Rivista caserma 7.qxp:Rivista caserma - NATONRDC-ITA magazine Issue n. 8 - 2007 NRDC-ITA Welcomes...

NRDC-ITAmagazine Issue n. 8 - 2007

NRDC-ITAWelcomes the French Contingent

ExerciseEagle Tour

ExerciseEagle Trek

Romanianflag-raising ceremony

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Chief Public Affairs:LTC Roberto Martinelli

Public Affairs Office:LTC Carlo SalsottoMAJ Graham CableMAJ Marian PredoaicaCPT Giorgio BuonaiutoWO1 Cosimo ArgentieriWO1 Francesco Civitelli (Chief Photographer)CM Salvatore Picone (Photographer)CM Marina Dore

How to contact NRDC-ITA PAO:Phone: +39 0331 345110-3-4Fax: +39 0331 634505E-mail: [email protected]: www.nato.int/nrdc-it

NRDC-ITA Magazine is the authorized officialpublication of NRDC-ITA; editorial content isedited and prepared by the Public AffairsOffice staff from submissions sent to them.PA staff may be contacted on telephone ext.5110 (Chief PA); 5113 (SO2 Media Ops); 5114(SO2 Media Plans) or by calling commercial+39 0331 345110-3-4.Opinions expressed herein are those of theauthors and do not necessarily represent theOfficial views of NRDC-ITA and NATO.

New Commander’s biography 1

New Chief of Staff’s biography 2

NRDC-ITA welcomes the French Contingent 3

Celebrating the fifth International Day HQ NRDC-ITA 4

Change of Command Ceremony 5

Romanian flag-raising Ceremony 6

Exercise Eagle Trek 7

Exercise Eagle Tour 8

News from the UK Contingent 11

Human factor in operations 17

CIMIC 18

NRDC-ITA Sports Associations 22

G8 Branch Budget & Finance 26

CONTENTS

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NRDC-ITAmagazinemagazine 1

Lieutenant General Giuseppe E. GayCOMMANDER NRDC-ITA

Lieutenant General Giuseppe E. Gay attended the ItalianMilitary Academy in Modena, and was commissioned as aSecond Lieutenant in 1971. Following two years of speciali-sation training in Turin, he was assigned as a First Lieutenantto the 182nd ”Garibaldi” Armoured Regiment and later, as aCaptain, he commanded a tank company in the 13th “M.O.Pascucci” Tank Battalion.

Following the Basic and Advanced Courses of the ItalianArmy General Staff College, he served as a Staff Officer at theNorth Eastern District’s Estate & Facilities Office, the ArmyGeneral Staff’s Personnel Division, the 5th Army Corps’ HQ(Chief G3), the Army General Staff’s Logistic Division (ChiefG4) and the 1st Command Force of Defence (COS).

LTG Gay’s command experience includes Commander of the7th Tank Battalion “M.O. Di Dio” in Vivaro, Commander ofthe 1st Armoured Regiment in Teulada, Deputy Commanderand Commander of the 132nd “Ariete” Armoured Brigade inPordenone – during this assignment he commanded theMultinational Brigade West in Pec (Kosovo 1999 – 2000) –Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Force, in Pristina (2003 –2004), Deputy Commander of the Allied Rapid ReactionCorps (2004 – 2007) – during this appointment he spent atour as Deputy Commander (Stability) of ISAF IX in Kabul(2006) - and Commander of Land Forces Support HQ.

He has received numerous military decorations, badges andribbons. Besides this he has been awarded the Italian ArmyBronze Medal for Gallantry, the First Class Medal “DonAlfonso HENRIQUES” of the Portuguese Army, the GermanArmy Gold Cross for Honour and Meritorious Officer Crosswith Swords of Malta’s Sovereign Military Order. He also wasconferred with the title of Commander of the Italian RepublicOrder of Merit and the title of Knight of the Italian MilitaryOrder.

LTG Gay holds a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree inStrategic Sciences from the University of Turin, a Bachelorsdegree in International and Diplomatic Sciences from theUniversity of Trieste and a post-graduate degree in ClassicalSciences from the “Accademia Agostiniana” – LateranUniversity of Rome.

LTG Gay assumed the appointment of Commander NRDC-ITA on 4th September 2007.

He is married to Anna and they have two adult children.

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NRDC-ITAmagazinemagazine2

Major General Antonio SattaCHIEF OF STAFF NRDC-ITA

Major General Satta was born in Sassari, Italy, in 1956. He joined the Italian Army Military Academy in 1974 andwas commissioned as Second Lieutenant in 1976.Between 1978 and 1988, he served within the “Folgore”Airborne Brigade as Platoon and Company Commander,and then as Staff Officer (S3) at Battalion and Brigadelevel. From 1989 to 1994 he was Staff Officer in theOperations and Training Branches of Italian Army GeneralStaff and then, back at the “Folgore” Airborne Brigade,he served as Commanding Officer of the 5th Battalion /186th Parachutist Regiment in Siena (Tuscany). In 1989and 1991 he attended the Italian Army Staff College, gra-duating from the Basic and Advanced General StaffCourses.From 1992 to 1993, MG Satta attended the U.S. ArmyCommand and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth,Kansas.From 1995 to 1998, he served as Staff Officer and then asHead of the Financial Planning Section in the Italian ArmyGeneral Staff. He then moved back to the “Folgore”Airborne Brigade as Commanding Officer of the 183rdParachutist Regiment “Nembo” in Pistoia (Tuscany).From March 2000 to November 2004 MG Satta reported toa joint position as Chief,General Planning Office withinthe 3rd Division of the ItalianDefense General Staff.Meanwhile, he attended theNATO “Crisis Management”and “Force Planning” Coursesat the NATO School inOberammergau (GE), the“Defense Resources ManagementCourse” at the NavalPostgraduate School inMonterey, CA (USA), the“Peacekeeping for DecisionMakers Course” at the DefenseInstitute for International LegalStudies in Newport, RI (USA),and a “Near East - South AsiaRegional Strategy and SecurityPolicy Course” at the “NearEast South Asia Center forStrategic Studies” of the“National Defense University”in Washington D.C. (USA). MG Satta also attended theCourse for "AdvancedFormation for the Semester ofItalian Presidency of theEuropean Union Council" andthe Course for "StrategicPlanning and ProcessReengineering in the Defense

Ministry", both at the National School for PublicAdministration. Moreover, he has earned a Masters degreein "Humanitarian Rights, Peace building and ConstructiveConflict Management" at the Advanced School of PublicAdministration in Rome and a Masters degree in StrategicSciences at Turin University.MG Satta holds a Bachelors degree in Strategic Sciences atTurin University and one in International and DiplomaticSciences at Trieste University.In September 2005 he was appointed as the 23rdCommander of the “Folgore” Airborne Brigade, and fromOctober 16th 2006 to July 14th 2007 he covered the posi-tion of Regional Command West Commander in Herat –Afghanistan. Lastly on 31 August 2007 he assumed theposition of Chief of Staff of the NRDC-ITA.A fluent speaker of English and French, MG Satta took partin several operations abroad: Lebanon, Somalia, Kosovo,Iraq, and recently in Afghanistan as Commanding General– Regional Command West.He has been awarded several decorations: the BronzeArmy Meritorious Service Cross; the Knighthood of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republic; the Mauritian Medalfor Distinguished Military Service; the Meritorious Medal

for Long Command; the GoldMedal for Long ParachutistService; the DistinguishedArmy Service (Gold) Award;two Bronze MeritoriousMedals (Lebanon '83 andKosovo ‘99); the UN and theNational Awards for theMission in Somalia; theNational Humanitarian Awardfor relief operations during theIrpinian earthquake (ITALY);the NATO Award for Mission inKosovo; the US “Legion ofMerit”, rank of officer, for hisservice within MNF-Iraq; theNational Meritorious Medal forthe operations in Afghanistan;the NATO ISAF “non-article-5”Meritorious Medal; the USMeritorious Service Medal; theLithuanian Defense DistinctionMedal; the Slovenian GoldMedal for Cooperation andFriendship and the SpanishMeritorious badge for ISAFMission.MG Satta is married to Marinaand resides in S. MARINELLA(Rome). They have twins,Alessandro and Simona, noweighteen.


