I want to retract my previous statement about Republic of Ireland troops-
" Most recruits to the Irish Army have either the wrong temperment to be employed at anything else or see it as a career move to a fairly comfortable government job. Many married soldiers go home to their families after work, at least for part of the week, and it was recently highlighted in the Irish media that many Irish soldiers are well over 30 and out of shape. Many also volunteer for UN peacekeeping duties because they get a big pay rise for doing so".
-after reading this article about them serving on UN duty in the Congo during the 1960's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jadotville
150 Irish soldiers in the middle of Africa cut off from other UN forces with no hope of relief, and with little heavy weaponry and shortages of ammunition and supplies, manage to hold out against a force of up to 5,000 enemy native soldiers led by European mercenaries for six days until they ran out of ammunition and supplies, and kill at least 300 and wound up to 1,000 with no casualties to themsleves other than a half a dozen wounded.
I believe there is going to be a film about it. The UN should have sent the Irish to Bosnia or Rwanda!