Irish Troops Return Following Six-Month Deployment to Lebanon Over 200 Irish troops from the 120th Infantry Battalion, United Nations Interim Force Lebanon (UNIFIL) returned to Dublin Airport on Thursday 24th November, following a six-month deployment to South Lebanon.
The personnel were met by their families and friends. Drawn from many different Units across the Army and Air Corps, the majority of the 120th Infantry Battalions personnel are drawn from the 27th Infantry Battalion based in Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, Co Louth.
This was the first homecoming attended by families, and the media, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
All photos available on DF Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfmagazine/albums/72177720303965928/with/52520339672/
120th INFANTRY BATTALION BRIEFING NOTE
The 120th Infantry Battalion (120 Inf Bn) will deploy in May to South Lebanon as part of UNIFIL (United Nation Interim Force in Lebanon). The Unit was formally activated on Monday 21 February 2022 following completion of Phase 1 training. This marked the commencement of Phase 2 training, where personnel from across the Defence Forces reported to Gormanston Camp, Co. Meath (Battalion Headquarters, Battalion Support Group and Recce Company) and Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, Co. Louth (A Company) to begin administrative, logistical and tactical preparations for both Phase 3 training and overseas deployment to Lebanon. Phase 3 training, commencing in Coolmoney Camp, Glen of Imaal, Wicklow on 28 March 2022, will ensure personnel are fully prepared to participate in Chapter 6 Peace Support Operations and execute their allocated tasks in the mission area in accordance with the UNIFIL Mission mandate.
120 Inf Bn will deploy to the UNIFIL area of operations with three hundred and forty-seven (347) personnel (Nine (09) personnel from the Armed Forces of Malta, three hundred and thirty eight (338) Irish). 120 Inf Bn will deploy in two (2) Chalks to Lebanon, on 11 May 2022 and 01 June 2022 respectively, rotating with and replacing the 119 Inf Bn. 120 Inf Bn will complete an adaptive quarantine in order to facilitate a hand over take over (HOTO) with the 119 Inf Bn, while operational tempo and essential services are maintained. Designated quarantine areas will be established in both UNP 2-45 and UNP 6-52 for 120 Inf Bn personnel with strict adherence to all quarantine procedures implemented.
120 Inf Bn will then commence operations as part of a multinational battalion, comprising of Irish, Maltese, Polish and Hungarian personnel, collectively referred to as IRISHPOLBATT. IRISHPOLBATT will support UNIFIL’s mandates in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701 (2006) and UNSCR 2539 (2020).
