Irish troops serving in Chad will get a month off work on medical grounds when they return home in late September.
Some of the 400 soldiers have already been fired upon by local rebels as they try to protect thousands of refugees fleeing a bloody conflict in Darfur.
Irish troops sleep in tents and must drink up to five litres of water each day to stave off sunstroke or dehydration in the 50 degrees Celsius temperatures.
“It is a tough mission. The only downtime is eating, sleeping and preparing for the next mission,” said Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Dermot Earley.
"On return, our soldiers will have a month's medical leave and whatever holidays they have accrued. We will be generous in that respect," he told the Signalarmy magazine.
Lt Gen Earley paid a three-day visit to Chad in June with Defence Minister Willie O’Dea and a follow-up trip is planned for October.
Mr O’Dea has said that Irish troops may have to remain in Chad after the March 2009 end-date as a UN-led ‘blue helmet’ force may not be ready to take over.
Lt Gen Earley also told Signal magazine that the Irish Defence Forces were delivering value for money despite having a lower budget than EU standards.
“Overall, value for money continues to be achieved by the organisation,” he said.
“We are lucky to have people who understand and who are committed to doing the very best that they can with the resources available.
He added: “The work of every soldier and officer must be valued and recognised, the sacrifice that they make must never be under-estimated.
“Great challenges exist in Chad in terms of the operation, the environment and logistics but I have not doubt that we will be able to fulfil our role,” he added.
In June, the Defence Forces marked 50 years of international peacekeeping operations. Irish troops are currently working under a Nato flag in Kosovo and on a UN mandate in the Middle East.
PA