Page 56 - Cormorant Issue 20 2017

PAGE 54
Rome CJEX – May 2017
Wg Cdr Caz Viles
THE SAGE ADVICE AND recommendations from previous courses had already begun when the trawl went out for overseas
CJEX volunteers. Finally fteen lucky individuals were plucked from an unsurprising number of willing and hopeful
candidates. Escorted by a dedicated volunteer,
“
Gp Capt (retd) Chris Henwood, the fortunate few departed Shrivenham on 4th May to embark upon 9 days of Combined Joint Exercise (CJEX) 17 in Rome.
“When in Rome...” seemed to be a reoccurring catchphrase employed almost immediately upon arrival in the beautiful city. Situated in an enviable location in the centre of Rome at the Palazzo Salviati, the Istituto Superiore di Stato Maggiore Interforze
(or ISSMI to the less linguistically gifted amongst the group) possessed all the allure you would expect from an Italian staff college and is only a short stroll to any of Rome’s stunning historical landmarks. The building itself was constructed around a charming piazza, providing a wonderful setting for the ‘arrival ice-breaker’ buffet event, where the students and staff were able to acquaint themselves with their new team members prior to the start of the exercise.
The following morning, with all students fully briefed on the worsening crisis in the hypothetical world of Altea, the intrepid JSCSC students were despatched to their allocated multinational planning groups to begin the exercise. Despite the many photos on whatsapp, it was not all ice-creams and prosecco and this was the rst opportunity to see how the various nations approached the application of COPD. Needless to say, despite some individual interpretations of the process and the added challenges of manipulating slides using power point in Italian, each team came through in ne style, producing the necessary analysis of the situation; ably supported at all times by the Italian staff and copious amounts of superb fresh Italian coffee!
Outside of the walls of ISSMI, Rome provided a wealth of culinary experiences, with a number
of great recommendations from our resident UK student, Lt Col Lee Smith, attending the Italian Staff Course. Evenings often began with sundowners on a nearby rooftop bar overlooking the city and the group were also fortunate enough to dine with the Defence Attaché and other resident UK military personnel. From a cultural perspective, there was also a wealth of choice and all within easy walking distance of
the accommodation. Over the weekend, ISSMI kindly arranged a fully narrated tour of the Castel Sant’Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel) located on the banks of the River Tiber and the nal resting place of the former Roman Emperor, Hadrian. Following the tour, many students went on to St Peter’s Square
in the Vatican to take up the rare opportunity of an audience with the Pope; they were literally blessed.
On recommendation, some ventured further a eld
to Lake Bracciano, 30 miles north of Rome. Most elected to take the train option, but the more adventurous (Lt Col Chris Murray) decided to
enjoy the scenery via her bike – with the outbound journey and 2 laps of the lake completed before the remaining students had even surfaced on the Sunday morning.
For all those involved, the experience of CJEX in Rome was a real highlight of the course. Aside from the backdrop of such a wonderful city, with great food and cultural opportunities, it provided a truly memorable experience. It enabled a greater understanding of the COPD process and how each country applied it, but more importantly, all felt privileged to have met and worked alongside our NATO and international colleagues.
...it was not all ice-creams and
prosecco...
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Rome CJEX UK contingent enjoying some evening sightseeing