The militiamen take Tytan's most important power and oil plant! The number of dead is undefined. The crisis in East Cerasia is highlighted by a news program and the UN is launching a resolution. The lagoons of Venice are in navigation with amphibious vehicles and soon there will be the landing of men and vehicles that will come between the militia and the regulars, thus creating the zone of security. The crisis must be covered and I will take myself to the area.
I am able to enter Tytan thanks to a little luck. I struggle not a little to get a permit of free movement and also the possibility to speak to the Militia chief from a stocky patrol leader with a strong garlic breath. The militiamen are certainly not elite troops, but they can be extremely dangerous anyway.
Civilians can hardly see each other. They are afraid and they are very cautious when they turn. The tension is palpable. We expect an attack from the regulars at any moment.
I meet a boy on guard at a small pier on the Pon river. He will be 23 years old. I offer him a cigarette. It takes two. I ask him when all this will end. In response, he shows me the cell phone with the photo of his girlfriend: an ugly brunette with a sly air. He tells me that it will be over soon and that he will come back to her. Then it continues with the propaganda: that the militias are winning, they are strong and they are not afraid of anyone. I ask him if he is afraid of dying. He says no, drawing his submachine gun hard. Trembles. Maybe it's the wet cold, maybe it's fear. I'll never know.
I move a few kilometers away from him and enter a surreal situation: from behind a tree, a militiaman comes out on the road, right in front of my car, trying to catch the mongrel dog that runs away. "Joy, Joy stop, stop!" It's funny: in one hand he holds a submachine gun, in the other a bone. He doesn't even notice my presence; but three others emerge behind him and point their weapons at me. They are athletic, alert and wild-eyed. They don't stop me, but they signal my presence on the radio.
I move away slowly trying not to unnerve them. Ride between camps that are found almost everywhere in the territory. I notice an intense patrolling activity on the banks.
After a while, I move from the Pon River to the power station to talk to the chief occupant. Crossing an area of desolate countryside and small urban agglomerations, I find countless checkpoints. I also notice drones that fly low and follow my car.
The plant is close but I have to before purchasing, cross a forest stain. Behind a curve I stop: inexpressive faces, arms pointing towards the car. A gigantic man wearing a worn uniform wonders why I'm there. "Press, I'm Online Defense", stretching the document. The old man almost ruptures me and looks at me a little too long.
"Your commander is waiting for me" I continue. The militia takes the radio transmitter to his mouth, talks to someone. Two discharges disturb communication. The answer arrives after a few seconds. I return the document. He hits his hand on the roof of the car and tells me to go. The checkpoint opens.
Arrival at the Command: a frenetic activity of men and vehicles. I am accompanied by the "Commander". I pass by men fumbling with computers and maps hanging everywhere. I see crates full of weapons and ammunition. Arrival at the tensile structure that serves as the headquarters.
A girl in camouflage receives me and tells me to wait because there has been a change of plans. To put me at ease, he offers me some cookies. I accept.
After a few moments, he moves away to a field table. He takes the big gun that was resting between the maps and puts it in a box full of weapons.
My long wait begins ...
The above is a part of the scenario that I experienced during the first hours of the federation exercise between the Army and the Weapons Association, unique for its type, called "Delta 2016" to commemorate the 50 anniversary of the Polesine flood. Everything was organized by the retiring general Luigi Chiapperini, now president of the ALTA Association (Association of Lagunari Amphibious Troops) in concert with the Lagunari regiment "Serenissima" of Venice, the Civil Protection ALTA, the 17 ° anti-aircraft artillery regiment Sforzesca of Sabaudia, the 3 regiment of genius in Udine (the last two with qualified amphibious personnel as an integral part of the National Sea Projection Ability, CNPM) and military sports groups of amphibious troops.
The exercise started on Saturday is still ongoing and lasts in total 10 days. The activity takes place mainly within the Enel power plant in Polesine Camerini in Porto Tolle (Ro) and in the surrounding areas.
For the first time in Italy there is a federated exercise between military and former soldiers. According to the president of ALTA "it serves to make the scenario as realistic as possible, because one thing is to establish on paper that bridge X is manned by a handful of militiamen, another is to find it really garrisoned". This, therefore, commits the forces involved to operate with the greatest possible attention and professionalism. Furthermore, the innovation consists in allowing tactical support from these groups of militiamen, who are fully armed from camouflage to weapon replication. They operate to destabilize the area through tactical activities on the ground with patrolling activities, hand strikes and sabotage, thus creating the conditions for the intervention of a force on the UN mandate and with the entry into the crisis area of the Serenissima Lagunari regiment, which for their specific role during the exercise is called Born Interim Multinational Force (Nimfor).
President Chiapperini, will the Lagunari really arrive?
The Lagunari really started from Venice and are in navigation with the landing craft, on Tuesday they will be in the crisis area. This is an exercise as realistic as possible and that you could see in a real operational theater.
I give an example: Lebanon. If we take the area that goes from the town of Tire to the Blue Line, having all the terrestrial routes that can be blocked, we can use the coast-to-coast navigation with amphibious means. Now they are practicing precisely for such an eventuality.
How many people are involved?
170 men of the Military Sports Groups, made up of Lagunari on leave. In this case they are engaged in destabilization activities.
And the "good" instead?
The Lagunari regiment, which from Tuesday to Friday will land on the ground with artillery support, light crushing, attack helicopters and genius geniuses, are all part of the projection force from the sea. Those who have no amphibious experience have been trained to operate in an amphibious environment by the Lagunari through an appropriate amphibious qualification course in Venice. They are a force 200 men with amphibious means, AAV-7, barchins, boats, motobeds and inflatables.
The scenario also includes the destruction of a Po riverbank (in the scenario the fantasy name is Pon) by the militias. The resulting simulated flood is linked to the true story of Polesine and is a way to commemorate it with the involvement of civilians and with special activities by the Lagunari for the safety of flooded insulators. Obviously all in agreement with civil structures such as Civil Protection and the ALTA (Lagunari) Civil Protection Groups.
Everything will end on Sunday 23 October in the square of the municipality of Porto Tolle with a solemn ceremony and with a special recognition to the Lagunari that in 1966 intervened to rescue the population.
For more information: www.associazionelagunari.it
(pictures: Association of Lagunari Amphibious Troops)
