The cultural event "ASSAUT 2016", held at the Koninklijk Instituut voor de Marine (KIM) - Naval Academy of the Dutch Navy - in Den Helder (about 100 km north of Amsterdam) has just ended. The event, part of theExchange Program carried out from 11 to 17 December 2016 in the Netherlands, it involved two aspiring midshipmen of the Naval Academy, Mizar, with the intent to forge new professional relationships with the young officers of the host Navy and other invited Marines.
Truly a unique opportunity for growth, therefore, for the aspiring ensigns Luca Mangano and Ido Giovanni De Angelis who were able to get to know the Dutch cultural and military reality up close, discovering, in the busy program of daily activities, the similarities and differences with respect to tradition Italian marinara.
The most important visits concerned the frigate Evertsen and the submarine Bruinvis of the Royal Netherlands Navy at the Nieuwe Haven naval base, as well as the National Maritime Museum and the city of Amsterdam. The presence of cadets from other navies, including Germany, Poland, Belgium and Bulgaria, made the cultural exchange even more stimulating for our young officers.
The concluding event of the cultural week, in its 141st edition, was the traditional gala ball attended by relatives of the cadets and the highest authorities of the Dutch Navy. The theme chosen for this year's edition was particularly appreciated and a source of pride for our participating midshipmen, since it is Marco Polo's journey to the East, told in 'Il Milione' (report, of 1298, of the journey in Asia of Marco Polo, his father and uncle, Venetian merchants and travelers).
"This experience has seen us personally involved in deepening the many aspects of Dutch culture and all that the sea and the profession of Marina official represent for our colleagues in the Netherlands. It was fundamental to discover that despite the traditions, culture and some professional elements are different, we official pupils all share the same passion for the chosen profession and for the sea"these are the reflections of the aspiring Ensign Luca Mangano returning to Italy.
