There were no four-leaf clovers mounted to the turrets, but an Irish Defense Forces crew still managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets at the U.S. Army’s premier armor competition this month.
The Irish soldiers beat American crews to claim first place in the Bradley Fighting Vehicle division at the Sullivan Cup, despite the Irish Army not operating any Bradleys of its own.
The Sullivan Cup, hosted at Fort Benning, Georgia, is a weeklong event that brings together tank and Bradley crews from across the U.S. military and allied countries to test teams’ gunnery, maneuvering and maintenance skills, as well as physical fitness under difficult conditions.
The Irish team bested a crew from the U.S. Army’s 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team to win the Bradley portion of the biennial competition.
“It was embarrassing for them but they came up after and shook our hands. They knew how professional we’d held ourselves,” Sgt. Shane Molloy, the team’s gunner, told The Irish Times on Thursday, adding “they enjoyed our company. We enjoyed theirs.”
In an interview released last week by Fort Benning, the team — with neat green berets and red and white ribbons around their necks — also credited their success, in large part, to the teaching and training of American service members.
The Irish crew reportedly trained on the Mowag Piranha, the Irish Army’s armored personnel carrier, which was the closest the crew had to a Bradley in the country, before coming stateside.
Unlike tanks, which are built for heavy combat, Bradley Fighting Vehicles are lighter designed to move infantry troops while still touting firepower.
A group of soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division took home the title in the best tank division.
Teams from Poland and the United Kingdom also competed.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.