www.nato.int/nrdc-it

January 2014 20

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF NATO RAPID DEPLOYABLE CORPS - ITALY

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ISTITUTO RICERCHE S T U D II N F O R M A Z I O N I D I F E S A

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Commander NRDC-ITA,Lieutenant General Giorgio Battisti,Italian Army

Deputy Commander NRDC-ITA,Major General Sir George Norton,British Army

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� NRDC-ITA Commander - Lieutenant General ITA (A) Giorgio Battisti

EDITORIAL BORDER

� Editor in Chief - Lt. Colonel ITA (A) Stefano Sbaccanti

� Editor - Lt. Colonel ITA (A) Tommaso Martello and Major GBR (A) Gareth Allen

� Assistant Editor - Captain ITA (A) Paola Gori

� Assistant in Imagery and Post Production - Warrant Office ITA (A)

Francesco Civitelli

� Photographer - Cpl. ITA (A) Marina Dore

� Publisher in charge - ISTRID - Istituto Studi Ricerche Informazioni Difesa

Palazzo Salviati Piazza della Rovere, 83 00165 ROMA

The everywhere rapidly is the authorized official publication of NATO

Rapid Deployable Corps, Italy. All editorial content of the everywhere rapidlyis prepared, edited and approved by the NRDC-ITA Commander, at Caserma

“Ugo Mara”, via per Busto Arsizio, 20 - 21058 Solbiate Olona, Varese, Italy.

The everywhere rapidly is published by-annually by the Public Affairs Office.

Contents of the everywhere rapidly are not necessarily the official views of,

or endorsed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or the Nations thereby

represented.

All intellectual property rights, including copyright, in the content displayed

on the everywhere rapidly belong to their respective owners.

All material and information, including comments, are governed

by the doctrine of fair use. The Publication and the content may only

be used for lawful purposes.

For this purpose alone one may print out, reproduce, or photocopy as needed.

The editor reserves the right to edit all submissions for style, brevity and clarity.

Submissions should be made available via e-mail only.

Send all submissions for publication to editor@paonrdc.it

SUMMARY

everywhere rapidly January 2014 � Issue nr. 20

ISTITUTO RICERCHE S T U D II N F O R M A Z I O N I D I F E S A

EDITORIAL

January 2014 I 20

Joint is coming soon! NRDC-Italy on itsway becoming to a Joint Headquarters

JTF HQ Transformation - LogisticSupport Concept

The Angels of Kabul

Exercise CAPABLE LOGISTICIAN 2013

Knowledge Development - A NewCapability Dimension Within NATO

Strategy, Sensitivity and Vulnerability

STEADFAST COBALT 2013 (SFCT 13)EXERCISE -The right venue for new CISsolutions

Three old glories

Journey of187 days…

Stramilano and the Milan CityMarathon

Family Support Centre: Here we are again

NIWIC - Happy to be a NIWIC member!

The NRDC-ITA celebrates Family Day 2013

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COMMUNITY32

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COVER PICTURE

by OR9 Francesco Civitelli

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fficers, Non-Commissioned

Officers, Carabinieri, Avia-

tors, Sailors, As Commander

of Headquarters NATO Rapid Deployable

Corps – ITA (NRDC-ITA), I want to share

my thoughts and feelings and provide you

with guidance on what our future commit-

ments will require from us in terms of

team effort, professionalism, and achieve-

ments. I am sure you all will share and

support my vision on what the Alliance

expects from us! As you well know, I have

spent long months as Chief of Staff at

Headquarters ISAF, and I have never

stopped focusing on how I could better

understand issues and matters concerning

my personnel and their daily life back at

NRDC-ITA. This guidance has the ultimate

aim of conveying how important team

work is and how your commitment to

improving the effectiveness and efficiency

of NRDC-ITA will make us even better.

I am sure that you all will embrace my

thoughts, my concerns, and my advice

and let them reflect in your personal com-

mitment to draw some very important and

basic principles in whatever you do.

Additionally, this will allow us all – in my

opinion – to define every role and respon-

sibility in a very flexible way, addressing all

matters concerning the Corps’ current and

future activities, and challenges. Let me

once again emphasize the crucial role

everyone of you plays in developing

NRDC-ITA as a Joint Task Force

Headquarters, Land Component Com-

mand Headquarters, and Corps Head

quarters. My expectations heavily rely on

the need to make sure that we all are

doing our level best to achieve our com-

mon goals. What we are doing is a very

important step and I expect that all

Contributing Nations embrace our chal-

lenging goals. I also expect that national

representatives share their good ideas as

we must use our diversity to strengthen

our organization. NRDC-ITA is established

on comprehensive and proven founda-

tions including well-resourced training, an

expeditionary attitude, and readiness.

Readiness and celerity are those abilities

we need to preserve, along with our affili-

ated units, and we must work hard to

retain those skills which enable us to rap-

idly deploy wherever the Alliance needs

our prompt support. NRDC-ITA, as part of

its transformation process into a Joint Task

Force Headquarters, is now approaching

the main exercises representing the mile-

stone of its enduring development. I want

you all to make sure that NRDC-ITA per-

fectly integrates into the new HQ Core

procedures and processes. My final goal is

to see Headquarters NRDC-ITA recog-

nized as the premier force amongst the

High Readiness Forces, a Headquarters

where promptness is central to everything

we do and drives our training, manning,

and equipment readiness. I want our

Headquarters to be always ready to sup-

port both collective defense Alliance wide

and crisis response operations wherever

they might occur. I want our Headquarters

to be relevant to NATO, to its Contributing

Nations, and to the Framework Nation.

Please, consider my address as a starting

point for our common future endeavors!

Whishing you… All the best! ��

Lieutenant General Giorgio Battisti, Italian Army

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EDITORIAL

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t was with excitement and

anticipation that I arrived in

the Headquarters in July, hav-

ing just finished what was a fascinating 2

years as General Officer Commanding

London District, a period that included

responsibility for the ceremonial aspects

of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and

command of the British Army's contribu-

tion to the 2012 Olympic Games in

London. I have now assumed Deputy

Command of a Corps both proven and

reliable in a multinational environment,

characterised by professionalism and

expertise, and I am looking forward to it

hugely.

I know that you would want me to take

this opportunity to thank my predecessor,

Major General Tom Beckett, and his wife

Fiona, for the superb contribution and

commitment that they made to the NATO

Rapid Deployable Corps-Italy. General

Tom is currently on the last lap of a 12

month tour as Chief of Staff at ISAF Joint

Command in Kabul, and I know that he

will have enjoyed the opportunity to

renew acquaintances with our staff

members who deployed to Afghanistan

this year.

NATO is changing rapidly, and this

Headquarters has embraced a role in the

latest transformation process. The Lisbon

Summit, in October 2010, announced a

new Strategic Concept that placed

greater reliance on the need to provide

deployable Joint Command and Control

capabilities. For us, this means a restruc-

turing that is already well under way and

which will see us provide a stand-by Joint

Headquarters for 12 months between

July 2015 and June 2016, in addition to

our existing tasks. You will find in this

magazine reports of some of the work

that has already taken place, as well as

discussion of a ‘roadmap’ that will take us

to July 2015. With the talent that we

have in NRDC-ITA, I am confident that we

will succeed in this new challenge, and

enjoy it as we do so.

Finally, I would like to extend a warm wel-

come to the new arrivals and their fami-

lies who have joined us over the summer.

My wife Lexi and I look forward to getting

to know you and taking part in this great

community of nations. The Autumn/Chri-

stmas period promises to be full of oppor-

tunities and highlights and I urge you to

embrace them all and make the most of

your participation in one of the premiere

rapid deployable corps within NATO and,

of course being stationed in this wonder-

ful part of Italy. ��

Major General Sir George Norton,British Army

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Deputy Commander NRDC-ITA

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Introduction

“Continuing to evolve our structureand procedures - striving for a morecost-effective organization that isadaptable, deployable and ready tosuccessfully conduct operationsacross the full military spectrum; inlight of the NATO JC2C(D) / JLSG HQConcept”.

ith these words ourCommander describeshis first priority for the

next two years within the newCommander’s vision. The few linesgive a strong and self-assuredresponse to the current challengesNATO is facing and in particular thechanges in the NATO CommandStructure (NCS). This implies astronger engagement of the NATOForce Structure (NFS). NRDC-ITA will -in addition to the existing tasks asCorps Headquarters (HQ) and LandComponent Command (LCC) - acquirea Joint Command and ControlCapability - Deployable (JC2C(D)) inorder to provide a stand-by Joint

Headquarters for Smaller Joint Ope-rations (SJO) for 12 months betweenJuly 2015 and June 2016. To accom-plish this task our HQ is moving fromthe Tactical level to the Theatre-Operational level by providing a JointTask Force (JTF) HQ. In the build up tothis commitment the Headquartersneeds to restructure and train to be atInitial Operational Capability (IOC) byJune 2014 and Full OperationalCapability (FOC) by the end of 2014.

This article provides an overviewabout NRDC-ITA’s approach to thisambitious aim.

BackgroundAt the Lisbon Summit, in October2010, the NATO Heads of State andGovernment announced a newStrategic Concept. Central to the con-cept was a reform of the NCS which,consequently, placed greater relianceon the NFS to provide deployableJoint Command and Control Ca-pabilities required to meet theAlliance's Level of Ambition. MilitaryCommittee (MC) promulgated thepolicy required to develop the NFS

changes needed to meet the LoA.

