Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
Members of the First Battalion in the Royal Irish Regiment Ranger Kemp (left) and Ranger Lavelle in action during a live fire demonstration with the Jamaica Defence Force soldiers in Cambridge Backland, Portland, on Saturday, June 24. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
GUNFIRE AND exploding grenades shattered the peace and tranquility
of the remote Cambridge Backland community in Portland on Saturday when heavily armed Irish and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldiers demonstrated the principles of battle procedures.
Major Colin Weir, exercise commander of the First Battalion in the Royal Irish Regiment, said the aim of the demonstration was to show the live firing capability and skills of both United Kingdom (U.K.) and JDF soldiers.
Dubbed 'Operation Red Stripe', the training has also equipped the soldiers with the necessary pre-operational training for war. Thirty of the 120 members of the Irish army are to be deployed in Afghanistan in July.
"My company is ready for war and the JDF soldiers are ready to play their part in whatever the JDF asks of them," said Major Weir.
FIRST CLASS
He continued: "I can safely say that the JDF with soldiers who exercised along my soldiers were first class. They were very fit, motivated, keen to learn and had a lot in common with the Irish soldiers," Major Weir told the gathering of both local and Irish soldiers that the team encountered challenges, which included time, space and equipment while undergoing the four-week training.
When The Gleaner's news team arrived in the Cambridge Backland community, we walked 600 metres into the muddy woodlands to get to the demonstration site. The news team and other members of the JDF and Irish army climbed rocky terrain to seats under a makeshift tent overlooking the battleground.
There were two different types of demonstrations: overhead fire and fire support group. The soldiers fired live rounds of ammunition while trying to conquer their enemies, denoted by markers. Several grenades were thrown in the area to provide a screen for the soldiers.
Lance Corporal Rose of the JDF who participated in the demonstration said it was a "great experience" for him. "We went out there and tried to get the job done as quickly as possible and achieved our aim."
He noted that while Jamaica does not have the kind of warfare that he was prepared for, if the need arose in the future, the JDF would be ready for war.
"It was good out there. Very fast and furious and a lot of hard work," said Ranger Bradshaw of the First Battalion in the Royal Irish Regiment.
He told The Gleaner that the experience would help him in carrying out his duties in Afghanistan come July.
