As we have covered a number of items of Irish Army equipment on the blog this year, it is probably no suprise to you to see that I have put together an impression of an Irish Army corporal on peacekeeping duties.

It is 2001 and this corporal (apologies, I realised after that the rank badge was upside down) has been deployed to Ethiopia as part of the Irish contribution to the UN peacekeeping mission in this wartorn country. He is wearing the Irish Army disruptive pattern camouflage uniform with his rank slide mounted centrally on his chest. His webbing is the olive green PLCE equipment, obsolete by this date in the UK but still in service with Irish forces. On his head he wears the blue UN beret with its large enamelled cap badge in lieu of his national headdress. His rifle is the Steyr Aug, the standard weapon of the Irish Defence Forces:

1. DPM shirt with national insignia and rank slide
2. DPM trousers
3. UN Beret
4. Black leather hi-leg boots
5. Steyr Aug rifle
6. Olive green PLCE webbing