July 1, 2021
Vol. 38 No. 13
VOLUNTEERS CLEAN LOCAL BEACH PAGES 6 & 7
SIGONELLA SEABEES SUPPORT AIR OPS HISTORY OF SICILY’S AGRICULTURAL RUM
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Direct Line Lt. Alexis Moore, NASSIG Victims’ Legal Counsel n his first day in office, Secretary of Defense O Lloyd J. Austin III reiterated his commitment to the prosecution of sexual offenses among
Service Members and dependents throughout the Department of Defense. The United States Navy Judge Advocate General Corps’ Victims’ Legal Counsel (VLC) Program is one of the tools that exist to provide assistance to survivors of certain sexual offenses and domestic violence. But what is a VLC? A VLC is a licensed attorney whose sole purpose is to help victims understand the investigation and military justice process and to advocate on behalf of the victim. The VLC Program was established in 2013 to provide front line legal support to the fleet. Victims of crimes have rights under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). A VLC safeguards victims’ legal rights and interests while coordinating additional resources that may assist in their recovery. VLCs work closely with the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC), Victim Advocates (VA), and Family Advocacy Program (FAP) providers to best support and provide services to victims of an offense. However, the VLC is primarily focused on providing legal services. VLC services range from discussing the legal ramifications of making a report of sexual assault or a sexual offense to representing our clients at courts-martial where necessary to promote and protect our client’s legal rights and interests. A VLC routinely assists victims through the investigation and court-martial processes and also provides legal advice related to any possible collateral misconduct such as underage drinking, fraternization, or orders violations. We also assist victims in exercising legal rights, such as seeking an expedited transfer or military protective orders. A hallmark of the VLC program is complete independence from the chain of command of the installations we serve. This means a VLC does not report to you, or your sponsor’s, chain of command or the chain of command of the person who committed the offense. A VLC does not represent the command or the offender—just the victim. A common question about the program is whether we disclose information to anyone else. The
answer is no. Consultations with a VLC are both confidential and privileged. This means a VLC is generally prohibited from disclosing any of your communications, or even the fact that you ever met with a VLC, without your consent. As the newest VLC assigned to Naval Air Station Sigonella, I hope to continue the VLC Program’s goal of providing comprehensive legal services to all who qualify. As a previous civilian prosecutor and Navy Defense Counsel, I have had the unique experience of seeing both sides of the criminal justice process and will use that experience to provide meaningful and accurate advice and advocacy. If you are wondering if you qualify for services, please don’t hesitate to reach out and schedule a consultation. I can be reached using the below methods: Physical Office: Fleet and Family Support Center NAS 1, Bldg. 319 COMM: 095-56-4291 DSN: 314-624-4291 Duty Cell: +39 338-730-5207 Email: Alexis.Moore@eu.navy.mil
July 1, 2021
Interactive Customer Evaluation Comments Regarding NAS I Bravo Zulu Annex Gate: We received comments regarding the condition of the road at the NAS I Annex Gate.
Response:
Thank you for raising this issue. We are aware of the condition of the road and agree that it needs to be remedied. Work to repair the road is currently planned to take place over the summer to minimize impact during the school year, so we anticipate an improved driving experience by the fall. We know this road presents an inconvenience, and we appreciate your comment.
Comment Regarding Travel:
When are we going to have some discussion on the EU Vaccine Green Pass and how U.S. personnel can obtain one? Instead of trying to address these items early on and let people know they are being looked at, we wait till the last minute and frustration builds because all the other EU nations are issuing these and we as U.S. personnel, can’t figure out how to obtain one so we can travel.
Response:
Thank you for this question. We know there have been many changes to the travel rules recently, and they can be difficult to follow. We have been in communication with both the Italian government and the Embassy, and we’ve received some clarification to share. Although U.S. citizens are not eligible for the EU Green Pass, the Embassy confirmed that the vaccination card from the Centers for Disease Control will function as proof of immunization for the purposes of travel within Italy. Nevertheless, if you are planning to travel outside of Italy, we strongly suggest you check the requirements for each country as circumstances can change quickly.
