This morning at Palazzo Marina the celebrations for the 2020 Navy Day were held in the presence of the Minister of Defense, Hon. Lorenzo Guerini, of the Defense Chief of Staff, General Enzo Vecciarelli, of the Undersecretary of Defense, Hon. Giulio Calvisi, of the Chief of Staff of the Navy, team admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, in full compliance with the measures necessary to contain the spread of Covid-19.
The ceremony found its most solemn moment during the deposition of a laurel wreath on the plaque to the Sailors of Italy who fell in the service of the Fatherland.
With the Day of the Navy the Armed Force celebrates the anniversary of the Premuda Action of 10 June 1918, one of the most significant and daring actions carried out on the sea during the First World War, when the commander Luigi Rizzo and the ensign Giuseppe Aonzo, at command of MAS 15 and MAS 21, attacked an Austrian naval formation in the waters off Premuda (Dalmatian coast), causing the sinking of the battleship St. Stephen ("Saint Stephen").
The history of the Navy constitutes a precious patrimony of values and traditions that each sailor preserves and transmits in the ordinary daily life of carrying out his service to protect and support the Nation and its citizens, guaranteeing safety from the sea and the sea as its primary mission. and carrying out humanitarian and emergency activities, relief and medical-health assistance.
In this period of pandemic emergency, thanks to the silent and constant commitment of officers, non-commissioned officers, graduates, sailors and civilian personnel, located in the skies and seas of the world, the Navy continues to ensure, not without difficulty and significant efforts, the its institutional commitments at national and international level, contributing to the stability and security of the country.
In the Mediterranean, in the Indian Ocean, in the Persian Gulf, in the Gulf of Guinea and in the Arctic Sea the Navy is present: with the operation Safe Sea for the control of migratory flows; with the European mission Atalanta to combat piracy, in defense of maritime traffic and freedom of navigation against the incursions of Somali pirates; with the European naval operation irini for patrolling Libyan waters; with participation in the Standing Nato Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2) in the Black Sea, made up of 8 NATO naval units currently in command of Italy, where Navy personnel are engaged in a training program aimed at increasing professional skills, favoring the integration between the crews of the ships of the device and ensuring a continuous and visible presence capable of guaranteeing maritime safety and the vital interests of the Atlantic Alliance.
As part of the activities to combat COVID-19, the Navy promptly initiated the insolvency activities desired by the Minister of Defense, the Hon. Lorenzo Guerini, providing men and means to support the National Civil Protection System. Of the more than 100.000 soldiers made available by the Defense since the beginning of the COVID-19 health emergency, as many as 20.000 are men and women of the Navy. Our specialist staff was sent to support the National Health Service, with an involvement that reached peaks of over 130 units, including doctors, nurses and health technicians, employed in different areas of the country.
The generosity and human charge with which the staff of the Armed Force faces challenges, such as those related to the health emergency, do not go unnoticed and are compatible with what are the levels of preparation and training that are part of the professional background of each sailor Man. The party is dedicated to them, highly qualified men and women who, to the effort required to perform the assigned tasks, combine the passion and pride of those who dedicate themselves every day with dedication to the common good.
