4th/5th Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers Annual Camp 1996, Cyprus.

4/5 RANGERS, commanded by Lt Col R N Kendell MBE RTR, attended Annual Camp, Exercise LION SUN, at Bloodhound Camp, Episkopi UK Sovereign Base, Cyprus for two 2-week periods of Camp during 1-30 September 1996. Ex LION SUN was the UK title for a battalion sized group deploying to a training area camp on a UK sovereign base in Cyprus.

During the first 2 weeks of September A and C Rifles companies and elements of Headquarter Company were deployed followed by B Rifle Company and the remainder of Headquarter Company for the last 2 weeks of September. The first week of each training package was conducted at company level with recreational sports in the afternoons. During the second week companies deployed on Ex SPARTAN MARCH, where 4/5 RANGERS conducted otxs (Operational Training Exercises) on training areas adjacent to Bloodhound Camp. This second phase included contact, defence, heliborne, ambush, recce, night withrawal and dawn attack OTXs.

It should be noted that while 4/5 RANGERS were on training in Cyprus there were Rangers on operational service in Bosnia (Op RESOLUTE).