On Monday 19th March 2012, on the inaugural day of its first Field Study period, Senior Course 120 visited the Italian Joint Operational Command (“Comando Operativo di vertice Interforze”, or “COI”) at Rome’s Francesco Baracca Airport. The NDC delegation was warmly welcomed by the COI Commandant, Lieutenant General Marco Bertolini, who gave Course Members an introductory briefing about the Command’s main activities.
This was followed by a video teleconference with Brigadier General Luciano Portolano, Commander Regional Command West (RCW), Herat. The speaker not only offered a comprehensive overview of the current situation in Afghanistan, but also provided candid and exhaustive answers to Course Members’ questions.
The first of three talks was then given by Minister Giovanni Brauzzi, Senior Advisor on Strategic Issues within the Directorate General for Security and Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He analyzed Italian foreign policy, focusing on the importance of relations not only with the UN, EU and NATO but also with many non-allied countries.
The next speaker was Dr. Vincenzo Delicato, who is responsible for International Bilateral Affairs in Law Enforcement Issues within the Police Department at the Ministry of the Interior. He offered Course Members valuable insight into issues connected with transnational organised crime and smuggling of migrants, underlining the challenges Italy is facing in terms of illegal immigration.
Brigadier General Gianni Candotti, Deputy Chief of the Plans and Policy Department at the Italian Armed Forces Joint Staff, then provided the NDC group with an in-depth analysis of defence policy. He highlighted the main commitments and future challenges for the Italian Armed Forces, placing current defence issues in the difficult context of resource constraints.
The session concluded with an open discussion, during which a range of thought-provoking questions were discussed very frankly and thoroughly.
LtCol. Mario Masdea, Chief Public Affairs and Protocol Officer, ITA-A
NATO Defense College 