Direct Line

NAS Sigonella Security Officer Lt. Nathan Ouellette

Ciao Sigonella Warriors,

Many of you may have noticed that traffic in the triangle was on the decline up until about a month or so ago. As we a transition to a new normal, it is now picking back up. The cars you see on the road carry shipmates, fellow employees, and families with young children, as well as Sicily’s workforce getting back out after being cooped up for months. This means that we will all be more at risk for car accidents as our communities come back out on the roads.

Italy has some unique driving norms that we don’t see in many other places, especially in the United States. Speeding and illegal passing is commonplace, and, unfortunately, some drivers in our NAS Sigonella community tend to adopt that norm. However, this should not be the case. On average, NAS Sigonella experiences at least one traffic accident a day, and most, if not all, are completely avoidable. Just in the past two months we have received reports of multiple flipped over vehicles and dozens of traffic accidents, some with injuries.

So what can you do?

Slow down; plan ahead.

Nothing is ever too urgent to place you, your passengers, or others on the road in danger. It is always better to arrive five minutes later than to put yourself at risk of a speeding ticket, an accident, or worse—injuring or killing someone. Speed kills!

ALWAYS wear your seatbelt.

Develop the habit for yourself and your passengers. Make it a rule to never put the car in drive without everyone buckled up. Some accidents cannot be prevented by you alone, and seatbelt usage is your best first and last line of defense. It could also be the factor that allows you to walk away from a major accident with only minor injuries.

Report unsafe driving practices.

Provide the Security Department or your supervisor with a good description of unsafe driver’s vehicle and plate numbers if possible. In all cases, we can collaborate with host nation (HN) Law Enforcement to assist. In cases where the drivers are issued NATO licenses and registered with the base, we can and will engage unsafe drivers. In several recent cases, where a swift and accurate reports were made, we were able to find and engage with violators through their leadership.

Call us. We are here and ready to assist 24 hours a day for emergencies:

Base dispatch – from a landline on base: 911; from a cell or off base: 095-86-1911 or 095-56-1911.

For non-emergencies:

Security CID – DSN 624-4995 or commercial line 095-86-4995.

Security Desk – DSN 624-6063 or commercial line 095-86-6063.

NAS I Security Liaison – DSN 624-4522 or commercial line 095-56-4522.

NAS II Security Liaison – DSN 624-2795 or commercial line 095-86-2795.

Our goal is to keep our shipmates and HN partners safe and alive to continue the phenomenal work that we all do here at NAS Sigonella. This will also ensure you have a great time while you are assigned here to enjoy the warm Sicilian people, distinct culture, and long history that this place has to offer. Let’s take care of each other through personal and proactive involvement when it comes to driving safely.

The bottom line is you CAN make a difference through driving safely and reporting those who don’t.