#CrewMedal - The Defence Forces writes The Irish Independent, have awarded a new military medal to members who have been deployed on humanitarian missions.

It will be presented to personnel who have taken part in overseas missions with the prior approval of the Government.

Up to now, the military have been awarded medals by either the United Nations, the EU or Nato for most missions outside of the State.

But those deployed on humanitarian missions, such as the current Operation Pontus, where the Naval Service have been rescuing migrants from the Mediterranean since last year, have not been similarly recognised.

The decision to award the new medal was announced yesterday by Minister with responsibility for Defence, Paul Kehoe, when he visited the captain and crew of LE James Joyce in Cagliari in Sardinia. The presentation of the medals will take place in Rosslare, Co Wexford, next month.

LE James Joyce is the fifth Naval vessel to have been deployed since the Irish joined the Mediterranean mission in May last year.

Sixteen bodies have been recovered so far by the 59-strong crew of LE James Joyce and a total of 1,882 migrants, including 56 children, have been rescued.

#MigrantRescue -LÉ James Joyce has rescued a total of 165* migrants in three separate vessels during search and rescue operations north-east of Tripoli,Libya

The search and rescue (SAR) request came earlier today from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre.

During the first operation, 15* migrants were rescued from a wooden vessel located 40 nautical miles north-east of Tripoli. The rescue commenced at 6.40am and all migrants were taken on board LÉ James Joyce and are now receiving food, water and medical treatment where required.

The LÉ James Joyce was re-tasked to assist with the rescue of a further 150* people from two rubber vessels also located 40 nautical miles north-east of the Libyan capital. The second rescue commenced at 7.50am and all migrants are currently on board.

A further search and rescue operation is currently underway.

*Figures for today's operation are provisional until confirmed by the Italian authorities.

LÉ James Joyce departed Naval Service Headquarters in Haulbowline, Cork to assist the Italian Authorities in operations in the Mediterranean in May The OPV90 class ship first deployment in SAR began on 8 July.

#400plusRescued - A request from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre led to LÉ James Joyce rescue a further 278* migrants from a rubber craft 40 nautical miles NW of Tripoli,Libya.

The operation on Friday commenced at 09.57am and concluded at 1.25pm and brings the total number of migrants rescued by LÉ James Joyce to 433*.

LÉ James Joyce was subsequently tasked to rendezvous with the NGO vessel, Luventa, from which a further 163* migrants were transferred to the LÉ James Joyce. LÉ James Joyce was to transfer all 596* rescued migrants to a designated Port of Safety where they will be transferred to the Italian authorities

*Figures for this latest operation are provisional until confirmed by the Italian authorities.

The LÉ James Joyce departed Naval Service Headquarters in Haulbowline, Cork to assist the Italian Authorities in the humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean on the 2nd of May. The ship’s search and rescue operations began on 8 July. 

The role of the Irish Naval vessel is to provide a search and rescue capability and to undertake humanitarian rescue operations at sea in the Mediterranean. Assistance to persons in distress at sea is provided in accordance with the applicable provisions of international conventions governing search and rescue situations.

#NavalTwinning – The Munster Express writes that Waterford City and County Councillor Eddie Mulligan, has called for the twinning of Irish Navy’s newest vessel with the city.

The twinning of LE James Joyce with Waterford city the councillor said was to ‘revive a unique bond that exists between ship and the city’.

The LE Aoife, the last navy ship to be twinned with the city, was decommissioned in January (not May, Afloat adds) before it was presented to the Maltese Government.

Commenting on the twining, Cllr Mulligan stated: “In 1998 Waterford City and the Navy began a 17-year relationship that would see the LE Aoife visit the city on numerous occasions.

Click here for more on the proposed twinning of the OPV that was commissioned and named in Dun Laoghaire Harbour in September.