to deploy with you. We think of his family who, under other circumstances, would have been looking forward to this tour of duty with the same hopes and anxieties as your own families. I know your own families will miss you when you go and you will miss them, just as the soldiers who are deployed there at the moment are missing home and being missed but you will do what soldiers and soldiers families do in such circumstances you will put the very best face you can on things, you will be a source of comfort to one another and you will find joy and you will bring joy wherever you go.
Whether it is your first overseas tour of duty, or like Corporal Paddy Ross your twenty-first, we are immensely proud of you. I know that you will do Ireland proud and play your part in healing this corner of a deeply troubled world. I wish you all well. Before you begin to depart in January, I hope that you have a wonderfully enjoyable Christmas with your loved ones, and I pray for the success of your mission and look forward to each member of the 102nd Infantry Battalion returning to Ireland safe and well in the summer. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.