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NRDC-ITA has a new contributing nation

On 21 May 2007, NRDC-ITA welcomed the first French officer, LTC Jean-Pierre Relave(Info Ops), during a flag raising ceremony led by LTG Del Vecchio and attendedby all members of the HQ. FRANCE then became the 14th nation of NRDC-ITA.On July 2007, two other French officers arrived: LTC Christian Bichon (G4OPS), MAJ Hervè Riga (RSC MOV), and French NCO, WO Cèlia Perez (G4Deputy Chief Clerck). LTC Bichon is the Senior National Representativefor the French Contingent.Finally, during summer 2008 the last French officer (COL) will arrive,foreseen as ACOS INFO OPS, and then the French contingent forNRDC-ITA will be at full strength.On a reciprocity basis, RRC FR (Rapid Reaction Corps-France) loca-ted in Lille has welcomed in 2007 four Italian officers and an ItalianNCO.I take the opportunity to introduce these French newcomers toNRDC-ITA:LTC Christian BICHON comes from NRDC-FR (RRC FR) in Lillewhere he was assigned as DACOS CDSS RIFINE, working in thelogistics branch. He is married to Françoise and they have three

children: a boy of 17, and two dau-ghters of 14 and 9. They now

live in Induno Olona,close to Varese.

LTC Jean-PierreRelave comes

also from NRDC-FR (RRC FR) in

Lille where hewas assigned as

SO in G7 branch,and now lives inVarese.MAJ Hervè Riga comesfrom NRDC-FR (RRC FR) inLille where he was assigned as staff officer in CombatSupport Division dealing with movement matters. Heis married to Evelyne and they live now in Bodio, nearVarese.All three officers have participated in the build-up ofthe new NRDC-FR and the FOC that took place lastMarch, in France. WO Celia Perez comes fromthe 61st Artillery Regimentin Chaumont where shewas assigned as ChiefClerk for theR e g i m e n t

Commander. She ismarried to Jerome

and they have twochildren: a 2 and half

years old boy, and adaughter 8 months old.

They live in Vedano Olona,close to Varese.

These four soldiers are able tofulfil their tasks in NRDC-ITA and

ready to go wherever the HQ will beengaged, anywhere in the world.

by LTC Christian Bichon


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4 NRDC-ITAmagazinemagazine

It gets better every year!

“It gets better every year” said one attendee at today’s InternationalDay celebrations hosted by HQ NRDC-ITA on Friday 29 June 2007.The Headquarters’ fifth foray into the cultural offerings of its contributingnations was certainly been its biggest and best yet.

The then Commander, Lieutenant General Del Vecchio, reminded us thatit was an “opportunity to get to know each other and our countries’ tra-ditions a little better…to bring us all closer together”.

The cross-cultural community that makes up HQ NRDC-ITA has alwaysbeen close, but add a new nation (France) and enough food and bev-erages to feed those attending twice over, and we all became “the bestof friends”.

The afternoon’s events began just after lunch. However, those who had already eaten had made a mistake.Each of the contributing nations competed to provide “a little taste from home”, which provided the possibility to go ona seemingly endless gastronomic tour of 14 countries, washed down with wine, sangria and famous brands of beer.

When not eating or drinking, there was plenty to keep us occupied. Music and dance abounded with a traditional organfrom Holland, and musicians and dancers from Greece,Hungary, Italy, Poland and Turkey who performed through-out the afternoon.

When not mesmerised by the sights and sounds on thestage, children were let loose on the bouncy castles,slides and horse-rides provided by the local community.The adults were only dissuaded from having a go onthese themselves by a display of classic cars and motor-cycles, as well as other offerings from local businesses.

The series of events supposedly ended at 7 pm, butsome revelers, who were reluctant to leave, seemed towant to carry on until the beginning of next year’s cele-bration. Whether they are there or not, this year’sInternational Day will certainly take some beating.

by Maj Graham Cable


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NRDC-ITA’s New CommanderBy LTC Carlo Salsotto

The new Commander of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps (Italy), Lieutenant GeneralGiuseppe Gay, took over his assignment during a parade on Tuesday 4 September 2007.

During the change of command ceremony, held in Piazza Sempione in Milan, Italian LieutenantGen Giuseppe Gay took over from the outgoing Commander, Lieutenant Gen Mauro Del Vecchio,who, after leading the Italian-based NATO Corps for more than three years, has now been desig-nated as new Chief of the Joint Operational Command in Rome.

The parade of Headquarters and Support Brigade personnel was presided over by theCommander of the Land Forces of the Italian Army, Lieutenant General Iob and attended by var-ious civilian authorities, national and international military high-ranking officials.

Lieutenant General Gay has considerableinternational experience. In particular hecommanded the Multinational Brigade West in Pec (Kosovo 1999-2000), was Deputy Commander of the Kosovo Force, in Pristina(2003 – 2004), and was latterly Deputy Commander of the AlliedRapid Reaction Corps (2004 – 2007). During this appointment healso deployed as Deputy Commander (Stability) of ISAF IX in Kabul(2006).

In his address to the participants, General Del Vecchio praised thehard work, great dedication, leadership and vast competence ofthe hundreds of men and women belonging to the Headquartersmultinational staff and of the Support Brigade. He underlined thesuccess of the Headquarters while leading the NATO ISAF VIII mis-

sion in Afghanistan and the many exercises its members conducted with great expertise and professionalism. The Generalencouraged the Headquarters staff and Support Brigade personnel on parade to continue playing a proactive role as aconstituent part of the NATO Response Force as “it is and will continue to be NATO’s center of gravity and to this end,there is no room for failure”.

For his part, the incoming commander, General Gay, declared he was very proud to be the new Commander of aHeadquarters which has gained such a reputation with committed, confident and experienced staff, working in a cohesiveand structured team.


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At the beginning of September 2007, Romania joined theselect club of the other 14 contributing nations to NRDC-ITA. During the ceremony – that took place in front of the

NRDC-ITA assembled personnel – I, Major MarianPredoaica, and my colleague, Major Catalin Paunescu,stood proudly to attention while the Romanian flag was rai-sed and our national anthem played for the first time at theHeadquarters.Lieutenant General Gay, Commander NRDC-ITA, in his spee-ch delivered on the occasion, described the event as a signi-ficant one for the Headquarters and took the opportunity tomention the important contributions our country, Romania,makes to NATO in different theaters of operations.During his address, General Gay welcomed us, wished usall the best for our new challenges and assured us of recei-ving all the support necessary for making our integrationinto Headquarters and in Italy as fast and as smooth aspossible.In respect to this promise, it is a pleasure for me to men-tion that we received valuable help from the FamilySupport Center – especially from Warrant Officer MarioBoscu – and all the other colleagues in the Headquarterswe interacted with in order to solve the inherent problemswe faced as newcomers in NRDC-ITA and Italy. From our perspective, the assignments at NRDC-ITA asMedia Operations Officer and, for my colleague, Audit &Clerical Officer, is a very important opportunity to proveour professional skills, to learn and improve our experien-ce as staff officers in a NATO Headquarters which hasrecently proven its great expertise during a nine monthchallenging mission in Afghanistan.We expect our duty in NRDC-ITA to be a rewarding expe-rience through the professional and personal benefits wewill draw from our interactions with military professionalsfrom 14 countries who have accumulated valuable expe-rience working in various NATO and non-NATOHeadquarters all over the world, and who, I am sure, are

Romania joins NRDC-ITAby Maj Marian Predoaica

wiling to share it with us.For sure, we will do our outmost to learn as much as possi-ble from this professional experience and to put to work as

soon as possible all the knowledgewe accumulate and all the skills wedevelop during our work time inNRDC-ITA.The time we will spend working for

NRDC-ITA will for sure allow us tomake friends and build relationshipsthat will improve our welfare and willreward us with precious professionaland personal memories.Moreover, taking into account that thisis, for me and my Romanian colleague,the first time we set our foot in Italy, wewill probably have many opportunitiesto gain more knowledge about thegreat Italian people and civilization byvisiting beautiful, unique, interestingand historical places and by spending

good-quality time with our families and new-made friends inmodern and well-know sites of Italy.