BZ to PSD Service was beyond great!! BZ to FFSC Cate Murphy was exceptionally helpful! She was very accommodating and provided excellent information and services! BZ to MWR Mr. Salvadio and Mr. Rivero were amazing. They are super helpful and were great with the children. Their service was impeccable. The facility was very clean. My family enjoyed the evening we spent. The bowling alley is a wonderful place for a good time with family and friends and when you have an excellent staff to help you it makes it that much better. BZ to MWR: I would like to personally thank Natale Salvadio from the bowling alley on NAS1 for their superb professionalism and attitude. They were beyond hospitable and had the perfect personality to accommodate customers and their requests. He held everyone in the bowling alley to the same standard and expectation which was extremely refreshing. Again he was amazing and I would like to see him be commended for his efforts. Thank you. BZ to MVRO I would like to thank Mr. Giuseppe Pironne at the MVRO for going out of his way to help me assist my customers at MAS with customs documentation. He helped clear a few of my customers documents while I was assisting other members. His service is greatly appreciated.
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THE SIGNATURE U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA
Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Pickard Executive Officer Cmdr. Ronald Cappellini Command Master Chief CMDCM Anna Wood EDITORIAL Public Affairs Officer Lt. Cmdr. Karl Schonberg karl.schonberg@eu.navy.mil Assistant Public Affairs Officer Megan Mills megan.mills@eu.navy.mil Public Affairs Leading Petty Officer MC1 Kegan Kay kegan.kay@eu.navy.mil Community Relations Officer Dott. Alberto Lunetta alberto.lunetta.it@eu.navy.mil PAO Staff Writers \ Photographers MC2 Joshua Coté joshua.m.cote@eu.navy.mil MCSN Triniti Lersch triniti.lersch@eu.navy.mil CONTACT US
Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily thesig@eu.navy.mil DSN 624-5440; 095-86-5440 PSC 812 Box 7, FPO, AE 09627-0001
This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of The Signature are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense (DoD), or the U.S. Navy. Editorial submissions are welcomed from all Naval Air Station Sigonella departments, divisions and tenant commands. Editorial submissions should be sent to the Public Affairs Office via thesig@eu.navy.mil. All articles submitted by non-staff members will be considered contributing writers.
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Name: Christian Ortiz Command: VP-40 Department: Operations By Megan Mills and MC2 Josh Cote, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
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ountains. Ice caps. Ocean waves--these are just some of the views that Naval Air Crewman (Operator) 2nd Class Christian Ortiz enjoys while flying in a Navy Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. Ortiz, originally from San Tan Valley, Arizona, is an acoustic operator with the Patrol Squadron (VP) 40 “Fighting Marlins” currently rotationally deployed to Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella. VP-40 is a P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft squadron that conducts anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and humanitarian response. Ortiz’s duties change depending on whether he is in the air or on the ground. “Essentially, our system translates sounds into something I can read, and I’ll read that to see if there’s any submarines in the water,” said Ortiz. He also operates the camera to look at visual targets on land. When he’s not flying, however, he supports the Aviation Maintenance Administrationman in the squadron. “When I am not doing flight operations I maintain people’s logbooks, so essentially I keep track of everyone’s flight hours,” he explained. “As aviators, we hold and cherish our flight hours. The more hours you get the more senior you are, and I just make sure everyone’s is right and log it down.” When asked why he originally joined the Navy, Ortiz chuckled and said, “It’s been a long time. I don’t think I had a reason. It was just kind of a whim.”
Nevertheless, he’s happy with the trajectory his career has taken. “First, we have a candidate school for air crewman, then “A” school, then “C” school, then Patrol Squadron (VP) 30 where they essentially train us to be safe on planes, then we go to a command like VP-40 and they train us how to do our jobs.” In his time with VP-40, he helped with the transition from the legacy P-3C Orion aircraft to the P-8A Poseidon. The transition represented a technological leap from the propellers of the P-3 to the jet engines of the P-8 paired with the most sophisticated maritime patrol technology available. When Ortiz isn’t in the air or keeping logbooks, he spends his time mentoring and training junior Sailors to qualify as far as they can for their paygrade. Based on his positive experience with VP-40, Ortiz currently plans to stay in the Navy. “I’ve enjoyed myself. This is my third deployment with these guys, and they make people work harder. If this is as hard as it gets, I can definitely do 20 years.” Unfortunately, the nature of Ortiz’s work means that he hasn’t been able to see much of Sicily on this deployment yet. Instead, he enjoys his free time by playing video games like Overwatch on a computer that he built from scratch. While flying, he still enjoys his favorite part of the job--the views from the windows of the P-8s. “The waves look a lot bigger when you are flying at 200 ft. They look huge,” said Ortiz.