Based upon the new StrategicConcept and MC policy, the NFS isnow asked to provide deployable jointcommand and control capabilitiesalongside the capabilities within theNCS. Furthermore, the NFS must beable to initially provide deployableJoint HQs (JHQs) for command andcontrol at the commencement of up tofour Smaller Joint Operations - Landheavy (SJO(L) ), as well as the meansto sustain all deployed headquarters.The generation of follow-on Joint HQsfor Major Joint Operations (MJO) isassumed to be a secondary step thatwill require additional augmentation,supported by NATO force generationand training. However, it is consid-ered that a HQ already prepared andtrained to meet the demands of anSJO(L) could be used as the "seed" forthis secondary process. The detail andnature of this process will depend onthe nature of the MJO and the head-quarters offered to follow-on the NCSJTF HQ.

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FROM THE STAFF

Joint is coming soon!NRDC-Italy on its way to becoming a Joint Headquarters

by LTC (GS) (DEU A) Michael Reinkunz and MAJ (ITA A) Dario Paduano

Photo by: PAO NRDC - ITA

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1 The Alliance Level of Ambition (LoA) established in the Political Guidance is represented as the forcesand capabilities, including non-military capabilities, required to cope with two Major Joint Operations(MJO) and six Smaller Joint Operations (SJO) concurrently, outside the area of responsibility. This poolof military forces and capabilities will itself provide the Alliance with the flexibility to mount a joint operation larger than an MJO (MJO+).

2 “Smaller Joint Operations - Land Heavy” are operations, up to division size, with a land focus whilethe involvement of other services and agencies may vary significantly.

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of the full spectrum of possible NFSJHQs missions lies with the nationsoffering the JC2C(D). While the pri-mary candidates for the role of NFSJHQs are the Graduated ReadinessForces Land (GRF(L)) community, thisis seen as additional to their existingrequirements to provide Corps HQand the LCC. Consequently, an NFSJHQ is not necessarily permanentlyestablished, noting that it may berequired to be scalable and capable ofexpanding to undertake operations upMJO in size. However, to conduct aSJO(L) will be the most probable taskfor the GRF(L) community. Althoughthere are different models on how toconduct an SJO(L) which is driven byframework nations policy, availabilityof HQs, environment and scale ofoperation, in all cases the CommanderJTF HQ will own the Joint Effects andwill be the Joint Force Commander orJoint Theatre Commander.

In 2011 Italy as the framework nationoffered NRDC-ITA as a JHQ for SJO(L)that, with additional augmentation andtraining, is also able to generate thefollow-on JHQ to replace an NCS JTFHQ in command of a MJO. SHAPEaccepted this application in 2012 andcommitted our HQ on the Long TermRotation Plan (LTRP) roster with theimpact to provide a stand-by JHQ for aperiod of 1 year beginning in July2015.

NRDC-ITA ApproachThe offer of Italy to provide a JHQ forNATO was the starting point forNRDC-ITA to make the “JC2C(D)Project” happen. A JTF HQ WorkingGroup (WG) with representatives fromall HQ branches was established withthe aim of initiating and steering the

process until the end of 2014.

Due to the absence of explicit direc-tion and guidance from our higherHQs, at the very beginning the chal-lenge for the JTF HQ WG was todevelop an action plan which was inline with the upcoming “joint” require-ments. Furthermore, given the factthat JHQs provided by NFS are with-out precedent NRDC-ITA could notrely on or refer to lessons learned orany expertise within the GRF(L) com-munity.

But these factors were recognizedalso as a chance by the WG to devel-op in close cooperation with the ITADefence General Staff its ownapproach. During the mission analysisit became clear that NRDC-ITA has togenerate a fully operationally capableJoint HQ, including the Joint LogisticSupport Groups (JLSG) HeadquartersCore Staff Element with a possiblemission range from a low intensity

brigade size operation to a high inten-sity division size operation. Ad-ditionally, the HQ must have the capa-bility of being the JHQ and the LCCsimultaneously. Although the opera-tion will always be Land heavy, thefocus and intensity of supporting ele-ments (Air Component, MaritimeComponent, Special Operations Force(SOF) and Logistics) may vary signifi-cantly and will be provided following aforce generation process. It is impor-tant to highlight that NRDC-ITA will notpermanently establish a JHQ. JC2C(D)and the generation of a JHQ have tobe seen as complementary and inaddition to the already existingcapability requirements (LCC andCorps).

Initial StudyOn this basis an initial study was con-ducted between November 2011 andMarch 2012. The overall aim of thisstudy was (1) to identify the joint func-tions required to be performed by a

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3 The respective Commander will act as Joint Force Commander if the Operation is commandeddirectly from SHAPE or he will be the Joint Theatre Commander if a NCS HQ is nominated as an intermediate headquarters.

Figure 1: JC2C(D) Staff Reorganization

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JHQ, (2) to compare these functionswith the capabilities already presentwithin the current NRDC-ITA organiza-tion and (3) in conjunction with the ITADefence General Staff to make recom-mendations on how to structure andman (Peacetime establishment (PE)and Crisis Establishment (CE)) the HQso that it can effectively command andcontrol Land-heavy SJOs. Followingconsiderations determined the studywork: � Whenever possible existing man-power must be used to populate thefuture JHQ. � Careful analysis of existing CoreProcesses (Plan-Refine-Execute-As-sess) taking into account the Joint andOperational aspects would ensurethat additional Joint posts are identi-fied and appropriately placed. � Where possible, any additional postsshould form part of the CrisisEstablishment.

The final result identified 16 additionalJoint PE officer posts and 13 existingArmy officer positions to be changedto other services. Additionally, a fur-ther 55 additional CE posts were iden-tified. For the PE augmentation seeFigure 1. It was necessary to start thisprocess in order to be able to offer thenew posts to Troop ContributingNations; to deliver a JTF HQ by June2015 the majority of posts must befilled by January 2014. Therefore,nations had to be in a position to bidfor these posts during the November2012 Plenary.

Roadmap & Campaign PlanIn the meantime, the JTF HQ WGcomplemented the Roadmap anddeveloped a Campaign Plan to deliverthe project.

Along the Roadmap there are differentphases with different points of efforts.2013 focuses on the conceptual,structural, and procedural prerequi-sites for JC2C(D). Taking into accountthat currently nearly 50% of the staffare deployed to Afghanistan workingon the operational level at ISAF JointCommand (IJC) in Kabul and the factthat ISAF is still the point of referencefor doctrinal and conceptual issueswithin organizations at both thenational and NATO level, the intimateknowledge and experiences of thesesoldiers will also contribute to thedevelopment of the NRDC-ITA con-cept. In accordance with the concep-tual framework a suitable set ofStandard Operating Procedures/Stan-dard Operating Instructions (SOP/SOI)has to be developed which will betested and if necessary adjusted in2014 – the “training year”. Finally, themain focus of the first semester of2015 is successfully completing a

NATO certification of our Joint capabil-ities before the stand-by phase as aJHQ begins in July 2015.

Derived from this general roadmap itwas necessary to develop a detailedCampaign Plan. NRDC-ITA is movingfrom the Tactical level to the Theatre-Operational level and as a result, multi-ple areas/functions of the HQ will haveto be re-looked or enhanced. In addi-tion, some new capabilities will have tobe created to meet the ever changingthreats in today’s environment. It isimperative that staff members conducta detailed analysis of their particulararea of responsibility; identifying possi-ble knowledge shortfalls and seekingeducational opportunities or identifyingavailable courses to fill these gaps -ensuring we can meet our future chal-lenges. If the expertise to transformthe HQ was not available, then the staffwere encouraged to reach out to exter-nal agencies.8

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As a consequence eight Lines ofDevelopment (LoD) of different areasof interest were identified with a deepinvolvement of nearly all branches ofthe HQ. Around the “Objectives” IOCand FOC a series of “DecisivePoints/Decisive Conditions” have tobe accomplished to reach the “End

State” of JC2C(D).In addition to manning the procure-ment process for new effectiveCommunications and Information Sy-stems (CIS) and Command Postequipment to achieve Joint interoper-ability standards and the infrastructureproject “HQ enlargement” to enable

the JHQ in barracks (until 2016) start-ed last year. Moreover, the trainingrequirements for individuals (i.e. Jointcourses) and seminars, workshopsand exercises for the whole HQ had tobe identified and the main joint capa-bility areas we want to be evaluatedagainst during the NATO certificationin 2015 had to be determined.Consequently, pivotal to the successof the whole project that a joint mind-set will be created with both the“plug-in” of Air, Maritime and Civilianexpertise in the Peace Establishment(PE) and with specific joint train-ing/courses, supported by NCS andallied countries.

But becoming a JHQ does not onlymean embedding personnel of otherservices in the existing HQ. The staffmust be prepared to conduct compre-hensive and operational campaignplanning and provide the commanderwith comprehensive situationalawareness in order to identify andemploy the most effective instrumentto achieve the desired effects. TheJoint level has to deal with topics such

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as Comprehensive Approach (CA) asinteraction with non-military partnersor Knowledge Development (KD)which is more than traditional militaryintelligence. Army officers have tolearn how to synchronize Air require-ments within a JTF HQ or how tointeract with maritime task organisa-tions. In order to find the rightanswers to this new quality of chal-lenges and to develop our own subjectmatter expertise HQ NRDC-ITA con-ducted three studies on CA, KD andAir Operations over the last fourmonths. Considerations concerningother issues like Strategic Com-munications or Cyber Defence aretaken into account and could lead toother studies.