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A demanding experience

Representatives of HQ NRDC-ITA attended (from 24thSeptember to 1st October 2007) Exercise EAGLE TREK, whoseaim was first to familiarize the participants with the mountainenvironment, and second to implement a team building aspect.The participants were hosted in a former mountain artillery regi-ment barracks in Dobbiaco, which is a small, pleasant village inthe middle of Pusteria valley (Bolzano Province).The location was chosen very cleverly, since the area is full of dif-ferent tracks with a large diversity in terms of length and difficul-ty. This clever decision allowed the organizers, whose chief andproject officer was LTC Pietro Caporello, to adapt the pro-gramme to the adverse weather conditions the group wasforced to face, by reshaping the program in due time and withproper alternatives.The group, despite the whether conditions, performed 5trekking activities, as scheduled in the program, and was able tocarry out 2 ascents of a pretty fair significance, of which, the lastone led the group to a peak of almost 3,000 meters above thesea level on a cloudy and snowy day. This was possible, first of allbecause the walks and ascents strictly followed progressive cri-teria, imposed by the experience and soundness of an “old”alpino such as Caporello. Secondly, but perhaps even moreimportant, we have to thank for such a success the high profes-sionalism and mountain experience of the guides leading eachteam. No doubt, without their help, the successful ascent on thelast day wouldn’t have taken place. That’s why it’s hereby suit-able, as a deserved award, to mention them as follows: MlloBenvenuto, Mllo Corno, Mllo Dionisio Magg and, the alreadymentioned, LTC Caporello.Another aspect that gave an added value to that experience isthe historical one. In fact, the group enjoyed its treks in an amaz-ing environment not only under the point of view of the natural

beauty, but also due to the discovery of places whichwere the theatre of heavy fighting between Italians andAustrians during the WWI. In particular, the ascent ofMonte Piano was of particular importance under thislast point of view, where the real trenches can be visit-ed and walked on, and the visit to the museum locatedat Valparola pass was of high interest for those who likethe history of that period.In conclusion, Eagle Trek has been a military anddemanding exercise, but with an amount of satisfactionin return that surely fascinated all the participants farbeyond their expectations.

by LTC Pierluigi Costa


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Eagle Tour ’07, the yearly (NRDC-ITA)battlefield tour (BT), took place inFrance and Belgium, throughout theArdennes region, in the area ofFermont, Villy la Fertè, Sedan,Monthermè, Dinant, Stonne andNoyers Pont Maugis. The BT, the onlyone planned for 2007, lasted 6 days(travel included), from 1st to the 6th ofOctober, a Monday to Saturday tourorganised by the Engineer Branch, asby tradition in HQ NRDC-ITA.The training audience was composedof 49 officers, both senior and juniorfrom the NRDC-ITA Staff, includingthe organization staff.The aim of the battlefield tour was toprovide through a military historicalcampaign – about the German victoryof 1940 where in only seven weeks theGerman Army (Wehrmacht) defeatedthe French Army, one of the World’slargest armies at that time – a practicalfocus for the study and analysis of highcommand, planning and conduct ofcampaigns and major operations in acombined and joint context. In addi-tion to that, Eagle Tour 07 was desi-gned to demonstrate some of the en-during characteristics of conflict.Whilst we studied historical eventswithin a wide political and military

strategic context, the focus of theexercise was to draw out relevant les-sons for contemporary operations atthe operational and high tactical le-vels of war, including consideration ofthe land-air interfaces. Specific battle-field tour objectives were:• to consider the strategic and opera-

tional level commands, their structu-res and procedures, the decisionmaking and the resource allocation;

• to highlight the application of theprinciples of war and the practice ofoperational art during the campai-gn, the major operations and thebattles under study;

• to illustrate the significance of envi-ronmental and operational factors inthe planning and conduct of majoroperations and battles;

• to stimulate the conduct of originalresearch, expanding knowledge ofmilitary history at the strategic, ope-rational and higher tactical levels ofconflict;

• to take advantage from relevanceand lessons of military history foroperations today;

• to take into account the impact oftechnology on the conduct of war.

Word War II was the largest and mostviolent armed conflict in the history of

mankind. Highly relevant today, WW IIhas much to teach us, not only aboutthe profession of arms, but also aboutthe military preparedness, global stra-tegy and combined operations in thecoalition war against Nazism.The battlefields today are largely simi-lar to what they were 67 years ago.Apart from the fact that new roads ha-ve replaced some of the old ones, thecountryside of Ardennes has hardlychanged since the battle took place. Itremains an attractive tourist and far-ming area, visited regularly by vete-rans of both sides (although very fewnow) and military students, either alo-ne or in organised tours, such as ours.The NRDC-ITA group left SolbiateOlona on Monday, October, (1st Day)and reached Paris by plane and fromthere Sedan by coach, the most ap-propriate means of transportation forthe entire battlefield tour. The city ofSedan was our base during our stay inthe region. It was where our hotel waslocated. “Le Chateau Fort” was builtin the 15th century. The Castle ofSedan is the biggest castle of Europe(35.000 m2). With its strategic positionon France's eastern border, it was con-tinuously enlarged, strengthened andmodernised by the powerful La Marck

Battlefield tour of the Ardennes Regionby Cpt Giorgio Buonaiuto




family, Dukes of Bouillon andSovereign Princes of Sedan.While landscapes are close to theones in 1940, we only found a few tra-ce of the fortifications, as they havebeen largely replaced by renewedcountryside and urban infrastructure.Moreover, it is understandable that lit-tle memories of the battles still remainand, as a matter of fact, we did seemany monuments and WW II-relatedtopology as we did three years beforein Normandy.On Day 2 we visited the “MaginotLine” Museum in Fermont (a 2 hrs gui-ded visit) and the Northern edge ofthe defensive line in Villy La Fertè.The Maginot Line, named after Frenchminister of defence André Maginot,was a line of concrete fortifications,tank obstacles, artillery casemates andmachine gun posts and other defen-ces which France constructed along itsborders with Germany and with Italy,in the light of experience from WorldWar I, and in the run-up to World WarII. The French established the fortifica-tion to provide time for their army tomobilize in the event of attack, and/orentice Germany to attack neutral

Belgium to avoid a direct assault onthe line. The success of static, defensi-ve combat in World War I was a key in-fluence on French thinking. The fortifi-cation system successfully dissuaded adirect attack, but as it had been drum-med up as making France invincible,the following defeat made it look likea failure.In the afternoon the historian Dr.David Hall illustrated the Allied Planfor the defence of the France and LowCountries defence with a particular fo-cus on the Maginot Line as the Frenchhad believed that with those construc-tions along their north-eastern fron-tier, the Germans would be encoura-ged to divert their main attack throu-gh Belgium, and thus attempt a re-peat of their 1914 Schlieffen Plan.Particular attention was given to thetough battle that was fought to con-quer the strong position when theGermans claimed to use gas to disruptthe French defence.In the afternoon, we attended in theHotel the second lecture of the “ope-rational concept” and the group wasdivided in three syndicates with the ta-sk to develop a discussion on the fol-lowing themes:

• How important during operations arepersonalities in the composition of hi-gher-level HQs, particularly in a multi-national environment? (Syndicate 1)

• How does Guderian’s crossing ofthe Meuse in May 1940 help us tounderstand the required synchroni-sation in a modern scenario?(Syndicate 2)

• The employment of air force in sup-port of tactical level operations waskey to successs for German Forces.What are the main considerations interms of effectiveness in comparingthe coordination measures used byGerman Forces with the current sy-stems/procedures? (Syndicate 3).

