Italian Army provides core network for Combined Endeavor 2011

Courtesy Photo | Members of the Italian army monitor the core network used during Combined Endeavor 2011 in Grafenwoehr, Germany, Sept. 10. The Italian army deployed the core network in 48 hours to support more than 35 countries participating in the exercise that simulates a deployed environment, where countries can share network technology and interoperability issues and solutions to use at home and in missions abroad. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Kelsey Adawn)  

BW, GERMANY

09.10.2011

Story by Senior Airman Adawn Kelsey 

Combined Endeavor

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany - The Italian army deployed the core network for Combined Endeavor 2011 in 48 hours to support more than 35 countries participating in the exercise, Sept. 8, in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

Combined Endeavor provides a deployed environment, where countries can share their network technology and interoperability issues and solutions with one another to use at home and missions abroad.

Italian army Capt. Maurizio Gervasio, Combined Endeavor Italian delegation chief, said his responsibility in Combined Endeavor 2011 is to plan conferences, the Italian work shop and oversee their participation in the exercise.

“During the Combined Endeavor exercise we work with all of the European countries, in particular with France, Spain, Portugal and Germany, who we usually work together with in missions abroad, like in Afghanistan and Lebanon,” he said. “We also work with the other new countries from Eastern Europe that are involved in the new European community and the NATO countries.”

Gervasio said this is the second time he has been responsible for the core network of the exercise since 2000, when Italy first participated in Combined Endeavor. He said the exercise provides an opportunity for them to solve any interoperability, radio signal or satellite issues in a safe environment.

“It is important for us to operate with other countries for a lot of different aspects,” he said. “Here we can detect, resolve and experiment with different technology problems and have the opportunity to work with other countries in missions abroad without any [real-world] issues or concerns.”

Italian army Capt. Clemente Casoria, Combined Endeavor 2011 Core Network and Logistics manager, said the exercise provides his personnel with training they can use both in Italy and in their missions abroad.

“We have learned a lot from this exercise,” he said. “It gives us an opportunity to train our personnel and practice building, constructing and using a network and radio links so we can implement that in a real world scenario in current operations around the world.”

• Date Taken: 09.10.2011
• Date Posted: 09.10.2011 11:14
• Story ID: 76808
• Location: BW, DE