Lebanon: Green Zone 2020 exercise

(To Greater Defense)
30/12/20

Implement the plan developed by the Unifil command through immediate intervention procedures to be adopted in the event of environmental and health risk, caused by pollution sources detected inside and outside the UN bases located in Southern Lebanon.

This is the purpose of the Green zones 2020, multinational exercise planned and organized by the command of the Italian contingent in Lebanon in close coordination with Unifil personnel of the Environmental Management Unit (EMU), a unit for the supervision and management of environmental issues, which saw employees, in a synergistic and combined, assets of the maneuvering units of the West sector and of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

The last, in order of time, was the exercise conducted in the Chawakeer training area, in Tire, in compliance with the precautionary measures related to the Coronavirus emergency.

The protagonists are the Italbatt Blue Helmets, a unit based on the 3rd Bersaglieri regiment reinforced by soldiers from the squadron group of the "Cavalleggeri Guide" regiment (19th), health and safety assets of the LAF and an Italian team specialized CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) of the 7th CBRN “Cremona” defense regiment.

During the exercise an environmental emergency intervention was simulated caused by the outbreak of a fire with possible contamination of the area by pollutants.

While the operational assets of Italbatt and the LAF operated to ensure the safety of the area, the combined intervention of firefighting teams from the Lebanese army and CBRN specialist units in the West sector made it possible to extinguish the fire and carry out the activities of detection, identification, sampling and decontamination of vehicles, materials and personnel involved in the intervention area.

A LAF health team was also on site for the rescue and exfiltration of an injured person transported to hospital. 

A particular applause for the level of training and interoperability achieved between the units of the various contingents, but above all between the units of Unifil and the LAF, was expressed by the commander of Sector West, Brigadier General Andrea Di Stasio.

"Italy is one of the countries that contributes most to the development of the operational capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces", Di Stasio said, "Thanks above all to a training approach based on practicality, flexibility and the empathic attitude of Italian soldiers, unanimously recognized both internationally and by the Lebanese military authorities".