Day 3 started with a lecture by our hi-storian in Monthermè where XLI Corpscrossed the Meuse with comments onthe battle and bridgehead. Later on, the group moved toBouvignes in order to identify the posi-tion where Rommel crossed the Meusein one of the most admirable battle ac-tions of the Blitzkrieg Campaign. Aftera short stop in Dinant for lunch, a thirdlecture in the hotel on “C2,Generalship, Strategic bombing andWeapons of Mass Destruction (gas)”followed.




Day 4 started with a visit to Stonne withchronology of the bridgehead battlebetween 3 French Armoured Divisionand the 10th Panzer Division. There,the French light tanks H-39 opposed avery strong defence counterattackingthe German troops untill they foundout how to disrupt this efficient vehiclethat gave a big contribution to makethose French troops fallen in the battleeligible for an everlasting honour.At midday, we moved to Orval Abbeyfor a 1 hour guided visit and then wedeparted to Noyers Pont Maugiswhere a visit to the French andGerman Cemeteris took place. Asmall wreath ceremony was organizedon site in order to honour the fallen ofboth sides. The cemeteries are on theMafèe Heights, where the French ar-tillery was located, overlooking the ri-ver Meuse crossing points used bythe 10 Panzer Division led by GeneralGuderian. The historian, Dr. Hill, di-scussed the battle action whereGuderian crossed the Meuse at 15.00hrs on 13th of May 1940.In the hotel the forth and final lectureon “outcome and aftermath” was heldby Dr. Hill preceding the 3 syndicateswork presentations.Day 5 was the Cultural Day and thegroup moved to Reims. But in themorning, a visit to the “War andPeace” Museum in Novion Porcientook place. Before arriving at the“Mercure” hotel a visit to Taittingerchampagne cellar was carried out. In

the afternoon, all the members ofEagle Tour ‘07 visited the ReimsCathedral where a tourist guide illu-

strated a lot about this incredible mo-nument by a 1 hrs visit outside and in-side this Christian location. This ma-sterpiece of gothic art dates from the13th century as a reminder of the chri-stening of Clovis. The cathedral was the site of 25 coro-nations. Adorned with over 2500 sta-tues, this is the only cathedral to di-splay angels with open wings, inclu-ding the famous Smiling Angel on thewestern façade of the north portal. Finally, on Saturday (Day 6) the battle-field tour ended with the group retur-ning to Ugo Mara barracks, a bit tired,but having gained a lot out of theexercise Eagle Tour ‘07.In fact, HQ NRDC-ITA had a uniquechance to review the setting of the“Blitzkrieg Campaign”, “modern”war-fighting battles which for the firsttime hit the scene and now offer les-sons to be learned, to all the functio-nal branches.


In the British Army, the ethos of adventu-rous training, sport and battlefield tours isvery important.The former pits an individual against chal-lenging situations, which are alwaysdemanding, often frightening (but alwayscontrolled), and frequently in harsh clima-tic conditions. This not only provides anopportunity for fun, but it also stretchesthe individual “outside his comfort zone”and promotes teamwork and trust. This isvital preparation for the rigours of rapiddeployment and operations.The latter enables an individual, not justto appreciate an historical occurrenceand site, but also to draw lessons fromprevious military campaigns and applythem to the present. Again, this is veryimportant in our role as staff officers andcommanders.The practice of obliging British Army per-sonnel to partake in adventurous trainingand battlefield tours is no less true in HQNRDC-ITA, than it is in any other theatre.Add to this the fact that there are a wealthof sporting and historical opportunities inour host country, and you will find usclocking up many hundreds of kilometresover the next few years.The UK Contingent at HQ NRDC-ITA hastraditionally participated in Contingentskiing during the winter, which for somepeople has most definitely placed them“outside” their comfort zone. We havealso taken part in the annual HQ NRDC-ITA tours, treks and ski opportunities.From this year, however, a plan has beenput in place to formalise a wide range oftraining opportunities for our Contingenthere in Solbiate Olona.The winter skiing will continue, but willnow include the ability to gain qualifica-tions and prepare a team to take part inExercise EAGLE SNOWMASTER, and ifwe are good enough, the Italian Army SkiChampionships. The culmination of thiswill be a challenging ski expedition toNorway.In addition to skiing, the adventurous trai-ning and sporting opportunities havebeen widened to include mountain treksin Italy, sports courses in Germany andsailing around the Italian coast.This season has kicked off with a “golfskills” course at the British Army GolfClub in Sennelager, Germany. Not veryadventurous you may feel, but judging bythe number of missed swings and errantshots when the ball and club finally did

by Maj Graham Cable

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meet, then around 7 of the Contingent’s(and wives’) comfort zones were againsurpassed.This was followed by a week’s worth oftreks around the Dolomite mountains inAlto Adige, hosted by our very patientAlpini guide, Lieutenant ColonelCaporello of the RSC. This most defini-tely was adventurous, given the unseaso-nably challenging conditions. The seven UK Contingent participants(although most complained about thecold – another inalienable right of theBritish soldier), came away with a feelingof achievement and a wealth of memoriesof beautiful and challenging scenery. Thephotos tell the story themselves.An added dimension was the ability towalk in trenches both sides of the WorldWar I front line, along with the wealth ofhistorical detritus still littering theground.This proved the perfect build-up to ourseries of battlefield tours, the first ofwhich was to Asiago. This featured aBritish brigade fighting the Austro-Hungarian forces in support of the ItalianArmy in June 1918. The day included alittle background reading, followed bybriefs and the ability to walk the groundthat was fought over so bitterly. The fif-teen members of the UK Contingent werefortunate to be accompanied by ColonelSulig (ACOS G1), an avowed expert inthese matters.The briefs and tour culminated in a visitto the grave of Captain Edward BrittainMC, whose death at Asiago was lamen-ted so poignantly in his sister’s famousbook “Testament of Youth”.Both the trek in Alto Adige and the bat-tlefield tour have certainly set the scenefor the forthcoming year’s programme.The next item on the agenda is a week’stour to the Second World War battlefieldsof Monte Cassino and Anzio, whereContingent members will present theresults of their research into these con-flicts. They will also be supported by aprofessional military historian from theUK’s Defence Academy. These will be fol-lowed by shorter trips to Solferino andPavia towards the end of the year.In all, a busy programme, but one thataffords an ability to challenge, stretchand develop the Contingent, whilst provi-ding an opportunity to discover thehistory, culture and geography of ourhost country.



