173rd Airborne Brigade, Italian carabinieri share training, experiences
Members of the local Italian carabinieri talk with Soldiers from the rear detachment of U.S. Army Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team about their deployment experiences during a cross-cultural awareness and information operations training session at the carabinieri compound in Vicenza, Italy, Sept. 11.
VICENZA, Italy -- Noncommissioned officers from the rear detachment of U.S. Army Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team shared deployment experiences and lessons learned with Italian military law enforcement officers during cultural awareness and information operations training here, Sept. 11.
The focus of the training was on exchanging best practices with the brigade's partners in the carabinieri -- the Italian MP force -- said rear detachment 1st Sgt. Timothy Jensen. Jensen and Staff Sgt. Bruce Cobbeldick of the brigade Public Affairs Office led and facilitated the session.
The Americans and Italians who participated in the training are all veterans of combat in Afghanistan, which created a bond among them and provided plenty of opportunities to exchange ideas, observations and best practices, Cobbeldick said.
The training examined how cultural awareness and information sharing can help to reduce tensions in the local population in a counterinsurgency environment and ensure positive mission success. Cobbeldick said the ultimate goal is to help coalition forces and local citizens to understand each others' norms, religions, languages and sensitivities.
Participants had a chance to share ideas and look at ways to approach things from some new angles, to encourage coalition forces in a counterinsurgency environment to focus on approaching missions in ways that help create positive impressions and shape positive outcomes. That awareness, coupled with good strategic communication programs, can influence local citizens in ways that lessen tensions, thwart confusion and assumptions, and -- most importantly -- reduce violence, Cobbeldick said.
Warrant Officer 3 Marco Tupini from the carabinieri's Training Evaluation and Lessons Learned Office said the training was meaningful and empowering. While it refreshed, reinforced and validated concepts the Italians already learn and apply in crisis management and reconstruction operations, he said, he particularly liked the session's emphasis on how important establishing and maintaining operational concepts and lines of effort are to an organization's success.
"I've learned that without considering the cultural awareness issues, there are strong possibilities of failure of our mission," said local carabinieri commander Lt. Col. Vito Camassa.
In Afghanistan, Cobbeldick said, strategic communication is important enough to be considered one of the 173rd's four main lines of effort. Class participants discussed how that boils down to sending the right messages to the enemy and local citizens, as well as helping our own forces understand the principles and goals of both sides of a conflict.
"A unit that succeeds in conveying its vision and mission purpose, right down to the squad and individual Soldiers, has a big advantage in the information war," he said. At the same time, allied forces must have a grasp of the ideology of their enemies if they want to "get to the root of an insurgency."
Camassa said he felt the training helped to better prepare the carabinieri for operations in a counterinsurgency environment by teaching concepts and strategies to reduce tension and violence, but added that the most important thing about it was enhancing the liaison between partners who operate together in the Afghan theater.
Find more articles tagged with:
Related Topics
Related Articles
-
The close of an era: A-10 Thunderbolt makes final flight over the Grafenwoehr Training Area
On April 24, 2013, the A-10 Thunderbolt took flight over Grafenwoehr Training Area’s impact area for the last time.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Aviano Airmen train with Spanish counterparts
More than 250 Airmen and 14 F-16 Fighting Falcons from Aviano Air Base returned from a training mission to Zaragoza Air Base, Spain, March 27.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Kansas Guardsmen return from week long deployment to Armenia
A three-person team from the Kansas National Guard’s 235th Regiment has returned from a weeklong trip to the Republic of Armenia where they conducted a site survey for basic medical first responder and casualty evacuation procedures.Find more articles tagged with:
-
French, Italian and U.S. Military Coordinate Rescue
The French navy, Italian Coast Guard, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (CNE-CNA) Personnel Recovery team and aircrewmen assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 67, assisted in the rescue of approximately 40 people adrift in a 15-meter inflatable boat in the Mediterranean Sea, 35 miles north of the Libyan coast, March 27.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Minnesotan, Norwegian Soldiers Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership
After two action-packed weeks, the 40th Anniversary of the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange (NOREX) has come an end. The longest partnership-in-training between two nations, NOREX has been, and continues to be, a shining example of the positive reciprocity that can exist between allied militaries.Find more articles tagged with:
-
31st MUNS provides precision execution for the mission
When a jet takes off from Aviano loaded with munitions in support of an operation, the Airmen from the 31st Munitions Squadron know they've done their job.Find more articles tagged with:
-
U.S. nurses helping to improve Moldovan Healthcare system
Two National Guard and three civilian nurses from North Carolina are sharing expertise this week with their Moldovan counterparts at the Ministries of Defense and Health.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Italian Sailors Make History on Kearsarge
USS Kearsarge had eight sailors from the Italian Marina Militare set sail with the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready GroupFind more articles tagged with:
-
Sky Soldiers conduct mil-to-mil training in Bulgaria
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Edwin Maldonado, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles Drafall and Capt. Aaron Becker had the opportunity to travel to Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, to mentor and instruct the 2nd Mechanized Brigade of the Bulgarian Army.Find more articles tagged with:
-
Allied Flags raised over Del Din marks historic step
The Italian, American and NATO flags were hoisted for the first time ever at Caserma Del Din March 1 in Vicenza, Italy.Find more articles tagged with:
Comments: 0