UN chief names head of Interim Force in Lebanon

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday announced the appointment of Major General Michael Beary of Ireland as his new head of mission and force commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Major General Beary succeeds Major General Luciano Portolano of Italy, who will complete his assignment on July 24, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here. "The secretary-general is grateful to Major General Portolano for his exemplary service and leadership of UNIFIL over the past two years."

Beary has had a long and distinguished career in the Irish Army since entering as an Infantry Corps Officer in 1975. As General Officer commanding 2nd Brigade since 2013, he served in a wide variety of assignments and held several command and staff officer appointments, including at the unit, brigade and defence force headquarters levels.

He spent ten years on overseas deployments, including in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Lebanon, Uganda and Somalia. He served with UNIFIL in 1982, 1989 and 1994.

From 2011 to 2013, he commanded the European Union military training mission in Somalia and in 2004 was Liaison Team Leader with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

He was previously director of training for the Irish Defence Forces and Commandant of the Military College.

Beary holds a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Business Studies and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff School of the Irish Defence Forces and the National War College at the National Defence University in Washington, D.C.

Born in 1956, Beary is married and has three children. Enditem