Dear Director, I am an army officer and a veteran of several missions abroad in three different continents, mostly carried out with the Garibaldi Bersaglieri Brigade, my specialty.
I have always followed the evolution of the reserve forces in the IE and in 1999 I was the protagonist of interesting experiments in command of units of the "Completion Forces" made up of non-commissioned officers and enlisted men. My particular care has always been that of training my men at sufficient levels to operate with safety and professionalism in various contexts, they are a generation who served in the period in which the FF.AA. Italians were used exclusively in asymmetric low-intensity theaters to control the territory and guarantee public safety, the so-called CROs (Crisis Response Operations).
As part of this training process I often found myself organizing UNUCI competitions at an international level which, on average appreciated, attracted consensus and participation from all the Armed Forces. of the main NATO countries including the British, Americans, French, Swiss and Germans.
I remember that in 2015 a staff officer of Her Majesty the Queen of England came to visit us - officially - as the English military institutions were intrigued by the large and repetitive participation of English patrols in our race, especially from military schools and academies. Heartened by the quality level of the tests and the professionalism of the instructors put in place, he left satisfied and complimented us.
During these races it often happens that patrols in service of the FF.AA register. Italian.
One episode struck me negatively: I was involved in managing a combined dynamic shooting test with the AR70/90 and 92FS together with a fellow lieutenant colonel and a non-commissioned officer, all Bersaglieri, when a patrol composed of three girls from the army logistics corps arrived. Their commander told me to take particular care in briefing on the weapon and in safety procedures because "they were not very experienced". Having been warned, I did what was suggested and we began the exercise. From the first moment I immediately realized that the girls were having difficulty using the rifle in the shooting line. I immediately stopped the exercise and began to patiently explain how to hold the weapon and sight the aiming system. I couldn't convince one of the soldiers to aim into the AR's sighting eye. The result was that she put all the shots off target high. I asked them at that point where and who had trained them and they all replied that, not only had they never fired a weapon, but they had never been given any instruction and they had no rifles in their barracks!
I was shocked. I don't know if what the girls told me was true, I couldn't verify it myself, however it was a fact that they acted like people who had never held a long gun.
I say this because I read the press release you took up"The Military Combat Method (MCM): an integral part of individual combat training" in which it seems that, as usual, let's be the best, the best and the most professional... Maybe; such training when I was in service was not foreseen and myself and the boys trained - on a personal basis - in Karate gyms and in Iraq for a certain period we had a lieutenant colonel of the Carabinieri (third Dan black belt) based who was very good at organizing close defense courses for all. Commendable and necessary initiative.
However, I would like to emphasize the concept that there must be no A, B and C soldiers in training, everyone and I say everyone should have access to basic combat training which is a peculiarity that is acquired with months of training and live maneuvers. I hope that after my passing things have changed, but I suspect that, for chronic reasons of funds and mentality, those standard levels of training so vaunted for everyone have not been reached.
Unsigned letter
Dear reader, unfortunately, in this time of war and armies that are often undersized and sometimes "terracotta", the episode does not surprise me. I have personally known other soldiers who, despite wearing the Army uniform, have never (after years!) fired half a shot with a firearm. However, they are particular "cases", perhaps a legacy of decades of convinced demilitarization of the Defense. Before the war in Ukraine, did the soldiers have to - publicly - fight??? They did it - and how! - but in silence. Without disturbing them with their incurable physical and psychological scars or even with their corpse.
For too many years, "differently distributed" funding has also compromised the operations of the departments, effectively creating soldiers, as rightly indicated, "A, B and C series". Given the unprecedented funds available, we hope that the gap will narrow quickly.
For the moment, I have faith in the Army Chief of Staff: a realist who, upon taking on the role (perhaps knowing that it is now too late for the rest) put training first (v.video).
It would be nice, after all, to be able to interview him and ask him (and others) these questions or concerns. We have submitted a request. The day that Italy becomes a truly democratic Republic and interviews will no longer be "granted" to (prone and compliant) subjects, it will be duty, although not always a "pleasure".
We have been emphasizing the need for one for years Weekly Press Conference of Defense (articles Italy is in fact at war: will the "Leopards" defend us?, France honors our military chief of defense. Does Italy risk positive examples?), Dear minister, don't give a damn and set an example… e Minister Crosetto speaks! And well...).
Our esteemed Sergio Mattarella, head of the armed forces, also in light of the principles signed in Quirinale Treaty of 2021, fervent champion of our democracy and freedom of the press, will ever have emulate their "cousins" by allowing free questions to the Defense who, according to the Constitution, "supremely" commands?
We observe the (free) weekly press conferences of minister of arms French!
We sincerely hope that the President of the Republic, for the common good, Sooner or later he will get the hint and, on this issue, you move from a sly silence to "Muèviti u culu!".
Andrea Cucco
Image: Online Defense