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Sigonella Seabees Support Air Ops
By MC2 Brianna Green, NAVFAC Public Affairs
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s a Naval Air Station (NAS), maintaining a safe and secure flight line is paramount, and our Seabees assigned to Public Works Department (PWD) Sigonella, are indispensable in that effort as they maintain the airfield’s fire engines. Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Codi Clippertonallen of Albord, Texas, and Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Corey Mason of Hermiston, Oregon have successfully certified as emergency vehicle technicians in maintenance, inspection and testing of fire apparatus and design and performance standards of fire apparatuses. Though the official certification has a lengthy title, it means these Seabees have gone above and beyond to complete the extensive training necessary to maintain the NAS Sigonella Fire Department’s fire engines, the most important tools in combatting airfield fires. “Aircraft emergencies and mishaps don’t announce themselves days in advance,” said William Casey, NAS Sigonella Fire Chief. “Ironically, one of the worst events which could occur while attempting to mitigate an emergency is for a vehicle to breakdown or not operate as designed. We rely on these vehicles as a mission critical platform to deliver firefighters and extinguishing agents to emergencies.” As the “Hub of the Med,” NAS Sigonella sits at a strategic location in the center of the Mediterranean. The installation plays a critical role in supporting joint and combined operations across three military theaters. Not only does the air station’s Operations Department maintain and operate the C-26 transport aircraft, but hosts a multitude of aircraft to include the Navy’s Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. Effective fire response is a mission critical pillar at any airfield.
“We attended a class in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to get a better feel for all of our Oshkosh equipment,” said Mason, the transportation floor supervisor aboard PWD Sigonella. “After that we studied for a couple of months.” Clippertonallen, work center supervisor aboard PWD Sigonella, explained that the tests were not easy and consisted of 120 questions with scenarios of two mechanics diagnosing an issue, and you have to select the best answer. Luckily Oshkosh trucks are used across Seabee battalions, so though their mechanical makeup is similar, fire engines present unique challenges. “Any bigger equipment is kind of the same, but the second portion is the firefighting portion,” said Clippertonallen. “Might as well get the UTs (Utilitiesman) to come over and fix it because it’s just plumbing, pressure and valves.” Although it sounds simple, Mason explained that it gets complicated when checking valves and maintaining pressure for the hoses to work. Every vehicle has an engine, but add ladders and plumbing and it quickly becomes an entirely different trouble shooting process. Even though the work is challenging, these engines are a safety requirement for the airfield to effectively operate in the event of the worst case scenario. “This past Easter weekend, one of the trucks wasn’t shifting in the proper RPMs (revolutions per minute) when they tried to pump, so there was no pressure when they tried to pump water,” said Mason. “We came in and diagnosed for seven or so hours trying to figure it out. We were pulling stuff apart, looking at wire diagrams and found out it was just two little resistors.” Like most resourceful Seabees, they used the resistors from "Air Ops" cont’d on Page 11
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Volunteers Clean Local Beach By Aci Castello Press Office
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his is your home, too. Respect it!” This was the slogan that accompanied more than one hundred volunteers who conducted the environmental event “Cleaning the Coasts and Seabed of Acitrezza” organized by Plastic Free Onlus and the Rotary Club on Sunday, June 20. The initiative also included the staff of the Cutgana of the University of Catania and the Isole Ciclopi (Cyclops Islands) Marine Protected Area together with the help of volunteers from various organizations, including the Lega Navale Aci Trezza, the Trezza Shipwrights, the Cai - Gruppo Grotte Catania (speleologists), the Pro Loco Acicastello, Danielino Windsurf School, the Centro Studi Acitrezza, rotationally deployed Patrol Squadron (VP) 40, the Air Force’s 324 Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron Air Force, Plastic Free Diving, and the Sigonella Scuba Club. Sicily & Malta District Rotary governor Alfio Di Costa, governor-elect Orazio Agrò, and former governor Maurizio Triscari, also partook in the effort. Volunteers removed the garbage scattered among the rocks around the cliffs of the Lungomare dei Ciclopi, including disposable plastic cups, paper, food scraps, cans, and glass bottles. They also cleaned the Lachea Island, the Faraglioni (Stacks of the Cyclops), and the nature reserve managed by the University of Catania. Volunteers, led by the director of the reserve Domenico Catalano, removed small items carried by the sea and plastic bottles from the rock ravines in the two swimming areas near Lachea Island. Thanks to the underwater volunteers of Plastic Free Diving and the Sigonella Scuba Club, with the contribution of the Rotary Club and of the Acitrezza section of the Italian Naval League, some areas of the seabed of Aci Trezza were also cleared of tires, tops, wooden boxes and batteries. Sigonella Scuba Club is an international club made up of members of the NATO, U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines, civilians, and local
