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Soldiers during a simulated attack on an Irish base in Kilworth, Co Cork. Irish Defence Forces

Irish Defence Force engineers to be evaluated by Nato this week

The last time the Nato evaluation happened it caused angry exchanges in the Dáil between PBP’s Paul Murphy and Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

ABOUT 130 TROOPS from the Irish Defence Forces Corps of Engineers will undergo a Nato assessment of their capabilities in Cork this week.

The evaluation is in two phases – an initial self evaluation and then a full examination of their capabilities in November. 

The review comes as a US assessor has said that close alliances between non-Nato nations and Nato are of huge “benefit” to all countries. 

Lieutenant Colonel Ketty Reed is a US army officer and part of a Nato group visiting Cork ahead of a major exercise in Kilworth’s Lynch Camp in the coming days. 

Speaking to The Journal as debate around Ireland’s links with Nato surges, she said: “I can say as having been a military service member from a nation that is a Nato member, there’s always a benefit to creating alliances.”

It is not the first time Reed has visited Ireland and she said she is impressed with the standard of the engineers drawn from Two Field Engineering based in Athlone.

She is joined by other international colleagues in Cork this week as they prepare for the assessment. She is accompanied by Irish military officer Commandant Daire Roche who is also part of the assessment team.

The US officer said she has been observing the troops since her arrival, describing them as ‘motivated and ambitious’. 

“I definitely see that they feel that there is an importance to their work and the level of ambition from the top down is reflected in the soldiers’ motivations,” she said. 

“When they’re out, they mean business, they’re doing things. And they understand the importance of it not just to the unit, but to the service of the nation,” she added. 

The exercise is similar to the artillery Operational Capabilities Concept evaluation (OCC) which led to angry exchanges in the Dáil as People Before Profit’s Paul Murphy questioned Tánaiste Micheál Martin on its appropriateness given Ireland’s neutrality. 

Ireland is a partner nation with Nato through a concept entitled Partnership for Peace since 1999 – this gives the Irish military access to a number of capability development programmes, one of which is OCC.

Eng-Coy-OCC-113 US army officer Lt col Ketty Reed who is a senior member of the OCC assessment team. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

OCC is an initiative that allows countries to be assessed ahead of feedback and advice. Ireland recently sent soldiers to Colombia – another Nato partner country – to carry out an OCC assessment there. 

The stated aim of the strategy is to bring nations closer to a standard that would enable them to work with Nato militaries. This is known as interoperability in military speak.   

Reed is part of the team that will help to assess the capabilities of the Defence Forces engineers. These are the Irish military’s experts in maintaining the needs of a camp from the electricity to the plumbing, to bridge building and mine clearance.   

Many of the troops have been preparing for a year ahead of the main exercise that will take place across the moorland of the military ranges in Kilworth.

Infantry are drawn from the midlands, while bomb disposal specialists come from Cork. 

Some of the equipment being used, including specialist demining vehicles, has returned from the Defence Forces peacekeeping base in Syria where Ireland is set to pull out shortly from its involvement in the UNDOF mission in the Golan Heights.

The bomb disposal and search team also has robotic devices and drones.

Commandant Adrian Quinn, who is the chief of instruction in the Defence Forces’ school of engineering, is overlooking the exercise and believes the OCC evaluations are not just for measuring Ireland’s abilities against other militaries but are about learning international best practice from other nations.  

He said that the evaluations were an opportunity for Ireland to reach the “benchmark” set by Nato militaries. 

“The benefits of these evaluations is that there is a real personal pride you see in the guys spending so much time to get the most out of it,” he said.

A number of sections in the Irish Defence Forces have gone through Nato OCC evaluations to date including the Irish Naval Service, the Army Ranger Wing and artillery. 

More than 100 grades must be met in the assessments. Reports are compiled from these assessment with compliments for good practice as well as recommendations for improvements outlined. 

