Offaly's Kyle is youngest Irish peacekeeper on mission to Lebanon

Offaly's Kyle Hynes is the youngest peacekeeping soldier set to be deployed on the Irish Defence Forces second-to-last mission to South Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The 19-year-old from the Cloghan area has served just 14 months in the Defence Forces and this will be his first mission overseas.

A total of 362 men and women of the 127th Infantry Battalion will be deployed to southern Lebanon over the course of the next number of weeks, with 22 of those hailing from Offaly. There are 129 troops for which this is their first deployment abroad.

"I am nervous to leave my family for six months, but at the same time, I'm excited for the experience," Kyle told the Offaly Independent after an event in Athlone last Friday which saw the Lebanon-bound battalion being inspected by Tánaiste and Defence Minister Simon Harris.

The unit was formally activated on August 25, following completion of Phase 1 training. Preparation included Phase 2 training, where personnel from across the Defence Forces reported to Custume Barracks in Athlone to begin administrative, logistical and tactical preparations.

Phase 3 training, in Coolmoney Camp, Glen of Imaal in Wicklow, took place last month in order to ensure personnel were fully prepared to participate in the mission.

"The preparation was intense, especially when we were down in The Glen," said Kyle.

The troops from the 127th Infantry Battalion will be dispatched to South Lebanon in three groups throughout November. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Lennon, a native of Ballymahon, has been appointed the leading officer for the tour.

"There are 129 first-timers, and it’s a proud moment for them," said Lt Col Lennon.

"I remember my own first deployment to Liberia in 2004. There are a lot of unknowns for those young soldiers, a lot of mixed emotions and anxieties over where you’re deploying to and what you’ll be doing.

"For some it’ll be their first time working with international colleagues, and in that international scene. But they’ve been trained well, and I’ve more than enough confidence in them."

The mission itself will last six months, meaning that many of the soldiers will be away from home during the festive season.

"We'll hopefully have a Christmas Mass in the morning and a full Christmas lunch with all the trimmings - it’s key that we make it as homely as possible," said Lt Col Lennon.

"It will still be operational on that day - unfortunately, there’ll be no rest for us on that front - but we’ll certainly mark the day. We have welfare care packages being arranged at this very moment, and they’ll be sent out to the troops for Christmas Day," he added.