Members of the Defence Forces highly trained Army Ranger Wing (ARW) will this afternoon put on a rare public display of their skills to mark the unit’s 30th anniversary.
The ARW is to exhibit its proficency in leading anti-terrorist assaults, as well as its ability to handle specialist weapons and equipment, during an event at the Curragh in Co Kildare.
A Defence Forces spokesman said the unit was founded 30 years ago to offer extra protection to the State following a surge in international terroisim during the 1970s.
“The kidnapping of politicians and businessmen as well embassy seiges and the hijacking of air and seagoing craft were [then] a cause of considerable concern to democratic governments worldwide,” he said.
The ARW initially focused on developing the capability to act directly against terrorist threats and to respond to hijackings and siege situations. It has since been deployed to the jungles of East Timor in 1999, the plantations of Liberia in 2003 and more recently to the deserts of Chad, where they were sent in 2008.
The spokesman said only the most determined, physically able and mentally robust candidates have successfully completed the gruelling three-week selection course to stand a chance of joining the force - and that a mere 15 per cent of each cohort who do the test pass it.
Information on the numerical strength of the Army Ranger Wing and the identity of its personnel is restricted, the spokesman added.
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