Sicilians who came together through their love of the sea and passion for scuba diving. The combined efforts of these groups contributed to extract an estimated 100 kilograms of trash. Sigonella Scuba Club member Carmelo La Rocca said, “The Sigonella Scuba Club has, since 1995, had the honor of promoting numerous underwater events to enhance the territory, as well as researching the antiquity of local shipwrecks and many other historical sites within the depths of the Ionian Sea.” Other operations focused on areas of the fish market and the city pier, the Rodolico Shipyard, the old port, as well as the west pier. The contribution of the speleologists of the Gruppo Grotte Catania (Catania Caves Group), who intervened in the difficult area between the piers and breakwaters to pull out the trash stuck in the cracks of the concrete, was fundamental to the success of this project. Near the Pro Loco Aci Castello tourist office at Villa Fortuna in Acitrezza, the public was invited to watch films on the topics and listen to experts discuss plastic pollution. Dr. Natalia Leonardi spoke for the University of Catania with a report on the theme “Microplastics: A danger for the Environment and for our Health”. In honor of the event, the Rotary Club of Aci Castello installed aluminum signs along the coast and in public bathing areas with printed messages aimed at raising awareness among citizens on the issue of marine pollution. “The important objective,” explained the organizers, “is to focus on the issue of waste disposal and excessive use and consumption of single-use plastic and to spread the culture of respect for the environment. Overall, the intent is to push the City of Aci Castello towards issuing ordinances in favor of environmental protection.” Louis “Gee” Genaro, Sigonella Scuba Club president, said, “It is great to see the interactions of both cultures and organizations, to endure and see the satisfaction of work we do, plus to teach the children of the future that we are caring for the oceans to leave to them, the future generation.”
July 1, 2021
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The Fascinating History of Sicily’s Agricultural Rum By Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
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hen you think about rum, you probably think about the character Jack Sparrow announcing, “Welcome to the Caribbean!” as he offers a bottle of rum to Elisabeth. Maybe you picture the huge sugarcane plantations of Florida. You might be surprised to learn that Avola, a seaside city 15 miles south of Siracusa and hub of the famous Nero D’Avola wine, also produces 100% Sicilian organic rum! It’s all because of Corrado Bellia, a visionary food expert in charge of the Consorzio Mandorla di Avola (Consortium of the Avola Almond). He is also the founder of Avola Rum, a family-run factory which has brought the 200 year old tradition of “rum agricolo” (agricultural rum) back to Sicily. The history of rum production is closely linked to sugarcane cultivation, and Bellia was inspired by “The Hexagonal City,” a 1996 book by local art historian Francesca Gringeri Pantano that explains the history of Avola and the sugarcane industry. Historic sources suggest that sugar was first brought to the island of Sicily by the Arabs in the year 800 in the Palermo area. Sugar was exported for 300 years from the Sicilian shores to northern Europe, the Middle East and Russia. As Pantano conducted research at the Naples Historic Archives, she noticed that historic documents often mentioned about the presence of a “trappeto di cannamele,” or sugarcane crusher, and a flourishing sugar industry in the city of Avola. Pantano also found archeological evidence, such as a stone sugar mill, of the forgotten sugar industry Avola was originally built in the mountain area, but was flattened by the tragic earthquake of January 11, 1693. Marquis Pignatelli d’Aragona Cortes, a nobleman related to the Spanish royal family, rebuilt the city on a plain near the shore that same year. The cultivation of sugarcane, which requires a great deal of water, was interrupted in the seventeenth century due to changes in the local climate. Additionally, the flourishing Mediterranean sugar industry diminished in the face of rising competition from plantations of the new Americas. However, sugarcane production continued in Avola in
Sixteen years ago, Corrado Bellia (left), inspired by the historic research of art historian Francesca Griglieri Pantani (right), had the idea of bringing back to the city of Avola the 19th century production of Sicilian sugarcane juice rum, a style of rum, originally distilled in the French Caribbean islands from freshly squeezed sugarcane juice rather than molasses. After three years of cane sugar cultivation, the first organic rum production was recently presented in Avola to a panel of experts. (Photo by Alberto Lunetta)