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ISAF VIII’s teamwork

Beyond any technical issue that has certainly arisen several times, I would rather highlight the human factor of NRDC-ITA’sISAF VIII mission.Before leaving our HQ, we were clearly aware of the challenges we were supposed to face whilst on ISAF deployment. Assoon we got there, we easily realized how important the human factor was while working in a team, other than all techni-cal and logistic aspects.We soon learnt a life lesson than could be expressed in a few sentences. “When you are struggling with a deadline or dealing with delicate decisions, the last thing you want to deal with is “peo-

ple”. When the fight is really on and the battle is undecided, youwant your team to act co-operatively, quickly, rationally; you do notwant a disgruntled colleague complaining about life, you don’twant a worker who avoids work, you don’t want your key playersbeing tired all day because they are homesick”. But this is what really happened over there and we had to dealwith it. We faced the problems using the strongest means: friend-ship and co-operation. Comradeship is quite unique. Men andwomen from different backgrounds sharing a common, familiarspace, the military base, discovering the beauty of friendshipswhich was more intense though fleeting.The ISAF mission created such an intense bond among soldiers.I personally run into people that I haven’t seen in years and wecould just pick up where we left off, like we’d been around eachother the whole time. During my five months of deployment I saw people exhaustedand tired. Most of the time I read into their damp eyes sadness

and pain. But I also saw people ready to help them out with a smile and an encour-aging pat of their shoulders. Because this is the real meaning of comradeship: giving any kind of support to

whoever is facing difficulties, especially if they are concerning variations of emotional states that can affect the whole func-tionality of the working team.Now, back from ISAF VIII, I have the certain and strong perception that everybody is proud for having placed with pro-fessionalism his own piece in the puzzle of the social rebuilding of Afghanistan, notwithstanding all difficulties met.But, beyond all operational lessons-learnt identified, we cannot avoid taking into consideration also the high importanceof the human factors in a military environment.

by WO Nicola Amato


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Control of the Civil Populationby LTC Pierluigi Costa

PrefaceIn the wars of the XVIII century and before, the opposingparts involved in the fights were essentially the military for-ces, leaving aside the civil population, who was interestedby the war events in an indirect form, mainly for sustainingthe Armies and for suffering local pillaging.

In modern wars, the involvement of the civil population hasbeen extensive, therefore its control is a basic condition forthe success of the military operations. On top of that, inmore recent conflicts, the merely military confrontation isundoubted in terms of foreseen outcomes, whereas thepost-war management, hence the control of the popula-tion and the territory, becomes the heavier and mostdemanding part of the military effort.

IntroductionIn this paper we will see the control of the civil populationunder two different scenarios, the general war and thePSO, even though the first one is mainly a theoretical exer-cise, since it is very unlikely to happen. And, whenever itmay happen, the military side of the event is likely to bevery short and non important, quickly turning into a similar-PSO scenario, in the post-war management.The doctrinal distinction between “art. 5” and “non art. 5”operations is not fitting for the purpose of this paper, sinceboth the above mentioned scenarios are falling under the“non art. 5” case. In fact, we do not consider the control ofcivil population within an “art. 5” operation, in which NATOforces are fighting a defensive battle inside the borders ofone or more NATO countries. Therefore, the depictedbelow scenario of “general war” is meant to be the one inwhich friendly forces are operating in a foreign territory(hence “non art. 5”), where regular opposing forces areoperating (hence “classic war”). And the scenario “PSO” isby definition “non art. 5”.

Control of Civil Population in Classic War ScenarioOperationsDuring the first phase of a conflict within a general war sce-nario, the main effort of the force is focused on the destruc-tion of the bulk of the enemy forces and, consequently, theneutralization of its fighting capability. In this framework,the control of civilians is a secondary activity, exclusively insupport of the military operations. In this respect, curfew,control of roads, searches and requisitions of goods, arre-sts, judgements and detention of people by the military arethe norm. The exploitation of natural resources, economicand human ones are put into effect by the militaries, withthe civilians obliged to undergo whatever military measu-res are implemented to support their military effort.

When the military operations approach, in which the oppo-sing regular forces are neutralized and the character of theconflict is turning into a guerrilla battle, the civil population

could fuel the guerrilla conflict and its control is still deeplyauthoritarian.The post-war phase is definitely turning its focus over thecivil population, whose support is deemed key. In thisphase, the military frendly forces can not neglect the popu-lation, or, even worse, oppress it. Instead, the populationbecomes the objects of military attention, both benefitingfrom well conducted cooperation. Therefore, in this phasethe control of the population is leaving the previous autho-ritarian attitude to separate the civilian interests from theguerrillas ones and put them in contrast each other,emphasizing the convenience for the population to sup-port the occupying forces instead of the guerrillas ones.The assumption beneath the necessity to compliment thecivil population (in order to control them) during this phase,is that the acceptance by the civil population of a new sta-tus following a military occupation is deeply dependentupon the capability of the new status in matching with theindividual interests of every single citizen of the occupiedcountry, rather than and more than upon a set of genericvalues and principles, borne by the militaries as a flag, clai-ming a better life in a better society of a better world.Therefore, however the military force may bring with itpositive ideals and ideas, in particular the democratic insti-tutions for the freedom of the human being, it will never beable to appeal to the civil population if those values are notaccompanied with concrete improvements of the indivi-dual daily lives. In this case, a foreign military force willnever be accepted by the locals, which, in fact, will alwaysfight against it, involving large masses of civil populationsand not only small armed groups or factions, so that, in thelong term, the occupying military force will never have thecontrol of the civil population and, consequently, of thecountry. The gives us plenty of examples (German troops inFrance and Italy during WW2, French in Indochina, US inVietnam, as an example of unacceptance, or, US troops inGerman, Italy and Korea after WW2; more recently inBosnia 96 and Afghanistan 01, as examples of acceptance).In practical terms, the control of the civil population in an


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occupied territory is of paramount importance for minimi-zing the number of troops engaged and necessary in kee-ping the foreign territory. In particular, the means of thiscontrol materialize a set of concrete benefits for the popu-lation, making them well accepted and the control itselfnot perceived as such.

The consensus is the best situation to be attained, the-refore the final point the military force is aiming towards. The non hostility of the civil population is the situation tobe desired not withstanding the conditions for reachingthe consensus. Instead, if the military force is perceived by the civil popu-lation as foreign and bad by its nature, therefore the hosti-lity is de facto situation the military force has to deal with,in this case the control of civil population will pass basical-ly through coercive military actions and the CIMIC activitieswill temporary freeze until a smoother attitude of the civilpopulation occurs, which, inturn, can be improved andfurther smoothed by targe-ted CIMIC activity. This lastcase, by convention definedas “hostility”, is not, concep-tually speaking, under astrict “post-war manage-ment” situation, because, infact, it falls under a conti-nuing state of war, whosecharacter takes the shape ofa guerrilla conflict.

To reach the second step, atleast the “non hostilitystage”, five basic factors arekey:• The administration of the res publica made by the milita-

ries must be better than the one executed by the pre-vious civil service.

• The economic situation of the civil population after themilitary occupation must be improved compared to theearlier period, or, at least, not made worse.

• Public order must be enforced effectively and firmly.Military force acts in compliance with the rules of law andrequires the same from all citizens, the local civiliansincluded.

• The individual freedom must be perceived by the popu-lation as granted, in the framework of a certain system oflaw.

• Local religion and basic traditional institutions must beperceived by the civil population as respected and pre-served by the occupying military force. Religious leadersmust be complimented by the military. Any institutionalreform envisaged to improve the civil progress shouldnot impact against the existing religious institutions.Secularisation is to be avoided.

The kernel is to ensure to the force the approval of the citi-zens, without granting them any effective freedom of choice.Within this picture, CIMIC’s role is to exploit local resources

and the civil population’s capabilities in favour of the mili-tary occupying forces, always bearing in mind the sensiti-vity of the above mentioned five key factors. Therefore abrokering capability by CIMIC actors is required in media-ting between the need to sustain the military force exploi-ting local human and physical resources and the exigencyto lean toward the consensus from the hostility. This lastexigency, in fact, could lead to a situation in which theCIMIC perspective is reversed, where the military force isengaged and used for sustaining the civil population pur-poses, which is quite normal in PSO operations.

