The Joint Task Force Lebanon (JTF-L) - Sector West (SW), currently based on the "Garibaldi" Bersaglieri brigade base, conducted in just over three months 21 shooting range days and 27 COMBINEX (Combined Exercise) days involving over 500 units equal to more than 15% of the Sector's overall strength.
In the conduct of a United Nations operation, which is based on the criteria of neutrality, impartiality and objectivity, in an Operating Theater like the Lebanese one, there are several factors to consider.
In addition to adapting to scenarios already known during pre-introduction training, it interacts with new contingents, often with very different procedures from those applied by Italian personnel.
In this complex framework of internationality, the Western Sector of the UNIFIL Mission is no exception, including in addition to Italy other 12 nations, namely Armenia, Brunei, Croatia, Ghana, Ireland, Republic of Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Republic of Korea, Serbia , Slovenia, and Tanzania.
In order to fully implement the mandate conferred by Resolution 1701/2006, the UNIFIL Command immediately issued a series of procedures called Standard Tactical Immediate Reaction (STIR) which provide for planned reactions to events that may occur on the ground, such as, for example, throwing rocks and / or hostile attitude towards the Contingent patrols, request for help from civilians or presence of illegal weapons in the area of responsibility.
For this and to best accomplish the assigned task, amalgamation training activities between the five Task Force maneuvers of the Sector (ITALBATT, GHANBATT, IRISHBATT) are carried out, also in an attempt to harmonize the different rules of engagement of the countries competing with the Mission. ROKBATT and MALBATT).
Therefore, we are not talking only of joint training with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) or of familiarization programs (Familiarization Deployment - FAMDEP) with the rapid intervention forces, but also of training between Task Forces, such as the Combined Exercise (COMBINEX ), carried out to refine, for example, the STIR, or increase the level of knowledge of standardized procedures (Standard Operating Procedures - SOPs), as well as internal and / or firing exercises (FIREX) aimed at maintaining the established standards.
In this regard, the commander of Leonte XXV, Brigadier General Diodato Abagnara, confirmed the determination of the Task Forces employed to pursue, as a matter of priority, the objectives of the mission and to develop, at best, those training activities aimed at maintaining high parameters operational efficiency.
"We are soldiers because one day, more or less far, we heard the call of the Fatherland, and we are peacekeepers for two reasons: because our hearts are generous but also because we are trained to do so. Here, to help others, we must keep ourselves unselfish in the soul and soldiers in formation and not be one or the other, but show us capable of including both aspects in one person ", this was stated by General Abagnara during a meeting with the commander of the Ghanaian Task Force.