Way aheadThe results of the studies will now beembedded in an additional studywhich delivers the final operationalstructure by the end of June 2013.This structure will be developed usinga “double deck” approach. The CE willallow the deployment of a “pure”

Joint HQ (theatre operational level) butwith the capability of concurrentlydeploying an LCC (high tactical level).By avoiding, wherever possible,redundancy of expertise between thetwo levels this approach will allow therequired flexibility to propose an effi-cient C2 structure tailored to the mis-sion.

For service support the logistic C2structure may, where required,employ two separate entities: (1) theJTF HQ functional staff (Logistics,Medical, Engineers, etc.) - mainlyresponsible for operational level plan-ning and assessment, staff advice, pri-oritisation and synchronisation of func-tional support and (2) the JLSG HQ,responsible to the operational com-mander for coordinating and executingtheatre level multinational logistic sup-port. The JLSG HQ Core Staff Element(CSE) - based on the NRDC-ITA RearSupport Command (RSC) - has alreadybeen offered to NATO by theFramework Nation for support of anMJO, and accepted. This option with

the two entities is in line with theexisting NATO JLSG HQ Concept butcovers only MJO. However, the JTFHQ logistic C2 may also take the formof a single logistic C2 entity, using per-sonnel from both the JTF HQ function-al staff branches and the JLSG HQ, ifrequired. This is the most likely optionfor operations of lower intensity andscale. The NRDC-ITA logistic staff arenow developing and implementing aconsistent and effective conceptwhich reflects the two deploymentoptions. This logistic concept will beincluded in the NRDC-ITA JTF HQ con-cept by Sept. 2013.

Once the concepts and structures areapproved the complete set of SOPand SOI has to be developed andmust be finalized by February 2014before the joint training with the inte-grated additional personnel starts. Inthis phase it will be helpful to shareexperience and best practice withother GRF(L) HQs pursuing similarjoint ambitions. Staff visits, exchangeof personnel during exercises or other10

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cross functional activities are goodopportunities to learn from each otherand to create a synergy of effects.

ConclusionFrom the Roadmap and the CampaignPlan we can ascertain that the HQ ison track, but there is still a long way togo to reach our ambitious aim. Thedesired end state of the JHQ project isa well trained and fully equipped HQ,evaluated, certified and at readiness toconduct operations across the fullspectrum of operations. This requires,above all, a fundamental change inthe “old” army mindset. All NRDC-ITA personnel have to understandthat joint operations require an atti-tude of mind and a culture in whichservicemen and women, at all levels,are encouraged to develop a sense ofinterdependence, mutual respect andtrust. This is enhanced through theincreased knowledge and apprecia-tion of each service’s capabilities,requirements and sensitivities. In afew months we will incorporate Airand Maritime core elements as wellas civilian personnel. All of them willprovide us with their specific capabil-ities and knowledge and therefore itis paramount to successfully inte-grate them into the JC2C(D) frame-work before the joint training starts.All staff members currently deployed

in ISAF will also deliver an importantcontribution to a change in our atti-tude; we should mindfully listen tothem.

Nevertheless, with all the enthusiasmfor this new task we must not forgetour normal business. A considerableamount of resources are going to beinvested in order to acquire JC2C(D)and enable NRDC-ITA to be ready todeploy as a JHQ for SJO(L). However,the development of the new structureand the overall HQ organization musttake into consideration that whilst theHQ is committed in the LTRP as a JHQfrom July 2015 to June 2016 it is alsoto provide an LCC to the NRF in 2018.Therefore, and this is the biggest chal-lenge of the entire project, it is para-

mount to be able to adopt a new struc-ture, a new HQ organization and pro-cedures that have the flexibility to acton different levels and to switch with-in a short time between JHQ, LCC andCorps HQ.

By assuming higher responsibility onbehalf of the NCS NRDC-ITA is one ofthe first GRF(L) HQs to embrace thefuture requirements of NATO. AJC2C(D) capable HQ will not only bethe model for other NFS HQs to emu-late, it will also become a key NATOasset and a centre of reference fordoctrine, training and procedures forthe Italian Army.

For further information see the JC2Cwebsite. ��

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Logistic Principles for Joint Operations

ogistics has always been anessential element of any mili-tary operation and more often

than not it has a direct bearing on itssuccess or failure. To stay current,logisticians have had to adapt to thechanging environment and the shiftaway from linear logistics to support-ing asymmetric operations. This ischaracterised by expeditionary opera-tions, often with long lines of commu-nication, sometimes crossing nationalboundaries and invariably operating inan environment with limited hostnation support.

The logistics mindset has alsochanged over the years. This isreflected in a number of documentsand is summarised in the overarchingprinciple of collective responsibilityfor logistic support for NATO’s multi-national operations (MC 319/2

refers). “This collective responsibilityencourages nations and NATO tocooperatively share the provision anduse of logistic capabilities andresources to support the force effec-tively and efficiently”. Optimisinglogistic assets has always beenimportant but as resources becomescarcer greater emphasis is beingplaced on increasing the efficiency oflogistic processes, outsourcing tocivilian companies and sharing nation-al capabilities with others.

Joint Task Force HQ In preparation for its role as a JointTask Force (JTF) HQ from 1 Jul 2015to 30 Jun 2016, HQ NRDC ITA hasissued a JTF HQ ConceptualFramework1 and in line with that docu-ment the J4 branch has drafted alogistic support concept, which at thetime of writing is being staffed withinthe headquarters. This article sum-marises the JTF HQ Logistic SupportConcept.

Roles and ResponsibilitiesOperational level logistics focuses onestablishing and maintaining in-theatreLine of Communications (LoC) andsustaining a force in theatre. It encom-passes force Reception, Staging andOnward Movement (RSOM) of unitsand personnel, support base develop-ment and force level supply, mainte-nance, movement and transportationservices and medical support. En-gineering support at this level includessecurity engineering aspects of forceprotection and infrastructure. The JTFHQ will be responsible for initiatingand maintaining bi-lateral or multi-lat-eral agreements that could include theTechnical Agreement, Status ofForces Agreement and Memorandumof Understanding – all of which willhave a logistic element.

The interface between the (joint) oper-ational and tactical is not always clear-ly defined. It is normally the scale andnature of an operation which deter-mines the boundary between opera-12

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FROM THE STAFF

JTF HQTransformation -Logistic SupportConcept

by Lieutenant Colonel GBR (A) Adrian Parker, J4 Ops�

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1 HQ NRDC ITA JTF HQ Conceptual Framework, dated 13 May 2013.

l

Photo provided by the Autor

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tional and tactical joint logistics. Therole of the operational logistic staff,represented by the JTF HQ SupportDivision, is to plan, identify the likely(logistic) constraints to the JTFCommander’s concept of operationsand issue direction to (logistically) sup-port the mission and maximise free-dom of action. The Joint LogisticSupport Group (JLSG) HQ coordinatesand executes these plans at the oper-ational level.

The JTF HQ Support Division isresponsible for operational levelassessments, staff advice, risk analy-sis, planning, prioritisation and syn-chronisation of functional support andprovide, on behalf of COM JTF, func-tional direction and guidance to subor-dinate units/formations. Furthermore,it provides COM JTF with all relevantinformation and recommendationsregarding the logistic aspects of theoperation, thus allowing him to taskCOM JLSG. The Support Divisionencompasses the full range of supportactivities and in addition to the normalfunctional elements of J1, J6, J8, JEng, and J Med, includes Support Opsand Support Plans. Support Ops andPlans are predominantly drawn fromthe JTF HQ J4 branch and reflect theprocesses required to Plan, Refine andImplement logistic support.

Support Ops is further divided into theFusion Cell, Coord Cell and EnablingCell. The Fusion Cell provides theimmediate focus for all operationallevel support activities and is closelyaligned to J3. The Coord Cell devel-ops, integrates and synchronises the

overall effort of Spt Div and is alignedwith J3/5. The Enabling Cell is formedif the JLSG HQ is not deployed andcomprises of personnel from theJLSG HQ Core Staff Element and J4personnel. It is responsible for thecoordination of RSOM and theatrelevel movement control and trans-portation.

Support Plans is responsible for com-prehensive “support” planning andconsists of a planning Core SupportElement (predominantly from J4) butreinforced with Subject MatterExperts from other Support Divisionbranches. It is closely aligned with J5.

Logistic Planning In determining the type and level of

logistic support required for an opera-tion, the “Four Ds” is a good place tostart and although not formally recog-nised by NATO it is logical to considerthese factors in the planning phaseand to revisit them at every stage ofthe operation. They can be defined asfollows:Destination. Destination encompass-es the overall environment in whichthe operation is taking place. It typical-

ly includes the geographical region, cli-mate, culture, logistic infrastructureand host nation capabilities. Distance. Distance is the length ofthe LoC and also the distancebetween locations that require to besupported.Demand. Demand is the size of theforce that needs supporting and thetype and level of activity it is engaged in.Duration. Duration is the expectedlength of time each phase of the oper-ation is likely to take. It will determinethe volume of material required andconcentration of supplies.