Control of the Civil Population in PSO ScenarioConceptually thinking, the control of the civil population ina framework of PSO does not differ from the war scenario,depicted above under the post-war management phase.The distinguishing element in this case, is that the militaryimpact within the operating area should be kept at mini-

mum level, therefore, theadministration and politicalpower run by the militaryshould be transferred tothe local civilians as soon aspossible in order to legiti-mize local powerbrokersand implement local auto-nomy through the improve-ment of the local governan-ce capability.The big difference betweenthe PSO scenario and the“general war” one is in factthe sovereignty: in the lastit belongs to the foreignforces (through a directmilitary governance or

through a mediating form like a protectorate); in the first itbelongs formally to the locals, though by means agreed bythe military force and its political representatives.Within this picture, the CIMIC activities are more focusedon sustaining the civil population rather than controllingthe civil population, since a broad level of consensus ismandatory in such an operation for the success of the ope-ration itself. For this reason, within a PSO scenario, we can speak of“control of the civil population” just in some specific cases,for instance, police activities when dealing with large flowsof refugees and displaced people, whose size could havestrong implications for the public order. In these cases themilitary force is authorized to intervene strongly and firmlyand overcome the local authority. Otherwise, the aforementioned minimum impact of military operations over thecivil environment should suggest the military to avoid anyforms of direct control of the population and, on the otherhand, to boost all forms of civil progress. Economic deve-lopment and governance are encouraged by the military insuch a form to involve civilians as far as possible, makingthem the actors of their improvements. That’s why in PSOwe speak in terms of “sustainability” looking at the econo-


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mic development and of “self governance” looking at thestate institutions. In this respect, CIMIC is key in improvingthose areas of progress, but again, in terms of sustainmentof civil population rather than of control of it.In this regard, the key factors to be implemented in achie-ving the maximum extent of acceptance are:1. The administration of the res publica is made by locals.2. The economic agencies are involving locals to a large

degree.3. Public order is enforced by local police. Military force

maintains at hand a counter insurgency capability as aspare force and acts in compliance with the local systemof rules of law, placing itself over the law only to enfor-ce ROEs.

4. Individual freedom and rights must be perceived by thepopulation as granted, in the framework of a securesystem of law.

5. Local religion and basic traditional institutions must beperceived by the civilpopulation as respec-ted and preserved bythe occupying militaryforce.

In particular, the above 5key factors, that may beconsidered as goldenrules, can be furtherexpanded as follows:

1. The administration ofthe res publica is madeby locals.If in the first scenario, themilitaries are assumed torun the administration,therefore the focus falls oneffectivenes of the administration itself, able to win apotential confrontation with the previous. In the secondscenario, the focus shifts from HOW the administration ismade to WHO is running it, becoming by far more impor-tant the appearance of self-determination, rather than thequality of the concrete results of the local governancecapability. In this context, civil service capabilities broughtwith them by the foreigners are to be used in support ofthe locals, to advise and highlight their way to rule. For thisreason, CIMIC should exhibit not only liaison capabilities,but also, and sometimes especially, the alluded “mentor”capability. By consequence, an appropriate set of civilexperts (functional specialists) in the field of governanceshould be part of the force, to give qualified assistance tolocal administrators and, consequently, fully implementthe mentioned CIMIC capability of mentoring.

2. The economic agencies are involving locals to largedegree.If in the first scenario, the economic situation of the civilpopulation after the military occupation must be improvedcompared to the earlier period, or, at least, not madeworse, in the second scenario, again, the focus shifts to

WHO is the actor of the development, rather than the levelof economic improvement itself. This is such, because thedevelopment in a poor country (that is likely the case for aPSO) is fully initiated only actualising the principle of self-sustainment.This is the CIMIC role in a PSO scenario. So again, also inthis case, CIMIC branch should be able not only to liaisewith civil agencies and contractors, but also to provide a setof functional specialists able to assess the environmentalsituation, in order to properly identify needs and matchthem with the most appropriate resources, so that thefinancial effort yields effective results. In this way, the singleprojects should be coherent with the broader picture of thecountry’s development, avoiding implementing projectswhose benefits fall to foreign contractors only, or over arestricted community of locals without the multiplier effect,for the benefit of the population in general.In the domain of development, pure assistance is to be

avoided, not fuelling theself-sustainment goal.CIMIC should be capableof identifying those areas orsituations where assistanceprojects contracted byforeigners only are neces-sary and to follow thesevery areas until the timewhen self-sustainingprojects can be executed.The PRT concept elabora-ted for the Afghan theatreafter 9/11 with the“Enduring freedom” and“ISAF” operations, provi-des a good model for sucha force, devoted to an eco-

nomic development integrated within the social and civilrenaissance, where locals become slowly but firmly theactors of their own destiny with the help of the foreignforce and the international community.

3. The public order is enforced by local police.Again, the focus falls on the self capability to guaranteethe public order, even if we can not add this time “no mat-ter HOW”, because in this area the compliance with therule of law is important as well, if not even more. In fact,the military force cannot accept a “non capacity” or an“illicit capacity” in maintaining public order just in thename of the local paternity (to cite an enlightening exam-ple, the Talibans in Afghanistan assured the public order ata level never known before in Afghanistan and in any othercountry, but their methods were not acceptable for asociety self defined “civil”). That’s why the military forcemust keep at hand a counter insurgency capability, whosesize is inversely proportional to the local police one. Infact, the public order is the responsibility of the local poli-ce, but the force must be able to take over the local poli-ce whenever required.Under this restricted sense of the broad concept of the


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control of civil population (the control of civil unrest), wecan consider the assurance of the public order as a condi-tion sine qua non for the success of a PSO. Looking at thehistory, civil unrest has been in the past the definitive causeto make the situation unbearable for the foreign force, ine-vitably forced to leave the occupied country.

4. The individual freedom and rights must be perceivedby the population as granted, in the framework of asecure system of law.The matter is: “Can a foreign military force be perceived bylocals as a liberating force, hence positive and well accep-ted, or, it is by its nature an occupying force, hence bad andhardly tolerated, if not openly thwarted?”.The first consideration in this field, is that human societieswhen self-governed always bear internal opposing forces,whose size and virulence can range greatly, but always theyare present (perhaps few exceptions can be mentioned,refering to small and wealthy countries, like Monte Carlo orLuxemburg principalities). All the more so, a society wit-nessing foreign authority inside its domain, is inclined todevelop a stronger opposing popular will. In this light, wecan understand how difficult it is to imagine a society whereforeign forces are governing/occupying a country withoutany local opposition. That’s merely utopian. Having assumed an endemic rate of opposition in everyhuman society, the problem is how to keep low the per-ception of an imposing will, exercised by the force, nomatter if what imposed is far better than what previouslyexisted. One basic factor, to cut the fuel to the opposing instances,is the guarantee of the individual freedoms, that must bepursued within a secure system of law. In other words, anyrestriction of the personal freedom must respond to anapplication of a general rule and not be associated to thediscretion of the judge or the institution determining therestriction.In front of the foreign military force, the local populationmust understand WHY they are there and to do what, inorder to appropriate the reasons of their presence and toshare a common project of amelioration of the society. Inthis way, the force becomes the champion of the freedomof citizens and not the killer of it. Consequently, theanswer to WHY has to be as far as possible to “becausewe are in the middle of power games of powerful coun-tries” and as close as possible to “because they wantmake us freer than we were”, approaching the concept ofa “liberation force”.That is not utopian; in fact we had many examples onItalian soil of foreign powers perceived as usurpers, butalso some examples of foreign forces perceived really asliberating, hence giving us our freedom, or lost freedom.The entire issue is not in theory a big problem, becauseusually the rate of freedom of the western society model,brought by the force in the country where a PSO is takingplace, is much higher than the supposed country of thecrisis. Nevertheless, this topic of personal freedom couldbecome sensitive in matters of detention and prisoners’treatment.