the properties of Marquis Pignatelli d’Aragona Cortes until 1805. After the end of the feudalism in Sicily in 1812 through the 1930s, sugarcane was cultivated in small crops by farmers who made rum for domestic consumption, just like Sicilian families do today with limoncello. This type of production was described by Sicilian botanist Giuseppe Bianca. According to Bianca, sugarcane was rarely cultivated across the island after the 1930s because Sicily has hills and mountains rather than large plains, complicated by the fact that it does not have tropical weather. He also argued that the size of sugarcane plants is smaller in Sicily rather than in Brazil for instance. Bellia, the modern day rum producer, explained that Sicilian rum is made from the fermentation and distillation of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice just like the one produced in the French Antilles, as opposed to tropical countries where rum is made from molasses. Today, this agricultural rum method represents only 3 "Italian News" cont’d on Page 11
July 1, 2021
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U.S. Sixth Fleet Announces Sea Breeze 2021 Participation
By U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs
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.S. Sixth Fleet formally announces participation in the upcoming annually held Exercise Sea Breeze 2021 (SB21) cohosted with the Ukrainian Navy, June 21, 2021. The exercise is taking place from June 28 to July 10 in the Black Sea region and will focus on multiple warfare areas including amphibious warfare, land maneuver warfare, diving operations, maritime interdiction operations, air defense, special operations integration, anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue operations. This year’s iteration has the largest number of participating nations in the exercise’s history with 32 countries from six continents providing 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft, and 18 special operations and dive teams scheduled to participate. “The United States is proud to partner with Ukraine in cohosting the multinational maritime exercise Sea Breeze, which will help enhance interoperability and capabilities among participating nations,” said Chargé d’affaires Kristina Kvien, U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. “We are committed to maintaining the safety and security of the Black Sea.” Beginning in 1997, Exercise Sea Breeze brings most Black Sea nations and NATO Allies and partners together to train and operate with NATO members in the pursuit of building increased capability. SB21 provides the opportunity for personnel of participating
nations to engage in realistic maritime training to build experience and teamwork and strengthen our interoperability as we work toward mutual goals. Ukraine and U.S. are cohosting the exercise in the Black Sea with participation and support coming from 32 countries in total: Albania, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Senegal, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States. Black Sea nations, in concert with NATO Allies and partners, improve their ability to conduct the full range of naval and land operations by participating in exercises like Sea Breeze 2021. Exercise Sea Breeze 2021 is an annual multinational maritime exercise, involving sea, land, and air components, and is co-hosted by the United States and Ukraine to enhance interoperability and capability among participating forces in the Black Sea region. U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with joint, allied, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
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Antonino Piluso:
A Puzzle Maker
By MC2 Brianna Green, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command HQ
n Greek mythology, Typhon, a monstrous serpent, I attempted to overthrow Zeus for the supremacy of the cosmos. Typhon and Zeus fought in a cataclysmic
battle, but Zeus defeated Typhon and buried him underneath Mount Etna. Trapped for thousands of years under the 3,315-meter-high Mount Etna, he would periodically lose his temper and spurt out spectacular columns of fire from one of his 100 dragon heads, explaining years of volcanic activity on the island. This volcanic activity has provided Sicily with sulfurrich soil that produces some of the best agriculture in the world. However, there are scarce water resources to maintain lush areas. This is what drove the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Europe Africa Central (EURAFCENT) Public Works Department Sigonella Installation Energy Manager, Antonino Piluso, to create innovative solutions. “In Sicily it takes a lot to keep the grass green,” said Piluso. “It takes at least six months of irrigation and sometimes even more. Thankfully, the previous installation COs (commanding officers) allowed us to xeriscape.” Xeriscape is a process that removes green grass and replaces it with white rocks which reduce the overall water consumption. Also, the installation is developing a way to use non-potable water for other irrigation around base. “We have a project in construction that will treat the grey water we use at NAS I and NAS II,” said Piluso. “It will become almost potable again, and then we use it for irrigation.” This project can save almost 10% of the annual water
