Lieutenant General Vasco Angelotti, the JFC Naples Chief of Staff, addressed the participants with welcoming remarks.

“I thank you for your attention and participation.” said General Angelotti “My compliments go to your teachers who have greatly prepared you. I hope you have found today’s visit useful,” he continued. “I express my wishes for the end of your school year and, for those who have their exams—a sincere good luck,” he concluded. 

The school’s students and teachers were given an historical overview of NATO and JFC Naples, the Joint Operations Centre’s activities, the conflict in Ukraine, the role of NATO’s international civilians, the importance of communication and cyber security. 

“On behalf of our Principal, I thank the General and all the briefers for the opportunity given,” Prof. Rosanna Iovino, acting Principal of Don Lorenzo Milani high school, said. “And to have shared with us interesting information related to NATO’s operational activities that we don’t read in school books and even hear them on television. “Very interesting indeed I have found the analysis made of the historical reasons and the current developments of the conflict in Ukraine” she concluded. “On behalf of our Principal, I express his greetings and thanks to the General and the briefers” Prof. Paola Regine, acting Principal of Antonio Serra high school said. ”We have achieved two objectives today: the first one is that we have clearly understood what to work for NATO really means, what NATO’s goals and missions are, and that we have touched with our hands the reality of this new base, especially for those, like me, who remembers the old base located in Bagnoli” she continued. “The second objective achieved is that you have to look to your future. You must prepare your future step-by-step, both for those who want to pursue a military and civilian career. Keeping always in mind how important is the knowledge of foreign languages, in particular of English” she concluded. 

At the end of the presentations, students and teachers participated in a question and answer session with the general and the briefers.

“I have found today’s visit very inspirational and constructive,” said Mariapia Gargiulo, a 17 year-old girl of Don Lorenzo Milani High School, “because it is what I’d like to do in future, to join the Carabinieri Army,” she continued. “I have already begun to go to the shooting range. This has been my wish since I was a child and today’s visit has represented a reality that I’d like to join as soon as I have completed my studies,” she concluded.

“I think that today’s visit has been very informative and productive,” said Francesco Cafaro, a 16 year-old boy of Antonio Serra high school. “All the presentations have been delivered in a very clear and exhaustive manner—topics that in our daily life we never touch have been greatly discussed. We have touched with our hands a reality completely unknown,” he concluded.

The school visits are part of a community relations campaign designed to establish strong cultural and social links with civic society and to strengthen the relationship with local and regional institutions.