Army Ranger Wing The Army Ranger Wing ( ARW , ) is the special forces unit of the Irish Defence Forces . The ARW trains and operates with many international special operations units worldwide , including the US Army Rangers , French GIGN , German GSG 9 , Polish GROM , Swedish SOG , Italian COMSUBIN , Australian SAS , New Zealand SAS , and Canadian JTF2 among others . The Army Ranger Wing is Ireland ' s premier hostage rescue unit , and trains closely with the specialised firearms service of An Garda Síochána ( known as the Emergency Response Unit or ERU ) . In any major hostage incident , the Ranger Wing could be requested to support the ERU . History . In the late 1960s and early 1970s a small number of Irish Defence Forces personnel attended the United States Army Ranger School at Fort Benning , Georgia . On their return , these personnel organised similar courses with the goal of bringing standards of training throughout the Irish Defence Forces into line with accepted international standards . The first course was conducted in the Military College in the Curragh Army Camp in 1969 with 12 officer students . Students on these courses were selected from among all ranks and units of the Army , Air Corps and the Naval Service and covered physical endurance , marksmanship , individual military skills and small unit tactics . Formalising these standards and creation of the Army Ranger Wing resulted from the increase in international terrorism in the late 1970s and 1980s . The increased skills and endurance training of ' Ranger ' - trained personnel provided the basis for the creation of a new specialist unit to counter these threats . The Army Ranger Wing ( ARW ) was formally established , in accordance with the Defence Act , by Government order on 16 March 1980 . Their first official mission was to be deployed into Somalia , providing protection for convoys . Name . The unit ' s official name is " " Sciathán Fiannóglach an Airm " " , which roughly translates into English as " Army Ranger Wing " . " " Fiannóglach " " ( representing " Ranger " ) is an amalgamation of two words . " " Fiann " " is closest to the English word " warrior " , and refers to the ancient band of warriors known as " Na Fianna " in Irish Mythology . " " Óglach " " ( or " óg laoch " ) literally means " " young soldier " " and is often translated as " " volunteer " " . Use in this context refers to the name of the Defence Forces in Irish : " Óglaigh na hÉireann " " ( " Irish Volunteers " ) " . Na Fianna were purportedly expert warriors , so the addition of the word Fian - before Oglaigh denotes an elite element to the wing . Roles . The ARW has a wide variety of roles , covering conventional warfare , anti - terrorist warfare , and training for the Defence Forces including : Training and selection . Selection for the ranger wing lasts 4 weeks ( 3 weeks selection 1 week psychology training ) , plus on success of completion , another 6 months continuation where basic skills such as LRRP , parachuting are taught – which takes place annually , usually in October . Course candidates must be serving members of the Defence Forces , but are not subject to an age limit . The 3 - week course is organised into 2 distinct phases . Selection is open to females , although none have passed the initial training course . Any and all serving personnel from the three branches of the Irish military are allowed to enter . In the first phase , instructors demonstrate the basic requirements to become a Ranger and candidates must pass a number of initial physical tests – including : water confidence training , assault course training , individual navigation tests as well as a 10 km combat run test . If a candidate fails more than 3 out of the 9 basic tests they are returned to their home unit . A selection course may only be attempted three times by any candidate . In the second phase , candidates are taught special forces tactics such as long range reconnaissance patrolling , surveillance , intelligence gathering , search tactics , and ambush organisation . The course culminates in a 45 km group march which must be completed in a set time . In all , candidates must complete assessment in the following areas : Of the 40 to 80 candidates that start the annual Ranger selection course , only 15 % remain at the conclusion . All candidates who successfully complete the Ranger course are presented with the Fianóglach shoulder flash . If a student passes selection at this stage , they are sent on a further six - month ranger skills course . This course includes long range reconnaissance and survival training , unarmed combat , counter - terrorism , close protection , advanced driving , combat diving , boat handling , sniping , explosive intervention , advance navigation , and close quarters combat skills , advanced first aid , advanced combat shooting and parachuting . Upon passing this selection course and probationary period they then earn the right to wear the prestigious Green beret . Some parts of the combat diving training course are done under the supervision of the Naval Service ' s Naval Service Diving Section . The ARW also has its own purpose built tactical training facility , including " shoot houses " , training ranges and various urban settings . The facility is known as " Tac town " . Command and communications . The Officer Commanding the Army Ranger Wing is responsible for the administrative , disciplinary and operational control of the unit , and is in turn directly under the command of The Chief of Staff at Defence Forces HQ . The Army Ranger Wing is on immediate call for operations throughout the state . The ARW is equipped with state - of - the - art ITT SINCGAR , Racal and Harris communications equipment , all of which have an inbuilt encryption and frequency hopping systems . It is also equipped with satellite communications . Missions . The Army Rangers have seen active service in a number of peacekeeping missions around the world with the UN and EU and PfP . Liberia . The ARW was deployed in Liberia following the Second Liberian Civil War as part of a peace - keeping contingent of more than 400 troops from the Irish Defence Forces , in turn part of the mixed Irish / Swedish Force Reserve Battalion of the United Nations mission in the country , UNMIL . One of their most successful missions during this deployment was the rescue of a group of civilians captured by gunmen from renegade Liberian forces . Acting on intelligence , twenty heavily armed Rangers were dropped by helicopter at the town of Gbapa . To avoid casualties among the hostages , the Rangers implemented a policy of non - lethal intervention and , after surrounding a 40 - foot container holding the 35 hostages , rescued them and captured the rebel commander . The incident , which resulted in no Irish casualties , boosted the reputation of the Irish Defence Forces . One Ranger , Sergeant Derek Mooney of Dublin , was killed when his Land Rover was involved in a road accident . East Timor . In 1999 , Dáil Éireann voted to send the ARW to serve with the United Nations International Force , East Timor ( INTERFET ) . Mandated under a UN Security Council resolution , INTERFET was a peacekeeping force deployed to restore security in the region , support and protect the UN Mission in East Timor , and to facilitate humanitarian assistance operations . The detachment of 30 ARW personnel was involved in peacekeeping duties with Canadian and New Zealand troops near the West Timor border . Chad . An ARW force of 54 was deployed in 2008 in Chad as part of the peacekeeping European Union Force ( EUFOR TCHAD / RCA ) . The ARW arrived on 19 February 2008 and completed reconnaissance missions to select a mission base for the Irish Defence Force deployment ( later named " Camp Ciara " ) . Equipment . Weapons . In addition to standard issue weapons of the Irish Defence Forces , weapons used by the ARW include :