SHIRBRIG Operational Mission Study in LEBANON

 

 

According to SHIRBRIG Annual Operating Plan 2008 an Operational Mission Study was conducted by visiting the UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN LEBANON (UNIFIL) from 20th to 25th January 2008.

 

The SHIRBRIG team, chaired by Chief of Staff Colonel Tatschl, left Denmark for Lebanon on Sunday January 20th.

 

The team arrived to Beirut International Airport at 1600 hours and was met by the designated escort officer, Major Patané, and UNIFIL LO to the Lebanese authorities, Colonel Barone, both from the Italian Army.

 

While in the area, the Polish Logistic HQ was responsible for the transportation for the most critical movements while Ghana’s Military Police was responsible for the escort.

 

Day 2

 

The first appointment for COS/SHIRBRIG and his 3 branch chiefs was the meeting with the UNIFIL Force Commander and Head of Mission, Major General Claudio Graziano.

 

Office Call with Major General Claudio Graziano (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

During the short visit in his office, at the presence of prominent members of his staff, one of the major topics discussed was a possible cooperation between UNIFIL and SHIRBRIG in the development of an exercise to be conducted in the Area of Responsibility of the mission.

The exchange of gifts concluded this first paramount appointment of the mission study.

 

After this first part of the visit the delegation gathered inside the Information Operations Center for the Standard UNIFIL Briefing at the presence of all the relevant Branch Heads of the mission.

 

Operation briefing at UNIFIL HQ (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

 

After lunch at the Northern Mess of Naqoura HQ, while the Chief of Staff with G3 was visiting the JOC receiving the related briefing, all the other Officers and NCOs where received by their respective counterparts.

The busy afternoon included all the briefings held by the Commanders of the subunits present in UNIFIL HQ. It started with a comprehensive briefing followed by a visit of the installations under the responsibility of POLLOG; the second appointment was with TF ITALAIR while the final meeting was at the UNIFIL hospital where we were met by the Hospital Commander Lt.Col. Das.

 

Signing the Guests book at POLLOG HQ (Photo courtesy SFC Benjamin Klint)

 

Lt.Col. Arrigo Arrighi TF ITALAIR Commander (Photo courtesy Maj. Dick Dane)

 

Lt.Col. Das Commander of the Indian Hospital (Photo courtesy Maj. Dick Dane)

 

At the end of this important working day, the SHIRBRIG delegation received the honor to be invited by the Deputy Commander of the mission Brigadier J.P. Nehra to a hosted dinner with all the relevant players of the mission.

 

Brigadier J.P. Nehra UNIFIL Deputy Commander (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

The main table at the hosted dinner (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

Day 3

 

After the breakfast was served, the delegation left Naqoura for Marjayoun, base of the Spanish led Sector East HQ.

 

At the arrival in Marjayoun, SHIRBRIG was welcomed by Deputy Chief Operation Major Duenas who, after showing us the accommodations reserved, presented a comprehensive briefing on the situation in his sector.

 

SECTOREAST Deputy Chief G3 Maj Duenas (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

 

After the briefing Chief of Staff Colonel Tatschl and the three branch’s heads had the honor of an office call with SECEAST Commander Brigadier General Sanjuan Martinez.

 

 

Office Call with SECEAST Commander (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

 

After a lunch at the excellent mess of the cantonnement, escortet and transportet by the spanish security coy, we started a long tour directed to visit part of the main hot sposts in the spanish area of responsibility.

We went to: Gadjar (UN position 4-28); to INDBATT (UN position 4-2) and finally to MALCON (UN position 7-4).

 

 

Briefing at Gadjar (Photo courtesy Maj. Dick Dane)

 

 

Briefing at UN position 4-2 (Photo courtesy Maj. Dick Dane)

 

After the long afternoon it was time to return to SECEAST HQ for the dinner and our comfortable accomodations.

 

Day 4

 

The visit to the main interesting spots in the area of responsibility of the spanish contingent continued in the morning after breakfast.

 

First stop was visiting the UN position 4-7C under the responsibility of the Indian contingent.

 

The intense morning program continued with a very intersting visit to the UN position 4-14 under the responsibility of the Indian contingent. The incredible environment and the great hospitality of the site Commander has given a particular flavour at the 4th day of our visit to UNIFIL.

 

 

A view from UN position 4-14 (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

Last stop before heading back to SECEAST HQ was the visit to OP MAR, one of the  UNTSO position on the Lebanese territory. Two very interesting briefings were presented to us including an area overview from the roof of the observation post run by italian Captain Cristiano.

 

 

Italian Captain Cristiano during his briefing (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

After lunch it was time to say good bye to our spanish hosts and to take the road moving to Sector West HQ that is located in Tibnin and is under the responsibility of the Italian ARIETE Brigade.

 

On our way to Tibnin we had the opportunity to visit the BELUBATT that occupied the UN position 6-5.

 

 

BELUBATT Chief Surgeon (Photo courtesy Maj. Dick Dane)

 

After arriving to the italian Sector West HQ an office call with Sector Commander Brigadier Paolo Ruggiero signed the beginning of this last part of our visit to the UNIFIL Area of Responsibility. The participation of all the delegation to the evening update to SECWEST Commander signed the end of the activities for Day 4.

 

 

Sector West Commander Brigadier Paolo Ruggiero (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

In the morning SECWEST Chief of Staff Colonel Raccampo and his staff started the activities by presenting to SHIRBRIG a very deep and comprehensive briefing on the situation in the area of responsibility. The briefing was then followed by a visit of Tibnin HQ

 

 

Morning briefing at SECWEST HQ (Photo courtesy SFC Benjamin Klint)

 

 

Leaving TIBNIN the team was going towards the FRENCHBATT HQ in UN position 2-45. We where there welcomed by Lt.Col. Gardin who is Chief Operations from FRENCHBATT.

 

 

FRENCBATT Chief of Operations during his briefing (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

After FRENCHBATT we visited  OP HIN; a second position of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

 

 

OP HIN at the Lebanese-Israeli border (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

 

After the visit to the Observation Post the delegation moved towards SHAMA where Task Force Commander Colonel Michele Giovanni Caccamo was waiting for us. After an hosted lunch at the Camp Mess, the situation briefing was presented by the Commander and his staff and at the end of it the Commander showed us his cantonnement and the improvement works that are on their way.

 

 

Visiting SHAMA Base (SHIRBRIG Photo)

 

Leaving SHAMA the convoy was heading towards Unifil HQ in Naqoura for preparing of the departure back to Copenhagen.

 

Finally after six intense and interesting days in Lebanon the SHIRBRIG delegation boarded at 0145 hours Middle East Airlines flight ME 209 flying back to Copenhagen via Paris and thus concluding the Operational Mission Study.