Celtic Moment

A snap shot of the Irish Defence Force’s Special Forces Unit the Army Ranger Wing in action. This rare footage of the unit is to mark the 30th anniversary of the units establishment in the 1970′s as a result in the drmatic increase in International terrorism. With the increase in kidnappings, sieges and hijackings conventional military tactics were deemed unsuitable for dealing with the escalating threat and many countries moved to establish soecial units to deal with ‘special situations’. The Army Ranger Wing has evolved considerably since it’s inception 30 years ago and the unit’s capabilities now include the full spectrum of Special Forces functions on land, sea and air. the roles of the unit are divided into ‘Green’ conventional warfare role and a specialsit ‘black’ role for ‘aid to the civil power’ activities. The ARW has served with distinction overseas, both as an Initial Entry Force (IEF) tasked with preparing the way for larger Defence Forces deployments, and as a Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) charged with conducting Special Operations in the mission area. Such deployments have taken the unit from the Jungles of East Timor in 1999 to the plantations of Liberia in 2003, and more recently the deserts of Chad in 2008. Although the capabilities and equipment of the ARW have evolved during their 30-year existence, one aspect of the unit has remained constant; that is the maintenance of the exceptionally high standards which the original Rangers established …

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