LAGO PATRIA, Italy – Students and teachers from the "Niccolò Braucci” Scientific Lyceum in Caivano, Naples, Italy spend a day touring the facilities of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Feb. 12, 2016.
The forty students and their two teachers were welcomed and briefed by the Community Relations Officer, Dr. Diana Sodano, about the structure, mission and goals of JFC Naples and received an overview of the new headquarters. As part of the presentation the students watched a video about JFC Naples and its capabilities. Afterwards they received a brief via Video Tele Conference on the Joint Operations Center (JOC) by its Director, Italian Army Colonel Filippo Bonsignore.
JFC Naples Chief of Staff, Italian Army Lieutenant General Leonardo di Marco, adressed the group and expressed his gratitude for taking time for the visit and expressing their interest in NATO.During his speech, he focused on the mission of JFC Naples personnel.
"We are an operational headquarters directly under the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and our mission is to be ready to intervene wherever the North Atlantic Council may decide,” said Lt.Gen. di Marco. "But our primary task is to train assigned military and civilian staff to conduct any operation we may asked to perform, ranging from strictly military to those in support of national authorities in case of an emergency."
"The political decision made yesterday to use NATO forces to counter illegal refugee migration”, General di Marco continued by saying "this is a clear example of what the NATO military staff can do. Such a quick response could never have been without well trained and qualified personnel. Our mission is to stay trained, monitor and analyze the global situation and anticipate future developments”.
At the end of the briefing, the students were encouraged to ask questions. Commenting on the meaning of JFC Naples’ logo - a lion holding a sword in one paw and the book of peace in the other- a student asked how peace could be kept in today's world. "Military personnel are the most convinced pacifists”, said Lt.Gen. di Marco."That’s because we know how hard it is to witness crisis affecting other countries. The fact that the lion protects an open book of peace means that our actions are always transparent. NATO is a defensive alliance whose military personnel are like the latch on a house door”.
Following the meeting and a group photo session with Lt.Gen. di Marco, the students had the opportunity to visit the NATO Communication Information Systems Group (NCIS) 2nd NATO Signal Battalion where Italian Army Captain Sebastiano Capone provided a comprehensive overview of Satellite Communication Activities.
Before leaving, the students took a walking tour of the Base which included visits at the Community Center, the gym, the library and the swimming pool. This contributed to their understanding of how a NATO community works and lives.
This visit was part of the community relations campaign aimed at establishing cultural and social bonds with the external community and strengthening our relationship with local and regional institutions.
Story and photos by Allied Joint Force Command Naples Public Affairs