5. Local religion and basic traditional institutions mustbe perceived by the civil population as respected andpreserved by the occupying military force.Notwithstanding the most attentive cares in presenting theforce with the face of liberators, notwithstanding the bestintentions in improving and ameliorating the country theforce is going to, it is paramount to avoid the big mistakeof putting in contrast the fresh air of news and ameliora-tions brought by the force with the deep-rooted beliefsbelonging to the local traditions and, or, with the commonbehaviours embedded in religious precepts. These last,even if they belong, conceptually speaking, to the middleages, can not be renegade by the locals in the name of thecivil progress, development or economic welfare.Therefore, the force must encourage the civil progress bymediating with the local traditions and accepting the localreligion as a matter of fact. Otherwise, even in the name ofrightful principles and notwithstanding a sincere will tohelp locals, everything can be wasted. We must bear in mind that in the western countries afterthe Enlightenment, we had to undergo several wars andrevolutions before emancipating our societies from theancien regime‘s traditions and religions. Thus the civil pro-gress of a backward-looking society, also nowadays mustadvance within the framework of the local traditions andreligions, and we cannot expect a radical change in anunderdeveloped society by sweeping away local traditions:this would lead to a failure for sure. The laicity of a society,in fact, is not a value itself, even if the western societies wit-nessed an historical laicisation beside their civil and socialprogress.In conclusion, in a PSO the secularisation can not be impo-sed by the foreign force; instead, it should be originatedspontaneously by locals as far as they improve their pro-gress, and the force should confine itself to condemn alland only the religious precepts or behaviours that are illicitbecause they are contrary to the system of laws.


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The Sports World of NRDC-ITA

This is the first article focussed on the NRDC-ITA sportingactivities and initiatives. I hope this will be the first of a longseries and that a “Sports Corner” will be reserved in all thefuture numbers of the NRDC-ITA Magazine in order toinform the readers on events, planned activities andresults. Ancient Romans used to say “mens sana in corpore sano”,meaning that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Notentering into all benefits associated with physical fitness,but only considering the military individual values, it isimportant to keep in our minds that all military personnelmust reach a sufficient level of vigour, in order to react in atimely manner to operational requirements. The NRDC-ITA Sports Board is the Headquarters’ internalorganisation established to deal with all issues related tosports activities and initiatives. Representatives from allbranches gather at least quarterly to discuss those topicsrelated to sports activities and addressed to NRDC-ITAmilitary personnel. Thus, branch representatives have to beregarded as a point of contact for all personnel who pro-pose sport activities and projects or just need some infor-mation on a possible approach to sports.Unfortunately, the board itself is not enough to provide theinternal and external visibility required and the follow up ofall sports activities and events organised or planned within

the Headquarters. For this very reason, many initiatives areongoing in order to open the door to the sports world toall personnel. Some individuals have taken the lead to promote sportsprojects, aimed not only to enhance the internal and exter-nal visibility of NRDC-ITA through the participation in ama-teur competitions and sporting events (Stramilano run,cycling tourist events, shooting, etc.), but also to entice allpersonnel to approach sports. Sport is an important vector for physical and mental fitness,team building and socialisation at the same time. The con-stitution of NRDC-ITA sport teams and societies, affiliatedto Italian official sport organisation, will provide an impor-tant means for integration and intercultural communica-tion, improving the visibility of the multinational back-ground of NRDC-ITA Headquarters.Are we looking for first class athletes? Do we want to winevery competition? Sure not, this is not the main aim. Theintent is to encourage team building, to exchange ourideas, to link with external organisations and to promotethe NRDC-ITA HQ image outside the wire. After that, if agood sports result comes out and provides a positivemedia impact, better; but this last is not the main aim. So,don’t be shy! Contact your branch representative, join oneof our initiatives and enjoy the sports world of NRDC-ITA!

CyclingThe NATO Rapid Deployable Corpscycling team is aimed at promotingsports with participation in cycling acti-vities and events, encouraging civilianand military integration, and providingvisibility of NRDC-ITA through the orga-nisation of cycling activities or by com-peting in official cycling events. Theteam has been first registered in 2007with the UDACE (Unione Degli AmatoriCiclismo Europeo), the Europeanrecreational cycling organisation and iscurrently made up of 30 people.Amateur competitors and cycle-touri-sts, riding road and mountain bikes, areparticipating, individually or collecti-vely, in unplanned or organised eventsin order to fly the NRDC-ITA flag outsi-de the barracks. Until now, team mem-bers have taken part in more than fif-teen different road and MTB (mountainbike) official races. Membership for2008 is open to all NRDC-ITA HQ andits assigned to support units’ personneland their dependants.

by Maj Michele Ionata




ParachutingThe club was created in May 2007, inorder to perform and to make popu-lar parachuting, both civil and military.It has also the aims to introduce thissport to all those who have never bai-led out from a perfectly functioningairplane, to strengthen the tiesamong active duty comrades, to enti-ce civilians to jump and to representHQ-NRDC-ITA in competitions andfairs.The Club offers to its members: para-chute courses “static line” underItalian military control, courses staticline “square”, accelerated free fall,and “tandem” jumps.Currently, 25 members have appliedfor it. Membership is open to all HQNRDC-ITA staff and its assigned sup-port units’ personnel, and to theirdependants.

RunningThe NRDC-ITA Running Society wasconstituted at the NATO RapidDeployable Corps (Italy) on 15January 2007. The Society is set upto develop and promulgate runningthrough the participation of themembers and relatives in competiti-ve and non-competitive runningevents, improving the friendshipamong the personnel and integra-ting the members of the families insi-de the NRDC–ITA world.Furthermore, the NRDC-ITA RunningClub is aimed at promoting the inte-gration of military and civilian peoplein a social and sporting environment,following the Federazione Italiana DiAtletica Leggera (FIDAL - Italian LightAthletics Federation) regulations, inorder to expand relationships with thecivilian environment.All personnel assigned to NRDC-ITA(including affiliated Units) can apply formembership to the NRDC-ITA RunningSociety; it is currently made up of 81people, but we are very eager toincrease this number in order to beable to take part in many competitions. The team foresees the participation ofits members in both competitive and non-competitive races, such as the “Half Marathon of Cesano Boscone (MI)”,“Stramilano 2008” and many other events, which will be held in Milan and its province. Therefore, if you want to spend apleasant and challenging moment during future weekends, join the Running Team.



ShootingStarting from 2002, a shooting Team has been established withinNRDC-ITA. The Team, initially composed of Italian personnel, in the lasttwo years has enlarged in terms of nations and gender. The Team isnow composed of 20 people, including women and a few German andGreek fellows. From the very beginning, it was decided that only mili-tary weapons were going to be used, with the aim of improving speci-fic military skills like tactical shooting, sharp-shooting and close quar-ters combat techniques. The Team normally trains on a weekly basis inTradate Range, a civilian range also affiliated to the Italian ShootingFederation. Training sessions, weapons, ammo and transportation areprovided by the HQ, in compliance with (especially for weapons andammo) the Italian Laws and the Italian Army regulations. The Team hasparticipated in several competitions from the very beginning, achievingalways good results: 2003: 1st place in the Armed Forces Trophy organized by UNUCI Busto(Retired Armed Forces Officer Organization)2004: Runner-up in the Military Valour Gold Medal Tournament organi-zed by UNUCI Busto-Gallarate-Legnano with more than 160 shootersand 55 Teams (4 different competitions: 9 cal pistol, tactical rifle, sportrifle, sniper). Due to the HQ Afghanistan commitment (ISAF VIII) in ‘05 and ’06 wedidn’t participate in any tournaments. It is important to highlight thatNRDC Shooting Team is normally invited to the International BerettaDefence Cup, a tactical competition reserved –by invitation only- tomilitary and law enforcement agencies. In 2004 NRDC-ITA reps scored15th place, and in 2007 13th place, out of more than 45 teams. Theteam has also organized two internal events: COMNRDC-ITA ShootingTrophy and the Clay-Pigeon Shooting Competition. Standard activity isnow being resumed and the shooters are preparing themselves for the2008 competition calendar.