usage by recycling reclaimed water, according to Piluso. Furthermore, by using reclaimed water, the base saves electricity and energy used to pump from wells. In addition to recycling water, Piluso finds other ways to recycle and reduce energy costs. “Right now, we have to increase the renewable energy usage to 25% in the next four years,” said Piluso. “Also, we have to reduce the total amount of energy we use by 2.5% each year.” The Navy uses the “Three Pillars of Energy Security” to accomplish this goal: reliability, resilience and efficiency. Developed in 2017, the three pillars set performance benchmarks within the Energy Security Framework. “We work on energy efficiency, and that means putting projects together that are replacing the energy system to perform the same job but using less energy,” explained Piluso. “We recently replaced 14,000 lighting fixtures and reduced energy by 50%.” Then, there is the aspect of renewable energy or the reliability portion of the pillars. “Mainly in Sigonella, we have done solar systems because we live in sunny Sicily,” said Piluso. “This is the most difficult part because it’s easier when you replace something that has to use less energy by fetching a more efficient system. When you have to install a new system, you have footprint issues, have to find the space, and then you have to maintain.” Funding these projects is another piece of the puzzle to solve. There are several ways to get a project funded, and that’s where Piluso can assist for each tenant command. "Puzzle Maker" cont’d on Page 11
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"Air Ops" cont’d from Page 5
another truck and swapped them out to get the fire truck fully operational. “Our parts were coming from the States, so we had a large back order with COVID-19 then the power outage in Texas,” said Clippertonallen. “It was one thing after another, and we couldn’t get anyone certified out here, so it was left to us to get certified.” Still, the two mechanics rely on the industry expertise from the school house at Oshkosh Defense. “All the instructors do is work on the fires trucks, and I talk to them when I have issues that I don’t know what’s going on,” said Clippertonallen. “They’re geniuses. They go to the factory
and watch it get put together. If I tell them a little problem, nine out of 10 times they can help figure it out.” NAS Sigonella is considered a Category Four Airfield, which means it can support both small and large airframes and according to Casey, they must have three Airfield Rescue Firefighting vehicles capable of supplying 7,000 gallons of water. “We’re extremely proud of our Seabee mechanics,” said Casey. “They put in extremely long hours under incredible pressure to keep a mission critical vehicle fleet in service. We enjoy working with them and partnering in maintaining the fire & emergency services vehicle fleet.”
"Italian News" cont’d from Page 8
percent of the world’s rum production. Bellia now cultivates a one-mile long plantation by himself to produce rum and create an organic product that is truly Sicilian. “The best quality of rum is the one made only with sugarcane juice and that’s how, according to historic sources, Sicilians have been making it since the 19th century,” Bellia said. The artisanal Avola Rum, which is currently distilled at the Distilleria Giovi in Valdina in the Messina province, was presented in May of this year to a panel of experts including master distillers and Leonardo Pinto, one of the leading rum experts and spirits consultants in Europe. Pinto said he found its flavor to be “very balanced, clean, well-fermented and well-distilled.” “I’ve produced 300 bottles of rum, and I’m planning to double it. I’d like to create a network of distilleries and organic sugar production factories to make different types of Sicilian rum, create employment and be competitive in the international market,” said Bellia. Bellia has also a personal motivation for promoting economic development in his area: “I have a daughter who is an historic heritage expert. She had to move to England with her family to find a job. My goal is to create the conditions to allow her and my two grandchildren to come back to Sicily and work here. Our island is full of history everywhere.” "Puzzle Maker" cont’d from Page 10
“I’m a puzzle maker,” said Piluso “I put the projects together, and I filter out everything that’s not needed. Then, I submit it.” For example, according to Piluso, one of the largest tenants aboard Sigonella is Defense Logistics Agency Sigonella. Using their agency funds, he was able to install solar panels on their behalf which reduced their annual energy consumption to nearly net zero, meaning they produce as much energy as they use and saved $100,000 in energy costs. “Thanks to the Navy Advance Metering infrastructure, I can track how much energy everyone is using and how much is produced from renewable projects,” said Piluso. “I can track how much is produced on a cloudy day or instantly see when they’re not working. Catching the maintenance problems as soon as possible can save them (the customer/tenant command) thousands of dollars.” Although the renewable energy is a cost-saving investment, it also helps the planet. By using the sun to create energy or by recycling water to irrigate the soil, Sigonella’s utilities program is becoming more reliable, resilient and efficient. So this year, when Typhon rears his monstrous head and belches his anger, trying to deprive his prison of muchneeded water, Piluso will be ready with modern irrigation on his side. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) manages the planning, design, construction, contingency engineering, real estate, environmental, and public works support for U.S. Navy shore facilities around the world. NAVFAC provides the Navy’s forces with the operating, expeditionary, support and training bases that it needs. NAVFAC is a global organization with an annual volume of business in excess of $18 billion. As a major Navy Systems Command and a member of the Navy and Marine Corps team, NAVFAC delivers timely and effective facilities engineering solutions worldwide.
