"In every activity passion takes away most of the difficulties " (Erasmus of Rotterdam).
On board of Nave Euro life goes by fast but time seems frozen. The minutes and hours are endless. At sea it's like it's always Monday. The first of a long series of working days.
No one is sitting on their hands, everyone has their own task, because everything you do affects others.
09.30 am starts the operational briefing in COC (Combat Operations Center). Commander Aletta arrives. The daily schedule of scheduled events for the ship and its crew is examined and discussed.
The route officer begins with the brief and essential weather briefing. There are no particular weather conditions to be detected.
The “command” intervenes, the vessel lieutenant Antonio Piscitelli, who describes the arrangement of the other TF 465 ships in the IRTC (Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor), that is a maritime traffic corridor in the Gulf of Aden, where many merchant ships pass. A brief update on COC efficiency, regarding the fuel consistency, to understand how much autonomy you have for the fuel, and then the lavender water.
The ship system service chief, chief engineer, corvette captain Gioacchino Galatolo reports on the efficiency of the platform system, or the propulsion system.
Again, the air department, with the vessel lieutenant Valeria Cucci who reports an update on the efficiency of the helicopter, the flight hours performed and above all the flight schedule, related to both the ISR activity (Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) than to the merchant's escort Apollonas, during the day.
The briefing ends with the CO directions and guidance or with the intervention of commander Aletta: Nave Euro must "hook" the merchant ship Apollonas, of the World Food Program (WFP), which has requested to be escorted to defend itself against possible piracy attacks. The Italian unit was ordered, by the command of TF 465, to escort it from the Somali port of Berbera to the Yemeni port of Aden. It will sail about 150 nautical miles across the Gulf of Aden. The commander gives the orders to start heading towards the point of appointment with theApollonas.
We are heading towards the most dangerous waters in the world, those of the Arabian Sea. At 17.00 the escort to the merchant ship will pass through the IRTC.
The whole crew begins to prepare for this activity. I feel a certain adrenaline, the crew is more active than ever, the escort activity requires commitment and on board we know that we are already thinking about how to do well. Maximum is the attention that must be paid and it is necessary to do it in the best way. I move from the bridge to the other sectors of the ship. I note that every member of the crew - from sailors to pilots, from GOS to the men of the San Marco marine brigade - controls equipment and equipment so that they are at maximum efficiency. I don't want to disturb them and just look at them. Instead, they make me a part of every escort preparation phase. They explain to me in detail what they are doing. They really make me feel part of the crew. I had the opportunity to see "practically" how the organization of a merchant's escort begins. From initial contacts to the beginning of the activity.
Just received the message from force commander of the TF 465 to carry out the escort to this merchant, the commander Aletta, has begun to agree by e-mail and by telephone with the commander of theApollonas by sending him a questionnaire asking for the day, the time of departure, the route and the maximum speed with which you intend to make this transfer. Having received the information, the commander proceeds with his staff to draw up a document in which the way in which he intends to carry out the escort is reported and established, what will be the actual route to follow, what the necessary and safest position for appointment and finally which will be the communication channels between the two ships. We use the Word Code (code words) to set sentences that are provisions that indicate a change of course. Once the time interval between one communication and the other has been established, they are also used to keep up to date with the on-board situation of the merchant ship. And in fact it is what really happens. During the escort, late in the evening, I remain on the bridge to hear how the two ships communicate with each other.
I see a sheet with a series of code Word, but really, listening to communications via radio, it is difficult to understand those coded messages for me. Everything is really organized in every detail.
The document also contains the emergency procedures to be followed by the crew of the freighter, to facilitate prompt intervention by the Italian unit, should a pirate attack occur.
I quickly look at the document containing the various directives that Commander Aletta wants to issue. It will be re-read and approved by the commander of the freighter when the boarding officer of Nave Euro, the TV Michele Urbano, will go on board the merchant ship. On the same, by the winch, he will descend from the AB 212 of the MMI with a member of the San Marco marine brigade and a GE (electronic war) operator. I will follow the phases from the plank fin.