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    Mute Davy
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    Jul 17th 2023, 7:05 AM

    FFG need removal from office..

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    Mute Dan Dare
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    Jul 17th 2023, 1:38 PM

    @Davy: I can’t wait until we join NATO.

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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Jul 17th 2023, 7:11 AM

    Nato could show us how to carpet bomb extremely poor people and destroy their nations like Yugoslavia, Syria, Libya etc.

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jul 17th 2023, 7:49 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: Eh, maybe you haven’t heard of Idlib or Herat among many with thousands of civilians killed by Russian carpet bombing? Or did you just forget to mention it?

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:10 AM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: Russia is being punished, via sanction and trade embargo etc for invading Ukraine. What punishment was issued to NATO members states who illegally invaded and occupied countries while leveling others from the sky?.

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    Mute and the hit's just keep coming
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:45 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: do you ever know what the abreaviation NATO stands for? Its a defensive organisation…not saying they are correct in their actions but are not an agreeser they are deployed in a defensive role or an enforcement role to try bring an end to a conflict by use of superior power and equipment…..and like it or not our defence system reelys on it heavily even though we are not fully members…..its no different than the RAF covering our airspace….we can’t do it but it still needs to be covered

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jul 17th 2023, 10:51 AM

    @Roy Dowling: Was Russia punished by the UN or anyone else for carpet bombing in the 2 of many towns I mentioned above? In fact Russia vetoed a call for a ceasefire in Syria and a stop to carpet bombing there.
    No more than NATO members were punished for their illegal invasion.
    But does that somehow justify Russia actions or me pointing out the OP’s selective info in his comment?

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jul 17th 2023, 10:56 AM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: No it doesn’t justify Russia and what it’s doing. But it also just goes to show you when it suits NATO and people like you you’ll ignore aggression and allow hundreds of thousands to die. You are also very selective in your comments. Have you condemned Ukraines attack on a bridge that has led to the death of innocent civilians? No you haven’t instead you make excuses

    26
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    Mute D K
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    Jul 17th 2023, 11:11 AM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: Is the Russian military in Cork assessing our soldiers?

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    Mute Criostoir O Donnabhain
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    Jul 17th 2023, 11:19 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: and Russia could show us how to do the same to poor Syrian, Iraqi, Yemeni and Sudanese people. The effects of war are not confined to one country or alliance. Everyone in the area suffers. Everyone.

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    Mute honey badger
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    Jul 17th 2023, 6:45 AM

    This will outrage the right people.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:06 AM

    @honey badger: And delighted NATO shrills like yourself.

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    Mute Dave Grant
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:27 AM

    Sleep walking into NATO.

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    Mute Gerry Dornan
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    Jul 17th 2023, 6:47 AM

    Tell these war mongers, to go to hell…

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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Jul 17th 2023, 7:43 AM

    @Alan B: ooh, do you think I would be happy to have Russians training the Irish army? Do you conduct yourself in simplistic narratives where everything is black and white, good verses evil scenario?
    Are you only a wee little young lad?

    78
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    Mute honey badger
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    Jul 17th 2023, 7:46 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: Was stopping a genocide in Yugoslavia not a good thing Joe? Anyway, tell me more about your aversion to simplistic narratives. Good lad.

    82
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Jul 17th 2023, 8:43 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: ‘do you think I would be happy to have Russians training the Irish army?’

    From your comments here, I think you would support a Russian invasion of Ireland.

    52
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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Jul 17th 2023, 8:32 AM

    @ honey badger: but you know that’s absolute nonsense you don’t stop genocides with carpet bombing civilians that’s the most insane narrative I’ve ever come across!
    How’s Libya getting on after your beloved nato intervened and murdered the recognized president to maintain dollar hegemony in Africa?
    Please let’s here your pentagon press release rebuttal it should be funny!

