Last weekend (in the days 8, 9 and 10 September) took place, in Latina, a maxi exercise, organized by the Lazio Regional Committee of the Italian Red Cross, called "Pontinia 2017", with the purpose of testing the regional order of the above (CRI) to be used in emergencies alongside the other structures of the State and regional civil protection.
Impressive deployment of people and vehicles: in addition to the staff of the Fire Brigade and the Port Authority, in fact, about three hundred Red Cross volunteers were employed in the operations, of various specialties (including SMTS components - Soccorsi with means and special techniques - and OPSA - Multipurpose Water Rescue Operators), followed by ambulances, an advanced medical post (PMA), a water purifier, various support facilities for special assistance, dog units, and camp kitchens for emergencies.
Among the participants, also a nucleus belonging to the Military Corps of the same Italian Red Cross, flagship of the association, always busy, also as an auxiliary of the Italian Armed Forces, in the most diverse situations related, in particular, to the emergency.
About forty-five soldiers involved (both in the role of commissars and health care), including officers, non-commissioned officers and troops, who promptly and promptly set up an advanced medical facility, managing the wounded (simulators) and making all those sanitary measures and necessary civil protection in contexts reproduced.
I have the interest and appreciation of the public who, of course, has attended the various interventions (at least where this was possible), which have been dumped, both day and night, between the city of Latina, the Circeo, the Monti Lepini and some points in the southern Pontine, as well as the authorities, civilians and military, intervened.
Satisfied Colonel Giuseppe Scrofani, commander of the military contingent who said: "This tutorial has once again demonstrated the value of synergic collaboration between the Italian Red Cross Components: Volunteers, the Volunteer Military Corps and the Volunteer Nursing Corps. Each of them has its own experiential background that, as a matter of common concern, exalted the strengths of the organization, which translated into the speed of preparation of the healthcare facilities necessary for the operational environment and professionalism and timeliness in research and rescue of injuries and assistance to the population.
The purpose of these exercises is to always be ready to use and at the same time to get better and better, to provide a service with the utmost efficiency.
I can only thank the President of the Local Committee CRI, Giancarlo Rufo, who has cleverly organized everything, the Regional Delegate of the Emergency Area, Antonio Bravi, Exercise Coordinator and, last but not least, the Regional President CRI Lazio, Adriano De Nardis, whose ".
The Military Corps of the Italian Red Cross1.
The voluntary military body of the Italian Red Cross is a voluntary auxiliary military body of the Italian armed forces, whose constitution dates back to 1866, when, with a provision issued by the Minister of War on 1, June 1866, the staff of the "Rescue Squadrons ", Milan Milan's First Formation for the Assistance to Wounded and Wounded War (then transformed into the Red Cross Italian Association) was subjected to military discipline with the adoption of uniformity and hierarchical equivalence to the rank of the Army.
Its organization and its functioning are currently regulated by the "Code of Military Ordinance" (Legislative Decree No. 66 / 2010), which has absorbed almost entirely the Royal Decree 10 February 1936, n. 484 and its subsequent modifications, remained in force for over seventy years.
Precisely from that distant 1866 the men of the Voluntary Military Corps CRI have operated, and still operate, uninterruptedly, with unchanged altruistic impulse and high sense of duty, in the tasks of health assistance to the Armed Forces in times of peace, war and serious international crisis as well of civil protection in humanitarian missions to help people affected by disasters, in Italy and, in many cases, even abroad: all this, through the use of departments, units and camps, mobile health groups and groups, hospitals field attendants and slumbers, hospital trains, waiting and waiting places, motorized emergency departments.
In particular, in wartime, the Military Corps provides assistance, evacuation and care of the wounded and victims, both civilians and soldiers, organizes and carries out anti-aircraft health defense measures, disengages the prisoners' search and assistance service of war, interned, missing, refugees, deportees and refugees, carries out health care activities in relation to civil defense.
Outside of war situations, however, it participates in international peace missions, alongside the departments of the armed forces and police forces engaged in the territories concerned, providing medical and health care for civilians and military personnel (collaborating closely with the military-sanitary personnel of the other departments of the Armed Forces), using means, materials, water purifiers, equipment, as well as highly specialized medical personnel; deals with the dissemination of international humanitarian law (see what has already been written on this head) and of the first aid health standards among the personnel of the Armed Forces; contributes to the health assistance service in the case of major events and events, as well as for military exercises; provides health care to armed forces and police forces in firing ranges or disabling EOD devices; it is used in the event of natural disasters or disasters with civil protection functions (just the scope, however, that characterized the exercise in question).
The use of the national flag
For its valuable role and contribution offered nationally and internationally, the Italian Red Cross Military Corps was awarded, in the 19852, of the use of the national flag3 which was delivered with a solemn ceremony, held in the presence of numerous high civil and military authorities of the time, including the Minister of Defense, sen. Giovanni Spadolini (also intervened as the high "bidder" of the new banner), the chief of staff of the Defense, gen. Riccardo Bisognero and that of the Army, gen. Luigi Poli.
Other honors
During its glorious history, the Military Corps of the Italian Red Cross has been honored with many honors, including those of military character (two silver medals for military valor, one of bronze - always with military valor, seven solemn commendations) , and civil (a gold medal and a bronze medal for civil valor, one of gold, two of silver and one of bronze for civil merit), as well as numerous others, among which stand out, those with merit of the Cross Rossa Italiana (Grand Cross of the merit of the Italian Red Cross for war services, with palm and Gold Medal for the merit of the Italian Red Cross, with palm) and public health (Gold Medal for the merit of public health), and those concerning the Korean War of the 1950, conferred to the staff of the Field Hospital n ° 68 (own of the Military Corps of the Italian Red Cross) framed in the forces of the UN, which was active in that context from 16 October 1951 to 30 January 1955 (the "Presid ential Medal of Freedom "and the" Congressional Gold Medal "- conferred by the United States of America; the "Order of Military Merit Chungmu with Gold Star", the "Order of Military Merit Chungmu with Silver Star", two "Presidential Unit Citation", the "Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal" - all conferred by South Korea; the "United Nations Service Medal for Korea" - recognized by the United Nations itself).
In explaining the motives behind the numerous medals and honors listed above, the medal of gold medal awarded to the Military Corps by the same Red Cross Italian after the Second World War (248 Patent dated 1 February 1947): "Constantly understood of the high ideal that induces him to serve voluntarily under the Red Cross symbol, the CRI military personnel reconfirmed in the 1940-43 world war and in the subsequent national liberation war the bright traditions of faith, self-denial and of heroism that from the time of the Risorgimento to today were never denied, wondering, beyond the limits of duty and even to the sacrifice of life, in the noble mission of alleviating the pains and miseries of the war, while remaining alive even in the darkest and most turbulent arousing passions and violence, a pure spirit of human solidarity felt and working ".
A perfect synthesis of what were the values and virtues of the then military; a tacit will of those who are and will be those of today's military and tomorrow.
1 Sources: www.cri.it; www.wikipedia.it.
2 "The Italian National Red Cross Military Corps and the Volunteer Corps of the Italian Red Cross are granted the use of the national flag provided for by the Legislative Decree of the Provisional Head of State 25 October 1947, no. 1152 " (Law 25 June 1985 n. 342).
3 For each military, the national flag - which is to be funded at the cost of life - represents the symbol of military honor, the spirit of cohesion and sacrifice, and hence of the Homeland as a synthesis of the work of the generations that led to ' national unity, fighting with heroism and sacrifice, many times falling into the fulfillment of duty.