During the escort, the two units will travel parallel and at the same speed.
When will the "Escort role”, Or the escort to theApollonas, it will raise the level of Force Protection. It is a self-defense structure of the ship, in fact the team of Force Protection it will position itself in the various positions, forward and beyond, which will be armed to guarantee and increase safety during the escort of the merchant ship. The TSA or the BMSM team sharpshooters will be positioned at the stern of the ship Euro to control the stern of the merchant ship. Not by chance, being a ship sector almost devoid of defense instruments, it is the favorite "gateway" for pirates. Moreover it is a way to escape the "eyes" of the bridge.
Before the supply begins, it is still normal Operational Role, or the normal shifts of the teams that make up the crew. When the stock begins it will take over Defense role that is to say, there will be a rotation of 2 teams that alternate every 4 hours. All the positions are armed and manned by the staff in charge, on the bridge, on the bow and aft. Later, when the freighter is close to the Yemeni waters, it will take over Combat Role which is the highest level of defense. All the positions are not only manned but the weapons are loaded and ready to "respond" in case of threat.
After the operational briefing, Commander Aletta came down from the bridge and received me in his study, located near the officers' square. No time to sit down that the phones start ringing. I ask the captain whether to postpone the interview. He replies that it is not necessary.
"Men never stand out for what they have but only for what they are. "
Commander Aletta is very affable but has a "tough" air. It is decisive, concrete and essential, like the decisions that affect his crew and his ship. His goal is to do well, he wants everything to be done properly. Every day, every activity is planned in detail. It leaves nothing to chance. He knows what he can ask of his crew. He does not just entrust an assignment, but fights so that the goal is achieved in the best possible way and within the established times. I have never noticed any signs of uncertainty, he believes in his crew. He does not simulate interest in what does not attract his attention or in what does not concern his work. I appreciate the passion with which he tells me about his operational experience in the various missions Atalanta. Stories, anecdotes, results achieved, and a lot of passion for having participated in this operation, almost since it started. Whenever possible, I listened to him carefully, especially at lunch, because it was the moment when he was freest from a thousand commitments to complete during the day.
“Facts not words”: Commander Aletta never talks about solutions to problems. He is an advocate of rules and respect. It may be difficult to work with him. What every commander definitely wants is perfection from his men. He knows perfectly the “individual” abilities of each crew member and knows that, like him, everyone has the desire to improve. It is as important as necessary that the crew is always operational. Operability that can be achieved with training and preparation that will allow each of them to be able to deal with any situation or emergency with discipline. It is important that a synergistic synchronicity is also established between the commander and the crew.
The Academy of the Navy has taught him the discipline, of which he feels a great need also in life. When I asked him to associate the different colors of the sea, from transparent green to deep blue or black granite, his experience or emotion, he had no doubts: deep blue.
Because with the same intensity he experienced his 21 years of boarding, of which he recalls suffering, sacrifices and satisfactions as a man and as a sailor. Never has the passion for his work ever failed. And every moment, as a sailor and as a man, he lived it intensely.
The commander is in his second command with Nave Euro. He has a wealth of experience. From ship Durand de La Penne to the aircraft carrier Cavour where he was head of operations. On board the Durand de La Penne, flagship of the multinational staff of SNMG2 (Standing Born Maritime Group 2), held the position of head of operations department, during theAllied Provider, operating in the 2008 under the Italian command. And it was the first NATO operation exclusively aimed at protecting WFP merchant ships. In the subsequent operation Allied Provider the task will also be extended to combat piracy
Commander Aletta lived his first mission between 2009 and 2010 Atalanta aboard ship Etna, flagship of the mission, under the command of Admiral Giovanni Gumiero.
