Exercise Cambrian Patrol is a long-range, mission orientated International patrolling exercise held in Wales. Physical Fitness, endurance, teamwork and determination must be combined with excellent infantry skills to complete this challenging patrol. A total of 119 teams (National and International) entered this year. The Irish Defence Forces team was drawn from 6 Infantry Battalion based in Custume Barracks, Athlone. Navigating both by day and by night covering approximately 50km over 48 hours, over some very harsh Welsh Terrain and carrying between 80 – 100 lbs each, the teams were assessed at a number of stands on the long and arduous route. Military skills, leadership and stamina are constantly evaluated during the patrol and marked with a system of points. Teams that successfully complete their mission can receive a number of different awards based on the number of points accumulated throughout the patrol. There is a Gold, Silver or Bronze medal or a certificate of merit depending on the total number of points they have gained throughout the patrol. The Irish Defence Forces Team was one of only five teams to achieve a Gold Medal. This achievement is put into perspective by the fact that only approximately 4% of participants achieved the Gold Medal and almost one third of teams did not complete the patrol which is again a testament of how challenging this Exercise actually is. The five teams who were awarded a Gold Medal were: 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment; Gurkha Sittang Company; 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles; 8th Battalion Garwhal Rifles (India) and the Irish Defence Forces. The team consisted of Lt. Glennon, Sgt Ryan, Cpl Pilkington, Pte Ward, Pte Moriarty, Pte Dunne, Pte Sherrif, Pte Loonam.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 18:00:00 +0000
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