Retired Army expert publishes book on life on the frontline

Retired Lt Col Ray Lane has published a book about life on the frontline with the Irish Defence Forces.

Only a Soldier Knows is a gripping memoir in which Naas man Ray speaks about his incredible career as a soldier and what it takes to be the person who, instead of running away, walks towards a 1,000kg bomb.

Ray Lane’s career began when he was tasked with defusing IRA bombs on the border at the height of The Troubles.

He transferred this expertise to Lebanon and later worked as a diplomat in Bosnia during the civil war, witnessing horrific acts committed by people against their own neighbors.

The horrors of that war left a deep, permanent mark on him and he would later go on testify in war crimes trials about what he saw.

Many years later, when the NATO forces in Afghanistan were facing a daily onslaught of Taliban bombs, it was Ray they sent for, as his experience from Ireland gave him an insight unlike anyone else’s.

A former commanding officer of the DFI Ordnance School, Lane graduated from NUIG with an honours Science degree.

He has also an MBA from the University of London.

He has served in various missions with UN/EU/NATO/PFP in Lebanon/ Bosnia and most recently as Chief Operations Officer of the C-IED Branch NATO, Afghanistan.

He has over 30 years of experience in the EOD/IEDD/CBRNE fields.

He was chairman of the EDA Counter–IED working group for 8 years, and Co Chairman (with China) of the UN EOD project team.

As the Commanding officer of the Irish Defence Force Ordnance School, Ray has coordinated training for international personnel from 43 counties.

Under his remit, the school has undertaken NATO/PFP Pre-Ops IEDD courses in addition to many EDA sponsored courses.

In 2014 the Ordnance School hosted two EDA/Europol HME courses which set the standard for training in this area.

In 2016, Ray developed the innovative course on Countering Marauding terrorism, this course has now been funded by NATO and future proofed against new threats.

In 2012, Ray led a military scientific group to NUI Galway to discuss a way forward for countering biological pathogens in a terrorist, criminal scenario. This work has been extremely helpful in the development of Defence Forces Countering Biological capability.