Irish Woman To Make Army History
Updated : May 16, 2009
A female officer will make Irish Army history when she flies to Chad with the 100th Infantry Battalion.
Commandant Maureen O'Brien will be the first female second in command of an overseas peacekeeping unit, a force of 420 soldiers, armoured vehicles, mortars and missiles.
She will be deputy to Lt Colonel Ian Hanna, the battalion commander and many of the troops are drawn from the Irish-speaking Chead Cathlan Cois (1st Infantry Battalion) based in Galway according to the Evening Herald.
Comdt O'Brien has served on overseas missions in Lebanon, Western Sahara, East Timor and Bosnia. Originally from Galway, she now lives in Dublin.
