Staff Ride Day 2 – Montecassino

On the second day, SC 138 Course Members joined a Staff Ride to the battlefields of Montecassino where they received briefings from experts, in addition to having the opportunity to pay their respects at several monuments and cemeteries.

An introduction to the day was given by MGEN Sir Sebastian Roberts, after which the two groups of CMs split up to go to different stands and hear the briefings in the field, thereby enhancing their strategic, NATO and emotional quotients.

The first stop was at San Pietro Infine to hear a briefing from Subject Matter Expert LTC Livio Cavallaro. Two Italian Course Members, the Commandant of the NATO Defense College LGEN Olivier Rittimann, the Director of Management of the NDC, BGEN Riccardo Brizi and the Mayor of San Pietro Infine laid a wreath at the foot of one of the town’s monuments on behalf of the NATO Defense College. There followed a visit to the town which is maintained in its post war ruined state as a permanent memorial to the suffering experienced by Italian civilians.

The French Cemetery in Venafro was the second stop for the Commandant of the NDC who paid his respects to all the French soldiers by laying another wreath on behalf of the NATO Defense College; he was accompanied by the deputy Mayor of Venafro.

St Angelo in Theodice was the third place visited where Course Members heard briefings from Subject Matter Experts. The Canadian Senior National Representative at the College, along with a Pakistani Course Member, laid a wreath at the Commonwealth Cemetery in Cassino, with the mayor, the Commandant, the DoM and the Chief of the local Police in attendance.

The Abbey of Montecassino and Castle hill were the next two places visited with more detailed briefings on the battle. The last stand of the day was at the Polish Cemetery where the Polish Senior National Representative at the College, together with a Polish Course Member, the Commandant and the Director of Management paid their respects to the Polish soldiers by laying a wreath on the tomb of General Wladyslaw Anders, Commander of the Second Polish Corps during the Battle of Montecassino.

NDC Public Affairs Office
(Prepared by Ms Laura Garcia Pesquera, ESP C)