A member of the Defence Forces is to retire after serving for 42 years, while his son has just started a six-month tour in Lebanon.
Company Sergeant Martin Clabby, of the 6th Battalion in Athlone, Co Westmeath, will retire in three weeks and become ‘Mr Clabby’.
CS Clabby has served on 13 overseas missions, including nine tours in Lebanon.
He said he has loved his career in the Defence Forces and has got “to see the world”.
His son Nathan Clabby, a sergeant in the 6th Battalion, has just started a six-month tour with the 124th Infantry Battalion.
The father and son have served two tours of Lebanon together.
Over the weekend, Tánaiste Micheál Martin spent the weekend at Camp Shamrock in southern Lebanon where he spoke to Irish peacekeepers.
CS Clabby, who joined the army when he was 17, said: “Retiring is going to be a bit of a shock to me, trying to get used to civilian life after 42 years in the army.
“I’ve already served twice with Nathan overseas and I know he’s capable, so I’ve no worries about him.”
Asked about his time in the Defence Forces, CS Clabby said: “I’ll be honest, I love it. Everything (about it).
“If you’re into fitness, it’s a great job. The lifestyle, getting to see the world. I’ve been to Africa twice, Liberia, Chad. I’ve been to Syria. I’ve been to Lebanon nine times. I’ve been to Kosovo. So I’ve got to see the world.”
“Liberia and Chad is where I really soldiered. I like that. I’m a soldier there.”
CS Clabby is also Recce qualified and has previously served as the battalion commanders’ “eyes and ears”.
Recce soldiers can operate up to 10km forward of the battalion, gathering information about terrain, routes and the enemy and feeding it back to battalion headquarters to enable decision-making and planning.
“It can be scary. You’d be going through the jungle and then you’d see the rebels and their checkpoints,” he said.
“So we used to stop short and it was my job then to walk forward and try and chat to them (rebels).
“They would have rifles. So you had to tell them to sling their rifles, put it behind their back, that there was a full company of men coming behind and they mightn’t take kindly to pointing their rifles at them.
“They’ve already heard. There was a UN radio station set up out there and they were broadcasting every day and telling them that the UN were coming through and to tell them to sling their arms and they did. I have to say they did.”
He added: “I have loved every mission. I’ve actually loved doing my job. I’ve done different jobs, numerous different jobs. Come overseas, get on with it. That’s all you do.”
Asked if he is proud of his son, he said: “Yeah, super proud of him.”
Sgt Nathan Clabby said he is looking forward to his mission, adding that he was “delighted” to be out in Lebanon.
He arrived at Camp Shamrock earlier this month and went into “Groundhog” within days.
“Groundhog” is the Defence Forces’ term for taking cover in bunkers.
“The first one goes off, and you are thinking to yourself, right, I’m here now, this is the real deal out here now at the minute. But like I said, we’ve done all our training before, so we’re ready for any incident that happens,” Sgt Clabby said.
Asked if he is looking forward to his mission, he said: “Yeah, can’t wait, looking forward to it.”
“I’ve been here before so I’m kind of used to it now, but for the first timers, I say, it (Groundhog) would have been more of a shock to them. But look, like I said, we are trained and we’re ready to go.”
