One unit home, another just deployed to #UNDOF. @defenceforces wish them well + plans their relief in 6 months.  We have over 550 people overseas right now. We enforce UN mandates + carry out our mission. But soldiers travel for other work and personal reasons too.
A thread

Professional: to #soldier in a hostile area. To try, as a team, to make a difference. To gain experience, help career prospects, or solidify progress.
Personal: to go, see and do a good part of the job. The challenge.
Challenge and experience (+ and -) become bookmarks of life.

Financial: living in a #warzone, when not on patrol, is a form of #lockdown: risk is ever present, there's work to do and nil social life. Thus you get a chance to save money for stuff, eg; pay off #debts, save for a car, deposit on a house, or your kids college fees.

Everyone has life issues & sometimes soldiers go overseas to ‘get away’ . But ‘away’ rarely solves the problems you want to leave behind. Absence and distance don’t help. That’s why we have our Personnel Support Services to support us and our families. https://www.military.ie/en/public-information/defence-forces-families/about-us/

Our  #families watch the news and worry, + take care of every-day things that can't be done from afar.

For my last tour, my wife took unpaid leave from work for childcare. I came home on a Friday after 6 months. She went back to paid work on Monday. She's the hero .

Yes, it's risky work, so we prep in detail. But, we're not machines, there's army humour too. 3 droll adages:
Don't deploy til the air-con is ok.
Don't give your bags to the Air Corps!
If the baggage allowance covers flak jacket/helmet: the only cocktails may be 'molotov'!

I, and many others, never heeded those 3 'lines' & they were the best, most rewarding 'trips'. Bookmarks.

Beir Bua and 'safe home' to the women and men of 62 Inf Gp, and their CO, a proud Mayo-man, under-age coach, sports fan, husband and father, Lt Col Kieran Carey.