[ad_1]
Seven questions to an Italian rifle officer helping to preserve a secure environment in Kosovo, as part of the NATO-led KFOR mission.
What are you doing?
I am a Colonel in the Italian Riflemen and I am currently the Commander of NATO’s Multinational Specialized Unit (MSU) based in Pristina, Kosovo. I have been a Carabinieri officer for more than 35 years, so I was part of a gendarmerie-type force, exercising both military and police tasks for a long time. And now I’m commanding an MSU, which is a regiment-sized military unit that performs police duties – a perfect match!
What makes your work unique?
I guess the duality of a military unit performing civilian police duties makes the SSM in Kosovo unique. We are helping to establish a safe and secure environment for all local communities and to rebuild the local police force. This is really important for ensuring long-term security in areas emerging from conflict.
Achieving stabilization through police-related activities is what we call in the jargon “Stability Police”. The stability police rely on gendarmerie-type forces, that is to say military forces which have civilian police missions at the heart of their functions. Some of these missions (e.g. public order and security management, police intelligence, terrorism and organized crime investigations) require specific civilian police expertise and a typical civilian mindset gendarmerie-type forces; other tasks (eg election security and critical site security) require dedicated training and specific equipment that can be performed by different military actors. In summary, the Stability Police help fight crime and restore reliable law enforcement structures to support sustainable local governance and, in the long run, strengthen society.
What does your daily work consist of?
Since the Kosovo Police (KP) assumed primary responsibility for maintaining public order in Kosovo years ago, the MSU today serves as a tactical reserve for the KFOR commander. As such, we are tasked with rapidly deploying a Ready on Call sub-unit to manage public order and conduct crowd and riot control. We are also carrying out patrols in Mitrovica and its most sensitive point, the Austerlitz bridge over the Ibar river, which has been a recurring scene of inter-ethnic clashes.
We also liaise with the Kosovo Police and can provide support through specialized training, and as the MSU Commander, I assist and advise the KFOR Commander on all civilian police matters. and provides analysis on terrorist and criminal activities in Kosovo.
What is the most recent achievement of the unit you are ordering?
The work undertaken in the area of gender-related domestic violence deserves, for me, a special mention. This crime has increased dramatically in recent years, leading to an increase in the number of testimonies made to the Kosovo police. The SSM has helped to establish “user-friendly rooms” in Kosovo police stations, allowing officers to deal with complaints of domestic violence in an appropriate environment. He also provided food and clothing for women and children living in safe houses.
What exactly are riflemen?
Well, first of all, the riflemen are the fourth branch of the Italian armed forces; at the same time, they serve as a national police force, with full competence in civilian police matters. In short, the Arma dei Carabinieri is a gendarmerie-type force of 110,000 men, performing both military and police tasks.
In its military capacity, it contributes to national defense and Italian operational deployments with NATO, the European Union and the United Nations. It also provides military police service to the Italian Army, Navy and Air Force. As the national police force, it provides regular police service to the population. For example, he specializes in the police aspects of protecting cultural property, safeguarding wildlife and the environment, investigating organized crime and controlling crowds and riots. Carabinieri may also be responsible for the protection of Italian diplomatic offices and personnel stationed abroad, a task carried out by the 1st Regiment of Parachute Riflemen “Tuscania” for high risk missions.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Working in an international environment is surely the best part of my job, as I believe in the benefit of understanding different cultural approaches to solving problems and overcoming challenges. It is certainly an opportunity for professional growth, but also for personal growth; it considerably broadens its horizons.
What don’t your colleagues know about you?
Most of my colleagues do not know my passion for the sea and for sailing. I often apply the principles of boat crew management in my daily work as a captain; this means that all crew members – regardless of rank and role – must know exactly which route to take and the final destination, so that each can operate independently and take initiative. It also means that everyone feels responsible and that they are an indispensable part of a team that has common goals.
[ad_2]
Source link