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:55 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: While criticism of the NATO eld no-fly zone and subsequent overthrow of Gaddafi is justified, I find it frustrating that few know the subsequent history, the interference by Russia, Egypt, UAE etc. that provided arms and support to General Khalifa Haftar who opposed the UN recognised Government based in Tripoli, causing a prolonged destabilising conflict from 2014 to 2020. A conflict ended after Turkey provided the UN recognised Government with military support.

    Here’s General Haftar in Moscow in 2018, meeting with the head of Russia’s military General Valery Gerasimov and Wagner’s head Dmitry Prigozhin (blue suit in background).

    https://youtu.be/Vp4e8u71o20?t=23

    Russia (and Wagner’s) interest in the region is oil and gas, General Haftar’s forces and the House of Representatives government faction he represents, controls almost all of Libya’s oil and gas.

    Also, important to recall that the NATO intervention in Libya in 2011 did get UN security council approval, Resolution 1973, Russia, China and 3 other security council member abstained.

    30
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    Mute Fearg
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    Jul 17th 2023, 10:10 AM

    Following the recent pro-Nato ‘forums’ it was inevitable that FF, FG and the Green Party would go ahead with their pro-war agenda. This is a shameful betrayal of our reputation for peace-keeping and neutrality. The sooner this unpopular and incompetent government are removed the better for all of us.

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    Mute dream catcher
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    Jul 17th 2023, 11:04 AM

    @Fearg: these assesments have been happening every year since Ireland joined the partners for peace program.

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    Mute michael powell
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    Jul 17th 2023, 11:01 AM

    This article reads as though it were written by the US military war machine. It makes it crystal clear that we are about to be hustled in to NATO. As it is our sons and daughters who will be dying, and killing others, it is time that the people of Ireland call for a national referendum on the issue. Please, readers, start voting here.

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    Mute dream catcher
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    Jul 17th 2023, 11:06 AM

    @michael powell: These assesments have been happening for many years as they’re part of the partners for peace program and all invovlved in that program have them yearly. Sadly the irish military isn’t up to being a NATO member.

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    Mute The Irish love this shy...
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    Jul 17th 2023, 11:27 AM

    @michael powell: There is no need for a referendum only for Martin to do a UK David Cameron on it. This Cork school teacher deserves to be bumped off frankly for his egregious treasonous proposals.

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    Mute Fintan Mac Giolla Pharic
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:34 PM

    @michael powell: “It is our sons and daughters who will be dying” – lies and hyperbole.
    NATO has existed for 74 years and the mutual defence clause has been involved once, symbolically, after 9/11. No NATO member has been compelled to go to War since the inception of the alliance. Most NATO members are small Western European states, our EU partners; countries like Norway, a founding member and stalwart of the alliance. Are Norway sending their “sons and daughters who will be dying”?

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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Jul 17th 2023, 8:47 AM

    @Bredan O’Brien: so you amit to not reading or not being able to comprehend my comments, atleast that’s an honest assessment of your capabilities!
    I hope you get the help you need to be able to read and comprehend effectively in the future good look sir!

    33
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Jul 17th 2023, 8:51 AM

    @I9AQcjXs: I think you are a fanatical supporter of Russian and Serb aggression (and a fanatical hater of NATO), with absolutely no interest in truth or facts. NATO did the right thing in defending Kosovo, and it is doing the right thing in supporting Ukrainian self-defence.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:32 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: Did NATO do the right thing when it ignored its member states to illegally invade and occupy 2 middle eastern countries? Carpet bomb others from the air. Even now the US is in Syria taking the country’s oil and what did NATO do absolutely nothing. Seems strange a “peaceful” organisation has the biggest war monger and international weapons dealer at its head.

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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:38 AM

    ‘interoperability’ is a word for language nuance analysts to watch.