Logistic Parameters Using these logistic planning factors, 2scenarios of a potential deployment areoutlined. The first scenario is logisticallyeasier to support and is referred to asthe “easy option” whilst the secondscenario is the “hard option”. Both sce-narios consider how logistics is conduct-ed in theatre, including the C2 arrange-ments and specifically the employment,or otherwise, of the JLSG HQ.SJO Easy Option. The Area ofOperation (AOO) is relatively small,200km x 200km and the delivery ofsupplies takes 1 or 2 days. The main

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logistic nodes are grouped together inthe Theatre Log Base (TLB) andinclude the APOD where the AirComponent Command (ACC) HQ isco-located, together with the JTF HQ,NATO Support Agency (NSPA) andone or two Troop Contributing NationsNational Support Elements and HostNation Support elements. Movinginland the 3 brigade HQs are from thesame division and use their own inte-gral logistics at 2nd line. The DivisionalSupport Group, co-located with theLCC HQ will pull supplies from theTLB, thus negating the need for 3rd linesupport. In this scenario it is a human-itarian aid mission, with a clearlydefined end state and the duration isfor a finite period. The environment ispermissive, the local infrastructure isgood, which both help to reduce thelogistic burden. Given the above fac-tors a separate JLSG HQ is notrequired and instead the JTF HQSupport Div is reinforced by personnel

from the Corps Staff Element of theJLSG HQ to form a single logistic C2entity in the JTF HQ, as depicted inthe slide below.

SJO Hard Option. In this scenario thesize of the AOO is smaller 2. However,the level of host nation infrastructure,geography and non-permissive threatlevels do not permit the centralisationof logistic stakeholders with a singlelogistic area, resulting in dispersedunits and HQs. The JTF HQ and ACCare separated from the TLB with theSPOD further away. Each baserequires life support and because theyare dispersed, places greater de-mands on the logistic system. Eachbrigade is from a different nation andis unfamiliar with the LCC HQ, result-ing in potential difficulties with proce-dures and logistic complexity. With aPeace Support Mission the end stateis less easily defined and so too thelength of time the force is in theatre,

thereby creating the temptation to in-load more than is necessary on the“just-in-case” principle. Not being apermissive environment places agreater strain on logistics with addi-tional troops required for force protec-tion and the risk of the supply chainbeing interrupted, necessitating therequirement for built-in redundancystock levels. Given all of the abovefactors, there is a requirement for aseparate JLSG HQ responsible forconducting the execution of third linelogistics, as depicted in the slidebelow.

ConclusionThe JTF HQ Logistic Support Conceptwill be implemented as part of the JTFtransformation process and will betested and evaluated during a series oftraining exercises. As with all newconcepts, it will be reviewed andamended as required. ��

14

eeverywhere rapidly2 Alternatively the AOO may be in a different country that is landlocked such as Afghanistan, resultingin longer LoC from the SPOD eg Karachi in Pakistan, requiring a stand-alone logistic executing HQs tomanage convoy support centres and coordinate onward movement of logistics.

FROM THE STAFF

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15

ach country identifies someof the most significant datesoutlining the salient phases

of its history.

For Italy this date is the 4th of No-vember.

Ninety-two years ago, on Novemberthe 4th, 1918, on the Italian front, aftermore than three years of bitter strug-gle, World War ONE came to an end.Italy, unitary state only since 1861, ata crucial time in its history, knew howto show its capacity to become anation, to make a momentous contri-bution to the ultimate victory of theGreat War and to gain a leading role inthe triple Entente before, and on theinternational scene after.

But the victory was not painless. TheItalian troops fought tenaciously for 41infinite months against a fearlessadversary on a front of about 650 kilo-meters, mainly mountainous, withpeaks of more than 3000 meters andcharacterized by harsh climatic condi-tions, where minimum temperaturescould reach minus 30 degrees Celsius.

The Great War represents a historicalmoment in which the Italian ArmedForces were massively engaged on alarge scale, fighting alongside theAllies, even on the French, Balkan andPalestine fronts.

For the whole country, the evocativedimension of the “4th of November"embodies the ideal of cohesion. It tells

of a collective impetus the youngItalian nation had never accomplishedbefore and by which its national iden-tity had significantly increased.

Today's celebration should not only betime to remember the historical eventsrelated to the implementation ofNational Unity. Today, after nearly 100years, the “4th of November" has aneven more meaningful connotation.Nations with different languages, differ-ent cultures and traditions, onceopposed, have cooperated shoulder toshoulder (Shohna Ba Shohna) for yearsnow, fighting international terrorism withstrength and determination, so ensuringthe essential values of democracy andfreedom and the lasting stability ofAfghanistan. ��

FROM THE STAFF

Kabul, November the 4th, 2013.“National Unity andArmed Forces Day”.

Lieutenant General Giorgio Battisti, Italian Army�

�

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ePhoto by: CPL ITA (A) Veronica D’Alena

4 20-12-2013 9:04 Pagina 15

ister Fortunata from Rwan-da, Sister Mary Bette fromthe Philippines, Sister Al-

berta from Bangladesh, Sister Suzelfrom India and Sister Judy Clarissefrom Kenya. These are the names ofthe nuns of Mother Teresa of Calcuttawho have been working in Kabul since2004 to support sub-normal childrenand about 280 families in extremepoverty. The total number of peoplebenefiting from their help reachesabout 1800 persons.Local citizens in Kabul call them the"nuge" meaning "the angels of heaven"that look afterthe abandoned, the leastimportant, the poorest. With their con-stant and humble work the sistershave become an integral part of thelocal population.We arrive at their location early in themorning, the temperature is close tozero but the sun is promising. Theirplace is in the center of Kabul, in ablock along a semi-paved road, withstalls full of things on both sides.Sister Fortunata greets us at the doorwith a beautiful smile, she invites usto enter and introduces us to the sis-ters.It’s a two-story house with very small

rooms. Some quarters are coldbecause the nuns heat them onlywhen needed, to save gas. Near theentrance there is a slightly larger roomwhere the sisters gather the childrento tell them about our visit. There aresome toys and pillows on the groundto create make the environment a littlemore comfortable."These are our children," saidFortunata. "We do not know who theirfamilies are. They were found on thestreets and brought to us." She isreferring to 8 children with a history of

abuses and violence in their younglives. With an IQ below 50 they arecompletely dependent on the lovingcare of Sister Fortunata and the oth-ers.As if taking care of the kids was notenough, every 15 days the sisters paya visit to some local families, bringinga food pack consisting of rice, flour,

16

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FROM THE STAFF

The Angels of Kabul

by Lieutenant Colonel ITA (A) Stefano Sbaccanti�

�

sPhoto by Autor

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sugar, beans, tea and oil for each. Ifthe family has more than 5 membersthe amount doubles.We continue our visit upstairs. There’sa sleeping area, a small kitchen and aroom-warehouse where the nuns arestoring the materials they receive andeventually distribute to those in need.The beds are made of wood and somehave additional protection to preventchildren from falling off or getting hurt.It is not easy to get new bedding andmany have been modified to accom-modate the growth of children. "Wecan do what we do thanks to the gen-erosity of public and private institu-tions and to the funds that we receivefrom the Order of Mother Teresa inRome," said Fortunata. In the storage-

room there are a few boxes of usedclothes, paper towels, slippers, shoesand little else. "We need whateverpeople can give us," says sisterFortunata, "clothes, diapers, cleaningsupplies and for personal hygiene,food and, of course, money. Nothing is

superfluous and everything is impor-tant to bring some relief to those inneed."Even the Italian soldiers that havespent their tour of duty in Kabul havebecome aware of the importance ofthese "women of God", and contingentafter contingent have donated some-thing to the Angels of Kabul. The sol-diers know that through the nuns theycan help the most suffering part of theAfghan population.The clock shows we have been visit-ing for half-hour. We do not want tointrude further and head towards thestairs to exit. When we reach theground floor some of the children whohave grown accustomed to our pres-ence wave us good-by with theirhands. Before exiting their premiseswe noted that outside there is aswing, the only available entertain-ment.Sister Fortunata and the others thankus for visiting and invite us to comeback soon. We leave with watery eyesand feel a little richer inside. ��

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AnalysisTraining

Information

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he exercise CAPABLE LO-GISTICIAN 2013 took placein the military training area of

Lest, in the airbase of Sliac and in theTraining and Kynology Centre of theMilitary Police in Hronsek-Vlkanova inSlovakia from 8 to 26 June 2013.

It was a Logistic Standardization andInteroperability Field Training Exercise.The Multinational Logistics Coordi-nation Centre based in Prague, CzechRepublic, planned and organized thatexercise in coordination with the HostNation, Slovakia.

This was a very important logisticsexercise that involved 35 countriesamong members and partners ofNATO. Around 1,800 people and 600different kinds of equipment wereinvolved during the exercise. The aimof the exercise was to test and todevelop collective logistic solutionsand to assess the interoperability ofequipment, systems and procedures.

The scenario designed for the exer-cise was the deployment of NATO-ledforces in the fictitious country ofFairyland. The reason of the deploy-ment was due to the harsh conflictbetween Westalia and Eastalia thatprovoked a huge migration ofrefugees and internal displaced per-sons resulting in a humanitarian emer-gency.

The scenario consisted of two parts:one part as Crisis Response Operation– Peacekeeping operation underChapter VI of the UN Charter facilitat-ing the implementation of the peaceagreement and another part as aHumanitarian assistance scenarioresulting from a variety of natural disa-

sters affecting the region.

The following Functional Areas weretested during the exercise:� Ammunition;� Asset tracking;� Electric power production;� Fuel;� Helicopter operations;� Infrastructure engineering for lo-

gistics;� Joint Logistics Support Group(JLSG);� LOGFAS;� Logistics services;� Maintenance and recovery;� Material handling;� Movement control;� Movement and transportation;� Operations Logistic ChainManagement;� Reception, Staging, OnwardMovement;� Smart energy;� Water.

NRDC-ITA participated in this impor-tant exercise with eight people, sevenStaff Officers and one NCO, sixbelonging to the Joint Rear SupportCommand (JRSC) and two to theCombat Service Support Division.They were employed in key positions,such as COM JLSG HQ and Chiefs ofsections, providing very qualified andcritical support for the entire exercise.

