Maj Gen Colm Mangan, the officer chosen by Government yesterday as the new head of the Defence Forces, was responsible for the military's submission to the White Paper on the restructuring of the military.
The President, Mrs McAleese, yesterday ratified his appointment, along with that of his replacement as Deputy Chief of Staff (Support), Brig Gen Jim Sreenan. Maj Gen Mangan assumes responsibilities in September when the present Chief of Staff, Lieut Gen Dave Stapleton, retires.
During the period of the incoming Chief of Staff it is anticipated the first moves will be made towards integrating the Defence Forces within an EU military structure. Maj Gen Mangan has been closely associated with strategic planning for the Defence Forces. He has also studied with the German army and is a fluent German speaker.
He has extensive experience as a unit commander, both in the field and at home. He served with the European Commission Monitoring Mission in former Yugoslavia at the height of the civil war.
He was commissioned into the Infantry Corps in December 1961. His first appointment was to the general training depot in the Curragh Command. From commissioning to 1979 he spent most of his service in the Curragh Command, holding appointments in the 3 & 30 Infantry Battalions, the Army Apprentice School and Command Headquarters.
Following a staff course in Germany in 1977/78 he was posted as an instructor to the command and staff school of the Military College, an appointment he held until 1985. Later in 1985 he moved to operations section, Chief of Staff's Branch, in Defence Forces HQ. He commanded the 3 Infantry Battalion in 1989/90.
On promotion to Brigadier General in 1995, he became the Commandant of the Military College, moving in 1996 to become General Officer Commanding the Eastern Command. In November 1998, he was promoted to Major General and appointed to his present position of Deputy Chief of Staff (Support).
His overseas service began as a platoon commander in the 3rd Infantry Group in UNFICYP (Cyprus) in 1964. In 1968 he served as assistant adjutant of the 10th Infantry Group in UNFICYP.
From 1972 to 1974 he served as a military observer with UNTSO in the Middle East. He was operations officer of the 57 Infantry Battalion (UNIFIL) in Lebanon in 1985 and in 1990/91 he served as Officer Commanding the 68 Infantry Battalion (UNIFIL). In 1991/92 he served with the European Community Monitoring Mission in Yugoslavia.
He is from Dublin and he and his wife, Margaret, have three sons.
Brig Sreenan, who replaces Maj Gen Mangan, has been serving as Deputy Force Commander in Lebanon and was acting commander during the turbulent period prior to mid-May when Israel withdrew its forces after an occupation of more than 20 years.
He, too, has extensive overseas service, beginning with two tours of duty during the Cyprus civil war in the 1960s and then with the UN Truce supervisory Organisation in the Middle East in 1975. He had command of the 76th Irish Battalion in Lebanon in 1994.
Brig Gen Sreenan is from Co Sligo and lives with his wife, Nuala, in Naas, Co Kildare.