ATEx 2010 – Short Report

 

 

Adjust Fire Video

Our Annual Training Exercise provided the setting for an integrated 2 Eastern Brigade combined arms live firing exercise. 62 RAR Advance party took over Coolmoney on Saturday and prepared the way for arrival of the rest of the Regiment at lunchtime. Then it was straight into training and preparation for arrival of the 2 Eastern Brigade PDF units. Tuesday saw the start of a 36 hour ex which included night firing illum in support of the Infantry support weapons shoot (60’s, 81’s, .5’s and Mags). This was completed from the 2 FAR 120 Mortar Battery position due to the disposition of the other units in the ex – so all crews from the other 120mm mortar batteries rotated through this position (East of Stranaheely field). Wednesday saw first round at 0700 hrs to start target recording in prep for h-hour later that afternoon. 3 * 120mm Mortar Batteries and 1 * 105mm Gun Battery were provided by the Arty (62 and 2 Regiments), including a fully operational FSCC. Integrated into the fire plan were 81’s, 60’s, .5’s, Mags and Anti Armour.

HQ and 1 Bty provided composite 120mm Mortar battery located in Keoghs forward. 2 & 3 Bty provided composite 120mm Mortar battery located in Coan. FOO teams (2 from 62 RAR and1 from 2 FAR)  located in Stranaheeley.

2 & 3 Composite 120mm Battery – Coan ATEx 2010

2&3 Bty Mortar Race – Winners ATEx 2010 – DC is Cpl Kane

120mm Mortar Night Firing EX

120mm Mortar Night Firing EX

120mm Mortar Night Firing EX

120mm Mortar Night Firing EX

Target Area – View through the Laser – Lwr WFall in bottom right.

81mm Mortar Illum

120mm Mortar Illum

Bty Rest

1 Bty ATEx 2010

Members of the superimposed battery

120mm Mortar Smoke fire mission

120mm Mortar HE Fire mission

HQ & 1 Bty – Battery Front

Capt Ray Kearns – Last Time to take the Flag down.

Ammo drop

Happiness is…

Air defence

Comdt. Ger Gibson appointed Regimental 2 I/C

Comdt. Gibson, BC 2 Bty has been appointed to the Regimental 2 I/C position of 62 Reserve Artillery Regiment. This position was left vacant by the retirement of Comdt. Dick Brady.

Recruitment Video – populated by pers from 62 Reserve Artillery Regiment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mIwKWiV_E4&NR=1

We’re taking application forms from people interested in joining our Regiment!

If you’re interested in joining 62 Reserve Artillery Regiment, we’re now accepting completed applications forms. Really, its best to drop into us on a Tuesday night and complete the forms with us. Remember to bring a copy of your long birth cert and two passport photos.

Exers! If you have any family members interested in joining, please encourage them to fill in an application form. Much of our recruitment depends on the informal network of current and past members, so please don’t be shy.

Integration…Artillery style

Smoke Mission – Artillery Shoot, Glen Imaal

Artillery Smoke Mission as seen from the Gun Line

120mm HE. Night shoot. DC is BS Oxberry, No. 2 Cpl Monaghn, No. 3 Gnr. O’Connell

OC 2 FAR issued an OPORD ‘tasking’ 62 RAR to supply pers to his regiment for the Corps Artillery Shoot last week. Going under operational control on Monday, all pers were mixed into the various artillery groupings and went mobile to Glen Imaal. With just 2 days training to iron out any issues, the Combined Regiment conducted artillery live firing practices to include Registration, target Recording, multi Battery Fire plans, and Multi Battery Co-Ord Illum co-ordinated by the FDC. Additionally a battery and FOO from 4 FAR came under the control of the 2 FAR FDC for the duration of the shoot. The importance of the exercise is that with just 2 and a half days integrated training, the unit conducted a well planned and accurate artillery shoot. Lessons were learned for sure and training deficiencies identified, but the most important result was how easily both regiments integrated when they had a common goal.

One additional feature was the inclusion of a member of 62 Reserve Cav in an Artillery FOO role. Amongst other achievements he gave a line correction on the Registration shoot to achieve a target round, thus guaranteeing accurate fire there after! 62 RAR held some of the key appointments (Both FOO’s, the GPO, CPO and BK on the gun line, range officer, 3 AGDC’s and both section officers, and we also had a member in the FDC).

Minister O’Dea Announces Re-commencement of limited recruitment to the Army Reserve

Posted on 20/05/09 by Willie O’Dea Minister O’Dea Announces Re-commencement of limited recruitment to the Army Reserve (Cúltaca an Airm) and Naval Service Reserve (Cúltaca an tSeirbhís Chabhlaigh).

The Minister for Defence, Mr Willie O’Dea, T.D. has announced that the Reserve Defence Forces (Na hÓglaigh Cúltaca) may resume a limited and monitored recruitment to replace existing members of the Army Reserve or Naval Service Reserve who resign or leave during the course of 2009. Recruitment to the Reserve had been suspended in the context of the reduced funding available and the moratorium on public service numbers”.

Minister Willie O’Dea said: “Since the announcement of a suspension of Reserve Defence Force (RDF) recruitment, I have, along with my officials, been working to ensure that we consolidate the gains made over recent years in developing the RDF. It is important that we continue to provide appropriate opportunities for paid training to all members of the Reserve, to the greatest extent possible within current budgetary provisions.

“Following a review and examination of RDF numbers and budgets for 2009, I am satisfied that there is sufficient provision to allow for paid training for existing members of the Reserve this year. Accordingly, I am today announcing that recruitment to fill vacancies due to existing Reserve members resigning, or being discharged in the normal manner, may proceed with immediate effect.”

“This announcement should come as welcome news to many of those who have already applied to join the RDF and were awaiting attestation. Many of them will be inducted gradually into the RDF as vacancies arise in the various Brigades over the coming weeks and months.”

“I want to pay tribute to all the members of the Reserve who give freely of their time to serve their country. Their commitment and dedication is appreciated.”

“The numbers recruited will depend on the numbers leaving. This limited recruitment will be monitored and kept under review in the light of the uptake of paid training within the RDF and the future budgetary provision.”

Suspension of recruitment

Due to the overall moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the civil service, recruitment into the Army Reserve has been suspended. Like other units around the country we have our fair share of people caught in the recruitment process that now will not be able to join in the forseeable future. All of these people attended induction training and many had completed medicals or were at an advanced stage of the recruitment process. We can only thank them for their interest, and hope that we can resume with their applications in the near future.

Name that Gunner…

Joke No. 27a – ‘That face rings a bell’

We have lots of photographs stretching back to 1960…unfortunately we don’t have names. Can any of you ex-ers help? Here’s a few to start. I can email you copies if the below aren’t very clear.

Who is the guy in the group huddle at the back - behind the main players above, who wants to be in the photo?...any ideas of where this was taken?

Particularly interested in the Gunner with the .303..Who's that in the green jumper in the left background?...(Its hardly Killer?...would it be too early for him?). Most likely the Glen, but which gun position...Leitrim?

Who is the guy in the group huddle at the back, who wants to be in the photograph?

6 Bt Gun Crew…who’s in the green jumper in the left background?

Who’s that in the green jumper in the laft background?

Who is the guy in the group huddle at the back, who wants to be in the photo?