Coronavirus emergency: Soldiers serving Italy but discriminated against by the government

20/03/20

"The Armed Forces are called to defend the Fatherland from any threat and thus also to cure their fears. Defense has never been a reliable point of reference, a safe haven".

These are the words of the Minister of Defense, Hon. Lorenzo Guerini, on the occasion of the day of the Unification of Italy. Too bad that this use is not always recognized!

After years of cuts to the strategic sectors of the country, such as health and defense, today we rely on them with a control room that runs for cover, and who trusts those who have decided to serve the Fatherland by swearing even at the cost of their lives.

The soldiers of the Italian Army are proud to be able to serve the country in this difficult moment, operating with their healthcare professionalism in military and civilian hospitals, with their logistical capacity, deploying means and materials throughout the country to support the population, with the its operational capacity by monitoring the territory, even by employing personnel for the production of sanitary material in civil and military establishments.

All this honors us, the Army is proudly proud to be Italian!

Unfortunately, those who have to legislate in this difficult moment do not consider all this worthy of attention, in fact it emerges, in the Law Decree of 17 March 2020 n. 18, that the men and women of the Army, with the same risk and danger, will have different economic treatments than the Security Section.

All of this is truly incomprehensible, perhaps because we do not sell a product but we serve our country softly.

At the heart of the Army is personnel, as citizens should be for a nation.

We must not give negative or discriminatory signals to our staff, and we must guarantee the maximum possible support to the citizens with a spirit of service and a sense of duty.

We soldiers have never put pay before the mission to be carried out, but we demand recognition for what we do.

Minister of Defense, Hon. Lorenzo Guerini, we firmly ask you to guarantee respect for all Soldiers so far forgotten!

THE ARMY COCER

Photo: Presidency of the Council of Ministers