Also remember when, during another mission Atalanta, as an operations officer with Commander Credendino, transferred to temporary boarding aboard a French military ship, had the opportunity to witness an operation of Site destruction logistics of the Pirates. An operation carried out, in agreement with the Somali transitional government, with air vehicles in a precise, targeted and proportionate way only with the aim of destroying the pirate equipment along the Somali coast. With that action by the European naval force, pressure on the pirates has increased, discouraging them from taking to the sea to attack merchant ships. The commander also witnessed a major operation during the operation's early days Atalanta: the attack on the ground bases. It marked a change in mission strategy and a sort of extension in the fight against piracy at sea. Preventing pirates from going overboard was crucial to fighting ground impunity and ensuring the success of the anti-piracy operations that are taking place even now.
At his 6 ° mission Atalanta, defines it a successful maritime police operation: UN Resolutions can operate in Somali territorial waters, and through agreements with third countries, it is also possible to arrest and prosecute pirates.
The only doubt concerns the fate of the mission Atalanta: in these times abandoning the waters of the Gulf of Aden would not be a good sign, it could lead to an exacerbation of the phenomenon in the area. This is why the operation Atalanta currently aims above all at maritime safety through constant monitoring of the Somali coasts, carrying out the activities of friendly approaches and ISR.
The presence of the TF 465 naval units should be guaranteed to provide the right support for the two missions approved by the European Council, namely the EUCAP Nestor (European Union Mission Capacity building in the Horn of Africa), an EU civilian mission, and EUTM Somalia (European Union Training Mission) which is a military mission. Both aim at training the Somali security forces to make them autonomous in the management of the territory and guarantee a stabilization of the territory. Even if the times are long, after a period of theoretical military training, it is necessary to start training them at sea. And this is already happening. It must be borne in mind that there are currently also fundamentalist destabilizing forces on the part of the Al-Shabaab militias.
The root causes of piracy cannot be eradicated only with the mitigation and prevention of actions.
We should also ensure the establishment of a government that has control of the territory through security forces that create conditions of stability. The local economy should be encouraged, so that fewer people engage in illegal activities in order to earn an easy income. Finally, action should be taken on the exploitation of local resources. FAO and the European Naval Force, have established the FAD (Fish Aggregating Device) or is a deployment of 25 "fish magnets" along the 3300 km of Somali coasts, to enhance small-scale fishing. In this way we also try to improve nutrition and reduce piracy. A project funded by the naval forces of EUNAVFOR, Japan and Switzerland.
The commander also reiterates the importance of the meetings held with the various Italian ambassadors during the various Nave stops Euro, especially in Tanzania, first with ambassador Scotto and later with ambassador Mengoni. They recognized the efficiency of the ship's crew Euro in the activities of LMCB (Local Maritime Capacity Building - joint training between the MMI crews and the marines of the states bordering the operation Atalanta). There have also been (unscheduled) restoration activities in some schools and orphanages.
Time did not stop during the interview with the commander.
When the escort to the freighter begins in the afternoon. Commander Aletta closely follows the phases of contact with the merchant ship from the bridge.
The AB 212 heads for theApollonas. Through the winch, he descends on the freighter, the boarding team is composed of the head security team who is a member of BMSM, a GE officer and the boarding officer. They will proceed to agree on the provisions of the escort with the commander of the merchant ship. I'm on the bridge wing to capture the activity. As close as we are, I seem to be on board the merchant ship.
The Italian unit is positioned parallel to a certain distance to maneuver more quickly in case of need. The load, as well as precious, could be attractive to pirates. The time of arrival is scheduled for 7 in the morning. Commander Aletta goes back and forth between the bridge and the COC, for the entire time of the escort from the port of Berbera to that of Aden.
To paraphrase Nietzsche, I would say that "doing great things is difficult, but driving great things is even more difficult".
The commitment is intense and requires many sacrifices. The skill of the sailor is precisely that of knowing how to face difficulties with positivity and serenity, knowing that, despite the distance, one can count on the support of the family.
Another family is the one that is built on board, precisely because intense moments are experienced in a restricted environment like that of the ship. It is exciting to see how the crew shares every emotion in every moment of the day and in every activity. And the crew shared all the satisfactions achieved in the mission by working day after day.
They work for the Navy at the service of the State and the country. The same country that sometimes forgets about the work of our soldiers if they don't end up on the front pages of newspapers.
(author's photo / Marina Militare)