At the beginning 2013, Joint ForceCommand Brunssum (JFCBS) asked

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FROM THE STAFF

ExerciseCAPABLELOGISTICIAN2013

by Lieutenant Colonel ITA (A) Sandro Lo Presti�

�

t

Photo by: PAO NRDC - ITA

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Contributing Nations and NATO ForceStructures to provide personnel to ful-fil the JLSG HQ manning for the NATOReaction Force (NRF) 2014 becausethere were insufficient personnel todo it.

Well, it was at that time that the ideato be part of this important evolutioninside NATO drew our attention. TheRSC of NRDC-ITA took the chance topropose itself to become the CoreStaff Element of the JLSG for NRF 14.From that moment it started a strongcollaboration with JFCBS.

We had the first e-mail exchanges, thefirst meetings in Brunssum and inSolbiate Olona. NRDC-ITA took re-sponsibility of the Core Staff Element

of JLSG HQ for NATO Reaction Force(NRF) 2014 in support of the JFCBS.Due to the importance of the issues,the Italian Defence General Staff(IDFGS) widely supported our partici-pation.

All the JRSC personnel are involved in“catch up” with training, conferencesand exercises that are necessary to beready to perform as a functioningJLSG HQ. In recent years NATO devel-oped the JLSG concept to improve forNATO Commanders the capability ofplanning, synchronizing and coordinat-ing the deployment of a force andlogistic support to operations. TheJLSG concept was tested during theExercise CAPABLE LOGISTICIAN2013.

The JLSG had a total manning of 1611people, formed by 717 people fromattached assets, 785 people as part ofthe Multinational Integrated LogisticUnits (MILU), and 109 people as JLSGHQ. Significant was the possibility, forthe first time, to evaluate the reality ofinteroperability and command andcontrol among JLSG, sub-units asMILU and higher Command levels.

It was the first time that personnel ofthe JLSG participated in such a largeexercise, with the effectiveness of thestaff work gradually improving asteam cohesion grew. Some weak-nesses were noticed as well. Forexample, adjustments should bemade regarding the planning processand consequently there is a need toproduce new SOPs. Improvementsare required in the use of LOGFAS.Not all units and agencies implement-ed the LOGFAS and this led to someadjustments that caused delays ininformation management.

Despite some other weaknesses dueto the complexity of the exercise, thelarge number of Nations and HQs par-ticipating and the lack of definitivedoctrine, we can state that this exer-cise was a real success. The lessonslearned during this period will lead toseveral improvements and adjust-ments that will give the JLSGCommander and his staff better toolsto carryout their role. NRDC-ITAagreed to participate in ExerciseCAPABLE LOGISTICIAN due to thefact that it represented a uniqueopportunity to train and prepare theJRSC to afford the transformation ofour HQ in a Joint Task ForceCommand. ��20

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FROM THE STAFF

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tarting from the month ofSeptember, 3 civilian SubjectMatter Experts on econom-

ic, social and political matters will bejoining NRDC-ITA staff. Such assign-ment follows a new paradigm withinNATO which is a consequence of thelatest Strategic Concept of theAlliance, announced by the NATOHeads of State and Government dur-ing the Lisbon Summit, in November2010. On such occasion NATO officially rec-ognized that the military alone cannotresolve a crisis or a conflict and at theLisbon Summit was decided that “TheAlliance will engage actively withother international actors before, dur-

ing and after crises to encourage col-laborative analysis, planning and con-duct of activities on the ground, inorder to maximize coherence andeffectiveness of the overall interna-tional effort.”1 As such, the military isonly one of the many different dimen-sions of an overall international effortin any kind of operation. The militarycomponent has to be considered ascomplementary to other non militarydimensions such as the political, eco-nomic, social and so on, whose rele-vance will vary according to the specif-ic situation in Theatre. The interactionbetween these dimensions has to beregulated by the so called “Com-prehensive Approach” which needs to

characterize all the functions per-formed by the military at any level andespecially at the operational one andabove.In the light of such new operativeenvironment and of the concurrentrevision of NATO Force Structure,NRDC-ITA (and likewise all the otherNATO equivalent HQs) is in theprocess of acquiring the capabilitiesnecessary to assume the lead of aSmall Joint Operation, meaning to beable to perform the “Operational”level of command & control. Con-sequently, the acquisition of a “com-prehensive” mentality becomes ofparamount importance.One of the means through which the

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by Lieutenant Colonel ITA (A) Antonio Romano�

�

s

1 NATO’s Strategic Concept – Lisbon, Nov 10

Photo by: CPL ITA (A) Marina Dore

KnowledgeDevelopment - A New CapabilityDimension

KnowledgeDevelopment -A NewCapabilityDimensionWithin NATO

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FROM THE STAFF

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22

“Comprehensive Approach” will beimplemented is the integration of theabove-mentioned civilian SubjectMatter Experts (SMEs) within theHeadquarters. The SMEs will enablethe HQ to look at an operational envi-ronment not only through our conven-tional military lenses but to have inhouse a non-military perspective thatwill allow us to better meet the com-plex nature of contemporary securitychallenges and to better understandall the shades of the operational envi-ronment itself.This is all the way more important con-sidering the predominant nature ofmost recent Theatres, which provedto be Asymmetric and low-intensity; insuch Theatres, the establishment of asufficient degree of stability is oftenthe most critical success factor.

The new KnowledgeDevelopment conceptThese civilian SMEs are encompassedin a totally new functionality, onlyrecently introduced in. NATO, whichwill be tested for the first time withinNRDC-ITA as of September 2013:such functionality is the so calledKnowledge Development (KD).After a first reading of the availableNATO documentation on KnowledgeDevelopment, it appears clear that aprecise and consolidated doctrinalbody to refer to is far from havingbeing established. The easiest way to approach KD is toavoid looking at it as a totally new“beast” or as something radically dif-ferent from the organization and pro-cedures already existing within NATO.Actually, the KD concept is actually nota revolution but more of an evolutionof the thinking and a rationalization ofprocesses already existing within

NATO, with a few elements and func-tions added and/or renamed for con-sistency. Under this view, KD does not intend toreplace existing processes/techniquesalready carried out by the traditionalstaff elements, but its goal is to com-plement them, by providing an addedvalue to the existing processes inorder to enable the Commanders at alllevels to acquire a truly comprehen-sive understanding of the operationalenvironment, so far approached onlyin strictly military terms.

Knowledge Development definitionWhile an agreed definition of KD doesnot exist within NATO so far, KD itselfcan be tentatively defined as a Staff-wide process across all command lev-els, aimed at developing a comprehen-sive situational awareness and under-standing of the engagement space(including the relationships and inter-actions between systems and actorswithin it) and, consequently, making itavailable to military leaders and civilianofficials in order to support decision-making. Such process is activatedboth in response to indicators andwarnings of an emerging securityproblem, as well as during the plan-ning, execution and assessment phas-es of operations. KD enables the decision makers tobetter understand the possible effectsof Military, Political, Economic andCivil (MPEC) actions on different sys-tems and actors within the engage-ment space.The greatest challenge is to make rel-evant information available in a formthat can be used in near real time andto develop a level of shared under-standing that supports timely and

effective decision making.

Knowledge Development as a supporting entityAfter having clarified the KD concept,it is necessary to understand how itshould be applied and identify thefunctionalities and tasks that the KDorganization must be able to perform. According to what has been stated sofar, a KD organization requires the fol-lowing inputs and functionalities:

� direction and coordination of theKnowledge Development process.The KD process needs to understandthe informative requirements of thedecision makers, essentially to receivedirections and guidance in order toenable an effective coordinationamongst the functional experts andSMEs that will be producing theKnowledge and a working prioritiza-tion of the knowledge objectives;

� acquisition of Information. Thismoment foresees the deliberate useof all (comprehensive) sources ofinformation, complementing whatalready acquired through the classicmilitary Intelligence gathering pro-cess;

� production of Knowledge. Thismoment requires the interaction ofnumerous analysts, functional expertsand SMEs with different background,expertises and competences, organicor not to the KD-proper structure,which shall be granted the requiredaccess and instruments to acquire,analyse, develop and consolidate theirproducts. It is important to point outthat KD Analysis (intended as a part ofthe KD process that includes the pro-duction of knowledge) is not only car-

5-6-7-8 20-03-2014 10:01 Pagina 22

ried out inside the Knowledge Centreby its organic personnel but requiresthe contribution of all branches;

� Knowledge transfer. This phase isaimed at ensuring that the acquireddata are made available at the requiredtime to the right people in the appro-priate format;

� links to external organizations(“Knowledge brokerage”2). Externalrelationships are a fundamental toolfor the collection of quality informa-tion. Access to these sources requiresdifferent levels of validation, verifica-tion and potentially the exchange ofown products;

� management of the KnowledgeArchitecture. This function allows forthe produced knowledge to be storedin dedicated databases in order toguarantee it’s duly transfer whenrequired. A sound Knowledge archi-tecture will maximise knowledge dis-tribution without overloading staffwith unnecessary and superfluousinformation. Experience shows that

well designed search engines, acces-sible to operational planners and otherend users, reduce the number ofunnecessary requests for alreadyexisting information or analysis prod-ucts. Therefore, a good structuralorganization of information is of para-mount importance for make the exist-ing information available to users fordecision making purposes.Analyzing the above mentioned

points, it becomes evident how a KDStructure needs to articulated alongtwo main sub-structures (“Sections”in military jargon):

� Knowledge Acquisition and Pro-duction (KAP) is the overarchingfunctionality that encompasses thefirst three sub dimensions, meaning:Direction and coordination, Acquisitionand Production. Such functionalitydetermines what knowledge is re-quired, produces a KD Collection Plan,coordinates the acquisition processand transforms acquired Informationinto actionable Knowledge;

� Knowledge Management (KM) isthe overarching functionality thatencompasses the last three of theabove listed functionalities: Know-ledge Transfer, Link to ExternalEntities, and Knowledge ArchitectureManagement. KM is the mean bywhich the organization manages theacquired Knowledge.

