Sep 18 2012

Staff members NRDC-ITA Conduct Battlefield Tour in Northern Italy

SOLBIATE OLONA (VA), 18 SEPT 2012. Studying the past to better understand our present and improve our future. This was the goal of the staff members of NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Italy that from 14 to 16 September conducted a battlefield tour in the Italian region near Rimini, close to the coast with the Adriatic Sea. The battlefield tour was focused along the eastern Gothic Line where some very important WWII events took place between August and September 1944. The battlefield tour proved to be an excellent occasion to allow the attendees to understand and appreciate the relevance and lessons of military history for today's operations.

Specific objectives were the military command and control relationships of the forces on the ground; the leadership and decision-making process; the significance of environmental and component factors in the planning of major operations; the impact of the terrain on logistic support; and ultimately to stimulate discussion, expanding knowledge of military history at the higher tactical levels of conflict.

During the activity staff members conducted an exhaustive military historical analysis of the events and visited some of the main places of interests, such as the city of Coriano and along Foglia and Corona rivers.

After the meetings with local authorities and with representatives of the municipalities of Montegridolfo, Gemmano, Trarivi di Montescudo and Coriano, the battlefield tour ended with the laying of a wreath in memory of the fallen at the war cemetery of the Commonwealth of Coriano.