SkiingAll started with an invitation for HQ NRDC-ITA to take part to the“Alpini Ski Championships” in San Candido (Northern Italy), 28Jan-2 Feb 07. After selection of the team for participation(COMNRDC-ITA guidance was to form a team with high multi-national flavor in it), four training days have been conducted inChamporcher (AO), S. Maria Maggiore (VB), Pila (AO) andMacugnaga (VB) in January 2007. A further step in the prepara-tion for the race was to buy a standard snowsuit and to submitall selected people to a medical test. Once we knew the list ofteams registered, we fixed our objective in trying to be, in theoverall classification, in the first position among the fourMultinational HQ’s (ARRC, EUROFOR, LCC Heidelberg andNRDC-ITA).Championships consisted of – beyond a parade and openingparty, where we had the opportunity to show the NRDC-ITA flag– a 15 Km cross-country on the World Cup track in Dobbiaco.Afterwards, a Giant Slalom in two trials and a Sprint Cross-coun-try race (relay with two competitors performing three times a lap1,5 km. long). We did not take part in the Ski Patrol (25 KmCross-country and shooting for a four member team) and couldnot get support by NRDC-ITA female teams. In the final classification, we obtained, together with HQ ARRC, the first place amongmultinational HQs. Lessons learned for next year is to form a combined team for as many disciplines offered. As an inter-nal final highlight, the NRDC-ITA team enjoyed a challenging 5 km adventure on sleds. In the future, the event will be inserted in the NRDC-ITA calendar, so mark your agenda for next year: believe me, you willdig deep, but you will have fun, lots of fun.




DivingThe Sub Aqua club was founded in HQ NRDC-ITA in2006. About 62 active members are enlisted in theclub. The objective of the NRDC-ITA Sub Aqua Clubis to promote underwater sports, water safety andrelated activities; to encourage friendship amongthese sportsmen of NRDC-ITA and their families; tobuild up self confidence and good sportsmanshipand to engender understanding in the use, safe hand-ling and care of diving equipment for the purpose ofconducting safe diving in a variety of environments.The Sub Aqua club organizes courses for all levelsstarting from beginner up to advanced levels.Promontorio di Portofino, one of the most beautifulnatural sea parks in Italy located in Liguria region, ismainly the favorite site where the club performs thedives. Colours of the marine vegetation, a greatvariety of fish and the wonderful backdrop the picturewhere a diver is the main subject.



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Presentation of the Branch

G8 members represent 4 different nations: Italy, Hungary, Romania and the United Kingdom. During the “FunctionalReview” our structure and subordination were changed and are as follows:

ACOS G8 / Financial Controller

SO1 Budget & Disbursing Officer

SO1 Fiscal Officer

SO1 P&COfficer

SO2 A&C Officer

OR BudgetDisbursing

OfficerOR Contracts P&C Specialist Chief Clerk

DeputyChief Clerk

OR Fiscal

The G8 Branch is composed of four separate, but integralparts:- Budgeting and Disbursing (B & D) runs the HQ budget

as approved by the Senior Resources Committee (SRC),

maintains the books and ensures that suppliers arealways paid on time;

- Fiscal approves all commitments if they are in line withthe funding levels and well justified by the requestors

by Col Rosario Romano

G8 personnel discussing the Lesson Learnedfrom exercise “Noble Light”, in view of thepreparation for the following exercise “SteadFast Jackpot”




and, moreover, takes care of the financial accountingsystem;

- Purchasing and Contracting (P & C) is responsible for theacquisition of goods and services. In accordance withNATO Rules and Regulations only P & C officials areentitled to enter into negotiation with contractors;

- Audit and Clerical covers internal auditing, liaisons withthe International Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN) andSHAPE Auditors as well. It is also responsible for theadministrative issues of the Branch.

The ACOS G8/Financial Controller directs all Budget andFinance (BUDFIN) Staff. For the functions as FinancialController he has direct access/recourse to the COMN-RDC-ITA under ACO Directive provisions. He is personallyresponsible for the correct application of all multinationalappropriated funds.

Since the establishment of NRDC-ITA, G8 personnel havebeen working in accordance with their mission, namely“According to the NATO Financial Rules and Proceduresand ACE Directives, the G8 Branch provides quality finan-

cial management (budgeting, financing, contractual andinternal review) to the HQ NRDC-ITA”.

Keeping in mind the mentioned mission, G8 membershave participated in all of the main tasks of NRDC-ITAregarding: - The Full Operational Capability;- The NATO Response Force 3 from 1st July 2004 to 15th

January 2005 and NATO Response Force 9 starting fromthe 1st July 2007.

- All the internal and external exercises of the Corps.During the period from 4th August 2005 untill 4th May2006, NRDC-ITA assumed the leadership of the NATO ledInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul(Afghanistan). During this mission G8 Branch assumed aCombined Joint Structure (CJ8) and was responsible forthe management of a specific NATO budget, which wasdelegated by the Joint Force Command Brunssum for theexecution of the mission.

When at home, G8 Branch is responsible for fulfilling theHQ’s requirements using the yearly budget of NRDC-ITA,

ISAF VIII CJ8 members welcoming ARRC FinancialController, incoming ISAF IX CJ8 Branch Chief



which is called “shared or multinational budget”. It meansthe cost of the HQ is shared among the fifteenParticipating Nations in accordance with an agreed “CostSharing Formula”. The above mentioned budget isapproved by the SRC composed of one representativefrom each participating nation.

Apart from the “shared or multinational budget”, there canbe three more sources available for NRDC-ITA, which are:- NATO Funds: an Activation Warning Order (ACTWARN)

from SHAPE and an employment not below a LandComponent Command (LCC) level are required to beeligible for NATO common funding in case of a realoperation;

- National Funds, necessary for covering all the specificrequirements determined by the Participants, such asallowances, salary, special national training;

- Framework Nation Funds, which are the most relevantpart of the HQ and cover all remaining costs associatedwith running an HQ at Corps level (infrastructure, vehi-cles, equipment, services, etc)

During the preparation phase of any kind of budget notonly the budget section is involved. The Fund Managers(FM) of the different Divisions/Branches play an activerole, especially the FMs of CIS and TRADOC Divisions,since they plan more than 70% of the total budget.All FMs have to send their budget planning contributionsto the Budget & Disbursing Section which is responsible

for reviewing, scrutinizing and consolidating them in theofficial budget estimate document, which will be present-ed to the SRC for discussion and approval. During the exe-cution phase the FMs are responsible for that part of thebudget, which has been allocated/delegated to theirBranches/Divisions.

For the first time, the International Board of Auditors forNATO (IBAN) audited NRDC-ITA in March 2007. TheAuditors spent two weeks at the Corps examining thebooks, registrations, financial and accounting system, andat the end of all the specific activities they were very satis-fied with the job that has been performed so far.

In conclusion, during the five year existence of theCorps, the G8 Branch has proven to be completely ded-icated to serving the NRDC-ITA mission anytime andanywhere by using the best knowledge on the financialfield and supporting the HQ’s activities on the basis ofACE/ACO Directives and NATO Financial Rules andRegulations. Thanks to that and the previous experi-ences (ISAF VIII, NRF 3 and 9), all G8 members are famil-iar with the appropriate procedures as well as able toswitch at short notice from the rules regarding theMultinational (shared) Funding into the ones of“Common Funding” applicable in case of a NATO ledoperation far from the home base.

G8 personnel discussing the outcomesof the IBAN audit



The Exercise Eagle Tour guideprovides an historicaloverview during the tour.


Rivista caserma 7.qxp:Rivista caserma - NATONRDC-ITA magazine Issue n. 8 - 2007 NRDC-ITA Welcomes...

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