The United Nations has announced the appointment of Maureen O’Brien to the post of Deputy Military Advisor in the Office of Military Affairs, Department of Peace Operations. This appointment is at the rank of Major General. The role of the Deputy Military Advisor is to assist and support the Military Advisor in all his/her responsibilities, specifically in the provision of generic and mission-related military advice on a wide variety of issues to the Secretary-General, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, to the Force Commanders and Chief Military Observers in the field, to other departments within the UN Secretariat and to other United Nations Agencies.
Simon Coveney, T.D, the Minister for Defence and Minister for Foreign Affairs has warmly welcomed the appointment. The Minister stated “Maureen has extensive command and peacekeeping experience having served most recently as Deputy Force Commander in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and I have no doubt that she will make an important contribution in this new role as part of the UN team. I want to warmly congratulate her on her achievement and wish her every success in this prestigious post .”
Maureen has extensive overseas service. In 2009 she became the first Irish female officer to serve as Deputy Commanding Officer of an Infantry Battalion in Chad (MINURCAT). In 2011 she became the first female in the Irish Defence Forces to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and in 2012 she became the first female Infantry Battalion Commander when she was appointed Officer Commanding 27th Infantry Battalion.