More than 400 servicemen and women will be representing Ireland on overseas missions this Christmas, the Defence Forces said today.
Almost two-thirds of those, 272 troops, are in the Kosovo Force (KFOR), the UN-mandated Nato-led peacekeeping mission.
A further 40 personnel are in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with the remainder on military observer missions and in headquarters in Afghanistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Serbia, Syria and Western Sahara.
A further 76 troops will be deployed as part of the Nordic Battlegroup in January, with 450 personnel going to Chad and Central African Republic as part of the EU mission early next year.
In his Christmas message to the 411 men and women serving in 19 missions across 18 countries around the world this Christmas, the Chief of Staff, Lieut Gen Dermot Earley thanked all members for their support, professionalism and dedication.