Whatever the level (strategic, opera-tional or tactical) of the organization

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2 Knowledge brokerage is the function related to the link and exchange of information with external organizations.

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that has to perform KD, and howeverKD will be implemented within theorganization, the “acquisition and pro-duction” (KAP) and “management”(KM) functionalities need to be carriedout by dedicated people in two differ-ent organizational elements. In partic-ular, the element that conducts theKAP function, after having receivedappropriate guidance, will work onspecific areas of interest and, conse-quently, on one side, will task the var-ious KD SMEs but, on the other, mustbe able to receive contributions fromthe military analysts and experts of thedifferent Branches. It is important toemphasize how, in particular, KD mustbe able to work in close collaborationwith the classic Intelligence produc-tion elements.

Knowledge DevelopmentprocessKnowledge Development is a processthat includes collecting, analysing, andconsolidating previously isolated datainto useable bodies of knowledge, andformatting available Knowledge so

that it can be shared and - finally -used. A simplified overview of the KDprocess is shown in the figure 1.

The primary purpose of KD is to satis-fy information and Knowledge Re-quirements3 (KRs) relating to potentialareas of interest in order to supportdecision making on one side inresponse to specific indications andwarning of an emerging security prob-lem and, on the other, during the rou-tinely planning, execution and assess-ment of operations. The challenge isto make the relevant information avail-able in a form that can be effectivelyused in near real time and to developa level of shared understanding thatsupports timely and effective decisionmaking.

ConclusionsThe KD capability represents forNRDC-ITA a complex problem since itconstitutes a brand new functionalitythat needs to be deeply integratedwithin the existing processes. Beingcomplex by nature, such functionality

requires appropriate structuring interms of clearly defining its underlyingprocesses that need to be appropriate-ly tested in peacetime before beingimplemented in operations. The challenge for the future is relatedto the evolving nature of the KD con-cept within NATO (let’s not forget wedon’t even have an agreed definitionof it so far) and to the consequentnecessity to be able to readily adaptthe KD functionality to possible differ-ent requirements coming from thehigher echelons of Command. For thesame reason, the study J2 has con-ducted within NRDC-ITA on KD, ofwhich the main outcomes are summa-rized in this article, cannot be intendedas a final milestone but, actually, it rep-resents a starting point on which tobuild the KD capacity. ��

REFERENCES

a. Knowledge Development (KD)Concept, dated 12 August 2008.

b. ACO KD Mid-Term Project Review,dated 22 February 2010.

c. Allied Command Operations(ACO) Comprehensive OperationsPlanning Directive (COPD) dated 4 October 2013.

d. Knowledge DevelopmentHandbook, dated 16 March 2011.

e. Tools for Operations PlanningFunctional Area Service (TOPFAS),ANNEX T to SOI 05.03.00.A, dated February 2012.

f. Bi-SC Conceptual Framework forAlliance Operations (CFAO), dated 11 June 2013.

g. ACO Forces Standards Volume V– Joint Headquarters, dated 25 February 2013.24

eeverywhere rapidly 3 A specific need for understanding about a situation in order to make a decision.

FROM THE STAFF

Figure 1: The Knowledge Development process overview

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As sensitivities and vulnerabilitiesbecome threats to national securi-ty, the ability of strategy to compre-hensively respond to global issueswill turn into issue of concern toplanners.

lthough in G5 Plans andPolicy talks of increasingglobalisation and interde-

pendence are now clichéd, non-tradi-tional security issues have begun toinfluence strategy and defence priori-ties in ways that were not fully antici-pated by advocates of the new agen-

da for security in the early 1990s.Even though Malthusian scenarioshave not materialized, low politics arehaving an impact on real-world con-flicts and are shaping national securitystrategies. Just to remind, in the eigh-teenth century, Thomas RobertMalthus took a dim view of utopianphilosophies using data supplied bynone other than Benjamin Franklin onthe population growth rates ofAmerican villages, where populationgrow in a geometric fashion whilefood supplies only increase by merelyan arithmetic ratio. In other words, ifthese trends continued, the human

race would inevitably out pace thefood supply leading to a cataclysmicsocial collapse. Two factors might holdoff this effect: efforts to reduce thebirth rates, which were termed pre-ventive measures; and war, disease,and starvation, which were develop-ments described as positive meas-ures. Albeit, the misnomer did notconsider that trends rarely continueindefinitely into the future, somecountries are becoming increasinglysensitive or even vulnerable to devel-opments in the realm of low politics.Sensitivity and vulnerability are termsdrawn from Robert Keohane and

a

Strategy, Sensitivity andVulnerability

by Lieutenant Colonel ITA (A) Vittorio Lipari�

�

Photo by: OR9 ITA (A) Francesco Civitelli

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26

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FROM THE STAFF

Joseph Nye’s work on complex inter-dependence (2001). Sensitivity refersto the ability of developments outsidenational boundaries to influencedomestic events in other countries.An outbreak of a disease in one coun-try, for example, might cause officialsin a second country to alert domesticpublic heath officials to monitor hos-pital admissions for patients whomight be exhibiting signs of the infec-tion related to the disease. Such aprecautionary measure would entailsome costs and be a matter of poten-tial public concern, but it would notpose a fundamental disruption to lifein any of the two countries. By con-trast, vulnerabilities can cause signifi-cant disruption to domestic econom-ic, social, or political activity, if theemergence and spread of the infec-tion crosses the line from sensitivityto vulnerability because it significant-ly affects international travel and thenthe economies of the countriesinvolved.Since the 1990s, several non tradi-tional security issues have movedfrom being best considered as hypo-thetical scenarios, to creating sensi-tivities in some countries, to creatingsignificant vulnerabilities in othernations. For instance, commonsissues related to environmentaldegradation, while unlikely to pro-duce Malthusian consequences, areemerging as sensitivities in countrieswhose policy-makers worry that envi-ronmental restrictions could hamperthe exploitation of local naturalresources. The tragedy of the com-mons is an example of the tyranny ofsmall decisions, a situation in whichunintended and negative conse-quences are produced by individualsfollowing their reasonable, albeit nar-

row, self interest. The tragedy of thecommons is generally produced by aninternational failure to undertake col-lective protection of the environmentor to conserve resources. Similarly,the world is in no immediate danger ofexhausting its petroleum reserves, butthe continued growth in the worldeconomy has tightened world energymarkets. Industrial economies aroundthe globe can now see domesticeconomies threatened by oil marketsthat are highly sensitive or vulnerableto foreign interest. Resources issuesare not sparking wars, but the threatof war or war itself is no poised tohave significant impact on the sup-ply of raw material and the globaleconomy.

Demographic trends, especially theso called youth bulge, are also havingan impact on strategy and nationalsecurity. Armies of disaffected youthare not massing in the mega cities ofthe world, but young people arebeing recruited by terrorist networksto undertake nefarious schemes.Cases in point revealed that opera-tives from disaffected youth wererecruited from different countries andhave organized themselves more orless spontaneously to undertakeattacks on urban transit systems.Demographics alone have not creat-ed a specific threat, but they havehelped to alter the general securityenvironment facing police and mili-tary forces. In response to the inter-

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national terrorist threat, many coun-tries have altered their domesticsecurity and foreign policy strategiesand policies. Ideology, disease, poli-tics, economics, and demographicshave interacted to produce significantthreats to national security.A critical point of including resource,environmental, or population issueson national security agendas mightsuggest that many of these globaldevelopments threaten the healthand welfare of both individuals andstates and therefore should be con-sidered as threats to security. Theymight suggest as well that the factthat military forces or strategistsrequire to be adapted to deal withemerging problems demonstrates

that traditional ways of thinking aboutsecurity are simply not up to the chal-lenge of dealing with emerging twen-ty first century issues. A decision notto treat the emergence of a new drugresistant strain of influenza as athreat to national security for exam-ple, would thus be viewed as aneffort to minimize the importance ofthe issue. But the fact that some-thing is a threat to health and welfarecan not automatically make it a secu-rity problem in the sense that strate-gy or military force can minimize it.Hundreds of thousands of peopleevery year are killed in automobileaccidents, but no one would suggestthat military force should somehowbe used to improve highway safety.