    24
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    Mute Declan McKenna
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    Jul 17th 2023, 10:04 AM

    It is fascinating how all those who, at some point or other, express ‘reservations’ about NATO or the US, always end up finding a reason to support both – no matter what they do or have done.
    Now we have NATO ‘evaluating’ the Irish army but it’s Russia’s fault that that is happening! Actually, it is the fault of the Irish government. Is this how a “debate” about Irish membership of NATO is to be conducted? Strange debating strategy but no more strange than the twisted logic of people who are ‘anti’ NATO and US but who always end up supporting them, I suppose.

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    Mute dream catcher
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    Jul 17th 2023, 11:03 AM

    @Declan McKenna: They have been doing these assesments for decades, it’s part of the partners for peace program so less of the exagerration

    17
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    Mute Albert John
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    Jul 17th 2023, 1:34 PM

    Remembered Michael Martin comments in the Dail that he doesn’t want anything to do with a backwards looking idea of sovereignty says it all.

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    Mute MN
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    Jul 17th 2023, 1:58 PM

    Next election will be interesting people will want straight yes or no to nato from proposed candidates

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    Mute Ross McGee
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    Jul 17th 2023, 11:14 AM

    A soldier looks up as the shrill screaming intensifies….

    He wonders to himself “Was that the kettle?”

    Looking out the window, he sees Clare Daly, Paul Murphy, Richard B Barrett and Mick Wallace on their knees outside the barracks gates, each holding their head in both hands and screeching into the heavens. He watches disinterestedly as their high pitched whine continues on up into the ultrasonic layer beyond human hearing…

    “Na must be the kettle in the guard room.”

    He shrugs and goes off to make himself a cup of tea before heading out to the NATO exercise.

    16
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    Mute Declan McKenna
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    Jul 17th 2023, 1:44 PM

    @Ross McGee: While Clare Daly, Paul Murphy, Richard B Barrett and Mick Wallace have different views on many issues, it can be clearly said that unlike you, they are not war-mongering maniacs.

    They are promoters of peace and of the peaceful resolutions of problems. They oppose militarism and the use of so-called sanctions – unilateral coercive actions – imposed by your NATO buddies that starve people off the face of this earth. The problem is that there is not nearly enough screaming against military and economic wars.

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    Mute The Irish love this shy...
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    Jul 17th 2023, 10:39 AM

    Ketty Reed looks like they’re poised to do a photo shoot for Bud not-so-lite when this Mickilín McShamrock invite is over.

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    Mute Torbjorn Snevllson
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    Jul 17th 2023, 8:40 PM

    @The Irish love this shy…: What does this even mean, I’m genuinely asking, not trying to start trouble lol

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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Jul 17th 2023, 8:48 AM

    Admit*

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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Jul 17th 2023, 2:19 PM

    @ Brendan O’Brien: “fanatical supporter of Russian and Serb aggression”
    Where on earth do you get this insane narrative? Because I’m not a supporter of western military industrial complex that lives off endless wars I’m some how a supporter of other authoritarian militaristic nuclear super powers?? Do you realize how ridiculously childish this is? You really need to get some context to what I am saying you truly aren’t understanding my view point!

    13
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    Mute Edd
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    Jul 17th 2023, 3:38 PM

    Even in the ’80′s Various Military Attache personell were welcomed to our Army exercises.
    Currently (as stated in the article) Ireland is already a member of NATO – albeit the Parnership for Peace program (So was Russia by the way).
    We are NOT NEUTRAL – however, we are and were always Militarily NON-ALIGNED – this is now up for review bearing in mind that we can not currently watch over our massive sea and air without assistance.

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    Mute Telemachine
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    Jul 17th 2023, 9:52 PM

    NATO is an imperialist army. It is the greatest threat to peace and should have been disbanded after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. All NATO is today is top client of the military industrial complex, lackies and slaves of the American war machine.

    5
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    Mute I9AQcjXs
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    Jul 17th 2023, 2:13 PM

    @Alan B: that’s litterly the all you have in that empty little head of yours?? Poor little child get back to me when your b*lls drop!

    4
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