A few weeks after the renewal of the United Nations Security Council resolution that legitimizes its presence in Lebanon, the Italian Blue Helmets of the UNIFIL mission (United Nation Interim Force in Lebanon), continue to ensure control of the vast area of responsibility together with the LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces), whose support is one of the pillars on which the UN mandate in the Land of the Cedars is based.
Cooperation, interoperability and coordination are the fundamental parameters on which the constant training activity conducted daily by the soldiers of the Italian maneuver battalion operating in the western sector of the UNIFIL area of operations is based, entrusted to the command of Brigadier General Giuseppe Bertoncello, who also holds the role of commander of the National Contingent.
The last training module just ended, developed jointly with the 5 ^ Brigade of the LAF, had as a scenario the operational approach in inhabited centers, with the aim of harmonizing the respective technical-tactical procedures. In particular, the training progression saw, in its initial phase, deepen the techniques of joint movement and the formations of a mixed patrol, and then focus attention on the environmental remediation of individual buildings of various conformation and nature.
During all phases, the wounding of team members, their stabilization by military rescuers and subsequent exfiltration on tactical means were simulated. To raise the level of correspondence to the reality of training, simulation ammunition with marking ogive was also used.
For joint training with the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Italian-led Command of the Western Sector of UNIFIL periodically deploys experienced officers in the field of operational and training planning, organizing with instructors of the 5th Aosta Infantry Regiment of Messina and the Aosta Lancers Regiment (6th) of Palermo intense training activities in the area of the Chewakeer polygon, near the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. The Italian mission in Lebanon led by the Aosta Brigade is responsible for the West Sector of UNIFIL in which 3,800 Blue Helmets from 16 of the 48 countries contributing to the UN mission operate and which includes over 1,000 Italian Blue Helmets.
Follow us on our Telegram channel