The Irish Defence Forces have undertaken 906 overseas tours of duty in 2024, with personnel serving in various conflict zones and peacekeeping missions around the world.
Irish military personnel have carried out more than 900 tours of duty in the service of peace this year – including in some of the world’s most dangerous warzones. The Defence Forces’ overseas commitments saw 906 individual tours of duty performed by members of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps in 2024 – out of an organisation with a strength of some 7,477 personnel.
Most of the missions were served in the Middle East – where Irish soldiers were caught up in a war that saw them staring down the barrels of Israeli tanks.But personnel have also served in Kosovo, Africa, New York and eastern Europe, where an officer is part of the EU’s training programme for the Ukrainian armed forces. Some 130 Irish soldiers started the year completing their six month tour of duty in war torn Syria. The Irish company was the quick reaction force for UNDOF, the UN’s mission on the Golan heights to keep the peace between Israel and Syria. The troops came home in April – bringing an end to an 11-year mission there by a large-scale Irish contingent. Some 16 Irish officers are still in the region as part of the force commander’s team and another UN mission, called UNTSO. But the biggest – and most controversial - mission for the Irish was, as usual, Lebanon. Our troops have served there since September 1978 - and more than 700 Irish tours of duty with UNIFIL have been carried out there this year. The bulk of them were in two six month missions at UNP 2-45, the HQ of the Irish/Polish UNIFIL battalion HQ. It is around seven kilometres from the Blue Line – the de facto frontier between Israel and Lebano
Irish Army Peacekeeping Lebanon Syria Middle East
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