By contrast, the purpose of thisthought was not to dismiss theseglobal trends and transnational issuesas threats to national or individualsecurity or to minimize the gravity ofthe challenge created by environmen-tal damage, disease, or populationgrowth in the developing world.Instead, it offered a mixed assess-ment of the ability of strategy or mili-tary force to respond to global issues.On balance, there was a significantand growing interaction betweenstrategy and many of the items onthe new agenda for national security.While not a security issue per se,demographics or resource issues(tight energy markets) are interactingwith other trends to shape the globalsecurity environment and influencestrategy. The spread of infectious dis-ease also might play a greater part inthe making of strategy and defencepolicy in the years ahead.Environmental damage caused by themanufacture, maintenance, and dis-posal of weaponry is also an issue ofconcern to strategists. Indeed, theissues that appear to be beyond thereach of strategy are the environmen-tal, resource, and commons prob-lems that generated interest in a newconcept of security in the first place.Those who see these issues asimportant should be relieved by theassessment presented to this matter.Defining these issues as engineering,public health, or educational prob-lems is far more constructive thansomehow trying to resolve them bythe threat or use of force. But in anincreasingly globalized and complexworld, issues of low politics appear tobe capable not of creating conflict,but of exacerbating the effects ofpolitical and military disputes. ��

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FCT 13 has been the NATOResponse Force (NRF) CISInteroperability exercise for

Commanders in preparation of NRF

2014. Main objective of the exercisewas to assess the level of interoper-ability between headquarters andcommands and prepare future NRF

supporting transformation, towardsnew concepts as the ComprehensiveApproach or Cyber Defence. Morethan 19 Countries were represented

28

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FROM THE STAFF

STEADFAST COBALT2013 (SFCT 13)EXERCISE -The rightvenue for new CISsolutions �

sPhoto by: PAO NRDC - ITA

by Captain ITA (A) Domenico D’Alò�

9 20-12-2013 9:48 Pagina 28

and involved, either as training audi-ence or observers and convened inWALCZ, a nice village in POLAND.Their Deployable CommunicationInformation System (CIS) Units sup-ported both NATO COMMANDSTRUCTURE and NATO FORCESTRUCTURE and at the same time theJoint Force Command Brunssumacted as JTF HQ due to its role to beplayed if NRF 14 is activated.Under the lead of SHAPE J6, NRDC-ITA gave its contribution to the suc-cess of SFCT13, installing and runningcommunication systems and allFunctional Area Services (FaS) thatwere required for the Joint Task Forceheadquarters. This training was mainlyfocused in three key areas:1. Communication (COMMs);2. Information Systems/CORE

SERVICES (IS/CS);3. FaS.

NRDC ITA played the exercise activephase from 09 to 21 May, but it wasprefaced by a successful planning

phase which allowed us torent and acquire last genera-tion equipment using fundsshrewdly.The deployment was really com-plex and G6 Branch had the full leadof the operation, deploying abroadcontainers and Command Post shel-ters, fully equipped to provide all CISsupport including satellite links, VideoTeleconference, Voice capabilities andall NATO networks.1st Signal Rgt deployed a very welltrained platoon and the exercise was aparamount opportunity to share CISbackgrounds and know how with allother National CIS Units.NRDC-ITA deployed G6 personnel andSubject Matter Experts for eachFunctional Area Systems which nor-mally is implemented on the NATONetworks. Such Staff worked closelywith all NATO CIS and Operationalcommunity, having the chance to seeand test C2 tools normally exploited ina JTF context, which contribute topopulate the NATO Common Ope-

rational Picture (NCOP), which, assoon as the experimental phase isconcluded, will represent the newplatform for all NATO FASs.Particularly significant the NRDC ITAcontribution to the Testing phase,which was interesting because exper-imental solutions and tools wereshowed to support brand new NATOconcept as Comprehensive Approachand Cyber Defence.At SFCT 13, NRDC-ITA, once for gooddemonstrated its ability to supportexercises and future operations.Moreover, SFCT13 was a venue thatperfectly demonstrated how NRDCITA can interface with NATO Com-mand/Force structure, NATO CISGroups and belonging units. ��

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hen they arrived fromGrosseto, we could notbelieve our eyes. We

had in front of us three guns, threepieces of artillery of great value.Different in history and past, but witha common destiny, saved from scrap-ping to become a symbol of ancientglories of war.It was the end of 2011 when theCommander of NRDC-ITA, LieutenantGeneral Giorgio Battisti, told us that inthe Grosseto Artillery Deposit therewere some pieces of old guns, avail-able to build an open air museum in

the Ugo Mara Barracks. Through theHistorical Office of the Army GeneralStaff and the Logistic Command of theArmy, we received three beautifulpieces: an British cannon 5.5 inchesBL Mk. III l/30 (U.S. 140/30 ), and twoItalian cannons, a 105/28 caliber and a90/53 caliber.

All those pieces were in a pitiful state,rusty and ruined by time, so we startedto work on them. I first began to collectinformation about the history of thethree pieces and at the same time ateam of mechanics and painters started

to clean up the cannons. After twomonths, they were ready for display.

The 140/30 was an artillery piece usedby the British Army. It was designedto replace the Howitzer 6, and startedto be used in 1941, during the battle ofEl Alamein. It was eventually replacedby the 155 mm FH70 NATO in theearly 1980s. The British ArtilleryRegiment during World War Two hadeight of these guns in their Batteries.Even in Italy from the late 1940s andthroughout the post-war period, thispiece was used. The 149/19 was used30

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by Lieutenant Colonel ITA (A) Pietro Scinardo�

�

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Three old glories

FROM THE STAFF

Photo by PAO NRDC - ITA

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in Heavy Artillery Regiments, beforebeing replaced by the155/23 USA. TheHeavy Artillery Regiments that stillused, in the mid- 50s the 140/30, werethe 3°,4°,6°,8°,22°,27° and 41°.

The cannon 105/28 was an artillerypiece used by the Royal Army duringthe First and Second World Wars asheavy artillery. The production of thegun 105/28 began in September 1914,but it was only used in September1916. At the end of the year, 14 armedgroups with this gun were lined up onthe front. On 10 June 1940, when Italyentered World War Two, there were956 pieces of 105 /28.These artillery groups operated in dif-ferent units:

� Ravenna Division, 11th ArtilleryRegiment. � Sforza Division, 17th ArtilleryRegiment.� Cosseria Division, 37th ArtilleryRegiment.� Ariete Division, 132nd ArtilleryRegiment.� Centauro Division, 131st ArtilleryRegiment.� Littorio Division, 133th ArtilleryRegiment.� Celere Division “Emanuele FilibertoTesta di ferro”, 134 h Artillery Regiment.

In Cyrenaica there were 8 groups and4 batteries, forming around a hundredpieces. Unfortunately all the pieceswere lost during the British counter-offensive in December 1940 - Ja-nuary 1941. In the following monthsit is unknown how many pieces weresaved and delivered to Italy, becauseof the attacks of the British navalships. In Tunisia the number of105/28 was only 33 pieces, but nonecame back to Italy. In June 1943, thecannon 105/28 was also used in thearea of Anzio, in a unit of the 3rd

“Colleoni” Artillery Regiment, “Bar-barigo” Battalion.There is no specific information aboutthe pieces available in areas alreadyoccupied by the Allies, apart from 32pieces in Sardinia. After the SecondWorld War, it was dismissed post-1951.

The 90/53 is another old glory of theArmy, similar to the most famousGerman 88 mm. We are currently inthe process of restoring it. ��

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Journeyof187days…

by Baiba Silicka Sechi

f I say that the news on TV can bemy best friend and fiercest

enemy, would you believe me?

If I tell you that I don’t live by the solar cal-endar but by my very own, would it betrue?

At the moment my calendar is 187days, which for ordinary situationswould be nothing. This period would flyby. But now – every single day feels likeone year long. The only good thing isthat I still look the same as when those187 days begun!!! =)

We who stay home must be strong forour kids and our husbands. There is notime to relax really – even though, nowand then, we women get together andtalk, laugh, travel, cook lunch together.And it’s all wonderful, because none of usneed to say what we feel inside. It is allwritten in our eyes. We ALL are on duty.

We have to have an extremely goodsense of humour – to cheer up our menand kids when they feel down. Withsmile.With loving word.With anything wecan do for them.

Do I see it as my husband’s job. No, I seeit as a sacrifice that he makes for others,

even if for him it means to leave his clos-est and loved ones behind. But just phys-ically – his heart is at home. And this issomething that not everyone could do.This is why I admire and I am so proud ofmy Man. He is able not only to save lives,but also to keep his family happy – fromfar away!

Do we Mothers and Wives have our darkdays? Oh, yes!!! Of course we do! Thereare days when every single thing seamsto spin out of control! What do we do?Well it depends, how difficult the situationis! =) (or we think it is difficult! As we arewomen, we can have our little dramamoments too!) So there are few options– we think, we cry, we find a back door,but we always get up and move on smil-ing like if sun is shining brighter than ever!=) Mostly probably for the sake of ourfamily and kids. You don’t want to upsetanyone. Because our kids don’t under-stand Why mammy was smiling 10 min-utes ago and now she is being upset.Even more, no matter how many calen-dars with stickers you put on the wallsaround your house, how much you talk toyour children – they don’t understand yet,why it is Babbo (Daddy, Papá) who has togo and save someone? Why can’t he justgo to work and in the evening comehome again? What has changed? Why?Have I done something wrong?

And this is the reason why the usualgames are not so fun anymore. Why thebicycle is catching dust. Why the football

game in not exciting when played withmammy. She is a girl after all! Doesn’thave a clue how to kick the right goal!Why the favourite food tastes different,not like when Babbo is preparing it. As Ijoke – I am on natural diet. (Can’t complainabout that! Especially when your waist-line gets slimmer! Haha!) Many, manymore day-to-day situations are completelydifferent.

It is difficult. And no one said it Will Beeasy! But we adults can understand itand bare it. However, kids will tell youexactly what they feel. Either tell -either ignore you!=)

There are moments when kids are nottalking or talking very little with theirfather. Moments that are difficult for all ofus. For young kids it is because they can’texplain why they don’t want to talk rightnow, however, after 15 minutes they runback to you crying that they want to talkto Babbo. For my husband because heknows that at the moment he can’tchange anything and feels a bit guiltybecause of his helplessness. And for me– well, I have to keep calm both sides –kids and father.=) As I said before – we allare on duty! =) And this is one of the situ-ations. =)

But we all look to the bright side! One ofthe little benefits is that while Babbo isnot home, we can prepare so many nicesurprises for him, without being caught!!!=) We can win the games of football, wecan learn something new about life and insome sense to grow up a little. We canlearn alphabet and numbers, and countuntil 20 (in English and Italian), rhymes,stories, paint so many nice paintings.Learn songs for the big day when Babbocomes home! The day when they canshow to their father how well he has32

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cared for them and loved them – theyhave grown into these wonderful per-sons. To show that all the hard work wasnot just a waste of time and health.

