DF Win in International Sniper Comp

Jawgap

Good going by the sound of it.......

The Irish Defence Forces Special Forces unit the Army Ranger Wing ('Sciathan Fíanóglach an Airm') won both the International and overall categories in the United States Sniper Competition in Fort Benning Georgia. Facing competition from 36 other teams drawn from the U.S military, international military and U.S state and federal law enforcement, this is the first time that an International team has won both the overall and International competition categories.

The winner of the domestic Defence Forces Sniper Concentration is automatically selected to represent the Irish Defence Forces at this competition. The team is a sniper pair (shooter and spotter) and a team coach. Other teams entered included the U.S Rangers, Airborne, Marine Corps and Mountain Divisions, the F.B.I Swat Team as well as teams from Britain, Canada, Germany and Denmark. The competition takes place over 4 arduous days in the Deep South marsh and bush lands, encompassing 16 individual challenges with very little rest between. Tests include a sniper stalk, movement shoots by day and night, obstacle courses, pistol shoots, stress shoots and unknown distance shoots.

Last year the previous Defence Forces sniper champions, the 27th Infantry Battalion from Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, came second in the International Category and placed 21st overall. The Army Ranger Wing previously placed second in both 2011 and 2012.

#DefendProtectSupport

Image file photo of A.R.W training domestically. Names of the winning team will not be released for Operational Security reasons.

cajonlardo

Only just saw that. Fantastic achievement. Hope it is something that is highlighted within the PDF and built upon from a morale point of view. Traditonally, too often high achievement goes unnoticed and a valuable aid to learning, progression and pride is lost.

AbusesToilets

Do the Wing/ PDF compete in the USASOC comp annually? I know there are strong ties between based off personnel there.

randy hickey

Congratulations to all concerned. This should be rightly recognised and applauded for the humongous achievement that it is.
The only pity is that there will be no crowd of supporters to meet them at the airport when they return, nor will their names be published, given the nature of the wing that they belong to.

But they will know what they did forever.

sparky42

AbusesToilets wrote: »

Do the Wing/ PDF compete in the USASOC comp annually? I know there are strong ties between based off personnel there.

Have done for the last few years anyway, last year was a PDF team that did well (think they came second after the SAS in the International side) and the Wing were there for the years before that I think.

tac foley

I'd have given a month's worth of my pension to have been at the prize giving, just to see all those miserable faces that weren't Irish.

tac

Barry Badrinath

Loving this report!

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/watch-american-medias-shocked-reaction-6708316

dandyelevan

tac foley wrote: »

I'd have given a month's worth of my pension to have been at the prize giving, just to see all those miserable faces that weren't Irish.

tac

There were quite a few shocked and miserable faces in the Emerald Isle I'll bet, never mind the US of A.

sparky42

tac foley wrote: »

I'd have given a month's worth of my pension to have been at the prize giving, just to see all those miserable faces that weren't Irish.

tac

I'd love to see what the home team was feeling after getting beaen out by the Wing, must have been epic for the lads.

sparky42

dandyelevan wrote: »

There were quite a few shocked and miserable faces in the Emerald Isle I'll bet, never mind the US of A.

Sure I'm surprised we haven't had more PANA moaners complaining about this.

tac foley

dandyelevan wrote: »

There were quite a few shocked and miserable faces in the Emerald Isle I'll bet, never mind the US of A.

How so?

What a trophy to have on the wall. I'd like to think that the ARW get a nice congratulatory letter from the Prez, and a tanker-load of the black stuff they make down by the Liffey.

tac, proudly part-Irish

Jawgap

tac foley wrote: »

How so?

What a trophy to have on the wall. I'd like to think that the ARW get a nice congratulatory letter from the Prez, and a tanker-load of the black stuff they make down by the Liffey.

tac, proudly part-Irish

Victoribus spolia........

tac foley

YAY!

tac

Horse84

http://www.army.mod.uk/news/28050.aspx
More good results here from abroad

tac foley

The Cambrian Patrol competition is a KILLER - to earn a medal brings a whole new meaning to the word 'earn'.

tac

pablomakaveli

I've never envied the lads in my regiment who get picked for it though they've done well with a certificate this year. Got bronze a couple of years ago too. Think the DF team got silver that year.

helimachoptor

how many soldiers would be part of the unit that does that exercise?

John Mongo

helimachoptor wrote: »

how many soldiers would be part of the unit that does that exercise?

The team sent over for the Cambrian Patrol is an 8 man patrol, 1 soldier as a substitute incase of injury in the early stages of the patrol, a Team Captain and a liason officer. So usually 10 or 11 lads, it varies slightly from year to year.

John Mongo

pablomakaveli wrote: »

I've never envied the lads in my regiment who get picked for it though they've done well with a certificate this year. Got bronze a couple of years ago too. Think the DF team got silver that year.

That would've been 2013, we've entered teams for 3 years now. The team will come from the Unit who wins the DF Recce Concentration that year. The results so far have been as follows...

27 Bn - Silver (2013)
6 Bn - Gold (2014)
7 Bn - Gold (2015)

Our participation so far has shown that Irish troops can perform to a particularly high level.

earlytobed

John Mongo wrote: »

That would've been 2013, we've entered teams for 3 years now. The team will come from the Unit who wins the DF Recce Concentration that year. The results so far have been as follows...

27 Bn - Silver (2013)
6 Bn - Gold (2014)
7 Bn - Gold (2015)

Our participation so far has shown that Irish troops can perform to a particularly high level.

Is 7 Bn not a RDF unit?

John Mongo

earlytobed wrote: »

Is 7 Bn not a RDF unit?

No.

Both PDF Infantry Battalions that were based in Dublin, 2 Bn and 5 Bn, were stood down in the Reorg and a new Dublin based Infantry Battalion was formed and based in Cathal Brugha Barracks. That is 7 Bn.