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Commanders Corner

Team JFCNP,

I wanted to thank you all for the great work that’s being done given the challenges of COVID-19. Our team is united in ensuring the well-being of our community here in Naples and I applaud the terrific efforts so far. Our primary focus remains keeping our service members, civilian employees, and families safe and healthy.

Yesterday the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a global pandemic. Italy is second only to China in cases of COVID-19 and we must respect the measures taken by our host nation. As of Monday evening, the entire nation has been identified as a protective zone, which has implications for all of us, and as of yesterday evening, the Italian government issued additional measures that enforce their efforts to limit movement and control the spread of the virus. These measures are designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep us all safe.

The Italian decrees generally require that people only travel when necessary for important reasons such as going to work, shopping for necessary items, and for medical appointments and treatment. Gathering in groups for social or cultural purposes is prohibited. You can find more details about the decrees’ requirements here: https://jfcnaples.nato.int/covid19-command-information/italian-decrees-relevant-requirements.

The decrees further mandate that all persons are required to self-certify the purpose of their travel when requested to do so by the Italian authorities. If Italian law enforcement authorities request a Personal Statement of Self-Certification, you can use the documents located here: https://jfcnaples.nato.int/covid19-command-information/downloads to assist you in completing the self-certification. All JFCNP personnel and their adult family members should have a hard copy of these documents in their possession when traveling. Remember that these documents do not authorize travel. Travel must still be in accordance with the requirements to limit trips to only those that are necessary. The documents are a statement of a person’s reason for travel and the forms may be evaluated by the Italian authorities to determine if the travel complied with the travel restrictions. Contact your supervisory chain if you have any questions or concerns.

We are working hard to respect host nation law while we continue to perform our mission and mitigate risks to our personnel and families. I ask each of you to practice social distancing and respect measures implemented to reduce risk to personnel. Our medical team is doing a great job. JFCNP has established a facilitated procedure for Base personnel in case of suspected infection.

The IMP control room – call 0817212723/4 – the number is active 24hX7d, and personnel are available to act as intermediary with the IT authorities through emergency numbers (112, also in English language, 118 and 1500). The IMP control room will inform the JOC and the chain of command immediately after. In the event you or your dependents have come into contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases or exhibit symptoms, please inform JFCNP HQ Occupational Medicine Specialist via e-mail providing your phone number. Relevant information will be collected and proper instructions will be given depending on the situation.

To minimize the potential for community spread, we have made the decision to implement certain measures. The gym will be closed in compliance with host nation policy. Starting 13 March, the sponsorship program that allows base access to certain visitors will be suspended, with the exception of parents, siblings, and children of JFCNP personnel and their spouses.

I understand many of our teammates have been impacted by travel restrictions, whether for official travel, leave, or PCS. Our command team is working hard to mitigate the impacts while ensuring the health and safety of our community. We are reviewing manning policies and will look to minimize contact while achieving our mission. As the deaths of 3 coalition troops last night in Iraq demonstrated, operational demands will not cease and we must continue support to warfighters downrange.

We must work together in these challenging times. I appreciate your resolute dedication to duty and commitment to meeting our mission requirements despite the challenges of COVID-19. If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to your supervisory chain.