Our lives are full of challenges, tears,joy, respect, understanding, proudness,longing, laughter, and many more emo-

tions that words or helping hands can’tsay and give.

We are thousands of miles apart, but clos-er and stronger than ever.

We are extremely proud of our Babboand we are always there for you, like

you are always here for us!!!

Message from kids: “Ti vogliobeneBabbo!”iSeki =)

To the all families – stay strong andtomorrow you will be even stronger. ��

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he rain does not stop 900soldiers at the Strami-

lano 2013, Milan

24th March 2013 - Sunday usually is aday of rest, but despite a gloomy andrainy day the soldiersof the NATO RapidDeployable Corps –Italy, and their subordi-nate Units flooded thestreets of Milan forthe 42nd “Stramilano”running marathon, dedicated to theworld running champion PietroMennea .The legendary cannon shot of theHorse Artillery "Voloire" Regiment,accompanied by the notes of the

Bersaglieri Fanfare, kicked off thethree races: “Stramilano dei 50,000”,“Stramilanina” for kids and “Stra-milano Agonistica Internazionale” fortop athletes.

Among the participants ofthe NATO Command HQ,represented by GeneralRosario Castellano, Chiefof Staff of the NRDC-ITA,about 900 Officers, NCOsand Volunteers of the 15

Allied Nations, with their families,spent quality time together participat-ing in the “Stramilano dei 50.000”over 10 km, through the city centre ofMilan, from Duomo Square to theCivic Arena .

A special award, for the largest mili-tary group with 351 athletes, was wonby the 1st Signal Regiment. The prize,received by the Commander, GiordanoEusepi, was dedicated to the memoryof the Italian Army Captain MassimoFicuciello, who died 10 years ago inNasiriyah.

A new challenge for the heart!

7th April 2013 - Marathonersand relay runners joined thethirteenth edition of the MilanCity Marathon 2013, to runfor SOS Children's Foundation, sup-porting the association and becomingambassadors for a day. The major

Stramilano and the Milan City Marathon

tby Captain ITA (A) Paola Gori� Photo by: CPL ITA (A) Marina Dore e CPL ITA (A) Federica Bello

�

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international marathons have estab-lished a real Charity Program, to allowparticipants to combine a passion fortravel with solidarity.

Five thousand athletes, among them alarge NRDC-ITA military presence,took part in the Milan City Marathon2013. The race started from MilanoRho, through the symbol of Milan SanSiro stadium, the Arch of Peace, theParco Sempione, the Duomo, the

Navigli, the Civic Arena and the classicstreets of Porta Venezia, the fashiondistrict, Piazza Scala and ForoBonaparte, to the finish in PiazzaCastello.

Three relay teams and two athletesfrom NRDC-ITA, competed in the fullmarathon distance of 42,195 km, insupport of the “Bambini Cardiopaticinel Mondo”, a non-profit and inde-pendent organization that helps care

for children with heart problems inEthiopia.

Every year the sporting events for theNATO Command offer an opportunityfor communication and fundraising; mil-itary personnel pick up their runningshoes and start out on a sporting jour-ney, with the aim to reinforce the mutu-al respect and goodwill that existsbetween these NATO nations in anatmosphere of friendly partnership. ��

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ine months has passed sincethe last news from the Family

Support Centre, more or less thesame period spent by our soldiers inthe ISAF Mission in Afghanistan.During this time, the Family SupportCentre worked very hard in collabora-tion and coordination with the NATOInternational Wives Club, and organiz-ing families’ events, to stay togetherlike in a big family. The relationshipwith the municipalities of Valle Olona,and Solbiate Olona, helped the staff togo on.Thanks to the assistance of the City ofSolbiate Olona, we had the opportuni-ty to make a computer course forbeginners, with exciting results fromparticipants who have requested anupdate in the future. The kindergarten,inside the HQ, once again, raised thepercentage of enrollment, in particularamongst civilians.The Family Support Centre, being thefirst point of contact for all newcom-ers, has provided a very big contribu-tion in terms of housing inside andoutside the Barracks, trying to facili-tate the integration in the area. Wecan say that the Centre, however, isopen to any suggestions because themotto is and always will be: “We willnever walk alone!” ��36

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FamilySupportCentre: Herewe are again

by Warrant Officer Class One ITA (A)Antonio Spinelli

� �

n hen I first arrivedin Italy I was anx-

ious for two reasons. Firstlybecause I had left, not onlymy country, but more impor-tantly my city where I kneweverybody and everybodyknew me. I had my routine,and even though I had pre-cious little free time, I managed to jug-gle my work, my family and myfriends. The second reason related to

the first, was that I wasworried that I might bealone, without friends andthus have nobody withwhom to chat, to share acoffee or spend timetogether.

Obviously these concernshave been quickly swept away. TodayI did indeed spend time with somefriends and share a coffee! I have to

Happy to be a NIWIC member! �

by E.Mouille�

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say that it is partially thanks to NIWICand its dynamic members. From myarrival I was welcomed and judged forwhat I am, a French lady who speaksEnglish and Italian very badly but whotries. In fact all this trying means that Ican now communicate much better inboth languages. Thanks to my dearfriends and their patience.

But it is necessary to say the wholetruth: it is because I have made the ini-

tiative to go join in and get involvedthat they have welcomed me. It is thisexperience that makes me want to bepart of NIWIC and help organise funand interesting activities whose suc-cess relies on your participation.

Come and give it a go. We would loveto meet you at our next meeting.

Testimonials

Moi j'aime aller à la rencontre de voustoutes... J'ai besoin de contact, dedécouvrir d'autres cultures et passerde bons moments de rigolades.THERESE

Io ho cominciato a partecipare alNIWIC, perchè non conoscevo nes-suno appena arrivata e volevo incon-trare persone che avessero qualcosain comune con me, per fare nuoveamicizie. GIANCARLA

Tomo parte de las actividades de laNIWIC porque cuando te quedas en elextranjero todo lo que te va a pasar esuna experiencia genial. BELEN

I like participating in NIWIC activi-ties as I feel it is a good way tomeet and socialise with an inter-national community. I like learningabout other nationalities and enjoythe learning opportunities thatNIWIC affords with regard toItalian language courses. I alsoenjoy taking part in the variedactivities that are organised!LEIGH ��

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ne of the features of NRDC-ITA is to be a multinational

organization, which takes advantageof staff experience from 15 differentcountries, from both the professionaland cultural point of view. For thatreason it is necessary that differentcultures come together in order tocelebrate the best of each other, unit-ed by a sense of participation andbelonging, complementing eachother, in the social environment of thehost country in order to gain maxi-

mum benefit from the multinationalexperience.

To strengthen interpersonal ties andpromote these cultural exchanges,once a year all the HQ organizes aspecial day, when families are the pro-tagonists and where all can enhancesynergies with institutions, associa-tions and organizations of the neigh-boring territory. On 28th September,NRDC-ITA celebrated the Family Dayin Solbiate Olona, organizing a day of

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The NRDC-ITA celebrates Family Day 2013

o

by Lieutenant Colonel ITA (A) Tommaso Martello�

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Photo by: CPL ITA (A) Giusy Sorgente e CPL ITA (A) Federica Bello

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celebration and social interaction, butalso an opportunity to talk about thetraditions and culture of the profes-sionals in uniform. Moreover, thisyear the event had a special meaning,because many colleagues aredeployed in Kabul, engaged in theISAF mission in Afghanistan.

Immediately after the spectacular air-drop of ANPI paratroopers (ItalianNational Paratroopers Association)who landed in the middle of the eventwith Italian flag in hand, the NRDC-ITACommander, Lieutenant GeneralGiorgio Battisti, greeted the 2,500participants present through a video-conference message from Kabul,Afghanistan.

General Battisti stressed the impor-tance of family for the military person-nel: "Behind every great soldier thereis always a great family, families arecalled to deal with enormous sacri-fices, suffering patiently and in

silence all the missions abroad andour absence from everyday life.”

Particularly popular during the eventwas the opening parade, organizedby the Club veicoli militari storicisharing their passion for militaryvehicles, followed by the fabulousCava dei Tirreni flag-wavers, whocaptivated the attention of thecrowd. A unique event was the spec-tacle of the Hungarian SpecialMilitary Parade Group, with theirweapon display, followed by LaBaldoria, the historical Italian AlpineMilitary Band, famous worldwide for 39

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their historic uniforms taken from theCacciatori delle Alpi unit. And whatbetter place for this "melting pot" ofcultures than the food stand, withthe taste of different national special-ties all masterfully prepared by

Campagnari staff, in which Italy wasrepresented by selected productsfrom the Agricultura District andFood Quality of the Valtellina.

A day definitely atypical compared to

those of the staff of NRDC–ITA, usedto living in the "Ugo Mara” Barracks,but a much appreciated event tostrengthen the spirit of cohesion ofthe families and different culturespresent amongst us. ��

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ewww.nato.int/nrdc-it

ISTITUTO RICERCHE S T U D II N F O R M A Z I O N I D I F E S A

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