Paul OBrien - Shadow Warriors: The Irish Army Ranger Wing

It is Army Ranger Wing policy to neither confirm nor deny the information contained within this book. Furthermore, for reasons of national security, and for the protection of ongoing operations and protection of persons, it is Army Ranger Wing policy not to discuss past or present operations.

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Paul OBrien and Wayne Fitzgerald, 2020

Epub ISBN: 978 1 78117 763 1

This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

The ARW motto:

Glaine r gCro, Neart r nGag,
Agus beart de rir r mbriathar.

(The cleanliness of our hearts, the strength of our limbs, and our commitment to our promise.)

Dedicated to those who have served in the
Army Ranger Wing, who are currently serving,
and who will serve in the future.

abbreviations

AHQArmy Headquarters

AMLPanard-type vehicle

AOArea of Operations

APCArmoured Personnel Carrier

ARWArmy Ranger Wing

C2 groupCommand & Control

CARCentral African Republic

CEMOCombat Equipment Marching Order

CommsCommunications

CPClose Protection

CPTClose Protection Team

CQBClose Quarter Battle

CRRCCombat Rubber Raiding Craft

CSDPCommon Security and Defence Policy

CTCounter-terrorism

CTRClose Target Recce

DFDefence Forces

DSDirecting Staff

ECOWASEconomic Community of West African States

EODExplosive Ordnance Disposal

ERVEscape Rendezvous

EUEuropean Union

FNFabrique Nationale

FOBForward Operating Base

FRVForward Rendezvous

G8Group of Eight (an inter-governmental

political forum, now G7)

GIGNGroupe dintervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (elite tactical unit of the French National Police)

GOLGovernment of Liberia

GPMGGeneral Purpose Machine Gun

GSG 9Grenzschutzgruppe 9

HALOHigh Altitude Low Opening

HMGHeavy Machine Gun

HQHeadquarters

IEDsImprovised Explosive Devices

INLAIrish National Liberation Army

INTERFETInternational Force East Timor

IRInfra-red strobe lights

IRAIrish Republican Army

IWWInfantry Weapons Wing

LFTTLive Fire Tactical Training

LtLieutenant

LURDLiberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy

MINURCATUnited Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad

MINUSMAUnited Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali

MOMedical Officer

MODELMovement for Democracy in Liberia

MOLLEModular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment

MOUTMilitary Operations in Urban Terrain

NCONon-commissioned Officer

NSVRussian-manufactured machine gun

NVENight Vision Equipment

NVGNight Vision Goggles

O/COfficer Commanding

OPObservation Post

PCM An Para-Chumann Mileata

PDFPermanent Defence Forces

PTPhysical Training

PTIPhysical Training Instructor

QRFQuick Reaction Force

RecceReconnaissance

RetdRetired

RIBRigid Inflatable Boat

RPGRocket-propelled Grenade

RSMRegimental Sergeant Major

RTAReaction to Attack

RTUReturned To Unit

SAGSpecial Assault Group

SASSpecial Air Service

SecSection

SERESurvival Evasion Resistance Extraction

SFPSustainable Function Programme

SIGINTSignals Intelligence

SOSenior Officer

SOFSpecial Operations Force

SOFQSpecial Operations Force Qualification

SOPsStandard Operating Procedures

SOTGSpecial Operations Task Group

SRVSpecial Reconnaissance Vehicles

TACCOMTactical Communications

TLTeam Leader

TTPsTactics, Techniques and Procedures

UNUnited Nations

UNAMETUnited Nations Mission in East Timor

UNIFILUnited Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

UNITAFUnified Task Force

UNMILUnited Nations Mission in Liberia

UNOSOMUnited Nations Operation in Somalia

Introduction

Special forces have played an important role throughout history, with specialist units operating covertly and overtly in a number of conflicts. The origin of such forces can be traced back as far as the likes of the Roman Praetorian Guard and the Anglo-Saxon Huscarls at the Battle of Hastings, and can also be seen in Cromwells Ironsides, Napoleons Old Guard, and the French Foreign Legion. As the centuries progressed and warfare developed, many of these groups were amalgamated into their countrys regular forces, but in times of war there is always a need for improvisation, meaning that todays special forces will often work outside the purview of the regular forces.

Contrary to popular belief, a special forces operative is not the gung-ho, weapon-toting figure often portrayed on the silver screen, but a highly trained and very skilled soldier. Modern elite soldiers have a wide array of skills, both physical and intellectual. They have been trained in this manner due to the emergence of a new type of warfare in the mid-to-late twentieth century: the increase in national and international terrorism.

The Irish Army Ranger Wing (ARW) was formed by the Irish government and the Department of Defence during the spring of 1980 and is affectionately known as The Wing. Those who set out the initial ARW course back in 1980 had by then witnessed over a decade of this new type of warfare. In fact, it was in response to the ever-increasing terrorist attacks throughout the world in the late 1960s and early 1970s that many countries created their specialist units. The hijacking of planes, high-profile assassinations and the 1972 Munich massacre in Germany brought home the fact that, with terrorism, there were no defined battle fronts and civilians were often caught up in the fray. However, it was events in the North of Ireland in the late 1960s and 1970s in particular that found the Irish Defence Forces needing to adapt to a new and demanding period within its history.

Special forces, such as the ARW, exist to conduct special operations, irregular warfare, and counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism (CT) operations. The instructors who trained that first cadre of ARW operatives in 1980 had themselves, since the late 1960s, undergone a number of specialist courses, both at home and abroad, to ensure they could ably train and cultivate elite soldiers. This training, as well as their belief in the potential of the ARW, ensured that those in The Wing would be able to tackle some of the most difficult physical and mental challenges that a soldier could encounter while on specialist operations. As with similar special operations forces (SOFs) throughout the world, the ARW has undergone training to conduct counter-hijack operations, hostage rescue, airborne and seaborne interventions, search missions, pursuit, recapture of terrorist-held objectives, close protection, and contingency planning to counteract planned terrorist or subversive threats.