Ten years of United States, Italy collaboration on CoESPU

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Lance Pounds | (From left) Col. Darius Gallegos, CoESPU deputy director and U.S. Army Africa liaison, Amb. John Phillips, U.S. Ambassador to Italy, and Italian Lt. Gen. Tullio del Sette, Carabinieri general commander, lead attendees to a banquet during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units, Dec. 1, at General A. Chinotto barracks, Vicenza, Italy. Since the center’s establishment, the U.S. has provided assistance in support of police peacekeeping training at CoESPU. To date, the center has trained over 5,000 leaders and trainers from more than 30 geographically and culturally diverse countries. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Staff Sgt. Lance Pounds)  

VICENZA, ITALY

12.10.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Lance Pounds 

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

VICENZA, Italy – Members from U.S. Army Africa, the Italian Carabinieri, and more than 18 countries celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units, Dec. 1 at General A. Chinotto barracks.

“This event was a benchmark for all those who have supported CoESPU,” said Col. Darius Gallegos, deputy director for the CoESPU and U.S. Army Africa liaison.

The CoESPU is an international organization, managed by Italian officials and funded by the United States Department of State.

The center evolved from the 2004 Sea Island Summit, as part of a wider project of the international community, to provide technical and financial assistance to increase global capacity for sustained peacekeeping operations, with an emphasis on African countries.

Gallegos said they have trained civilian police forces, many from USARAF’s partner nation countries, for pre and post conflict engagements to better conduct stability policing operations during United Nations missions.

Since the center’s establishment, the U.S. has provided assistance in support of police peacekeeping training at CoESPU. To date, the center has trained over 5,000 leaders and trainers from more than 30 geographically and culturally diverse countries, such as USARAF partner nations Cameroon, Gabon, Morocco and Nigeria.

Brig. Gen. Kenneth H. Moore, USARAF deputy commander, attended the ceremony with Maj. Gen. Molefi Seikano, Botswana Ground Forces’ Land Forces Commander, who was in Vicenza a for command sponsored visit.

Italian Brig, Gen. Paolo Nardone, the CoESPU director gave opening remarks followed by Achille Variati, the Mayor of Vicenza, Giorgio Porzio, a European Union representative, Maria Appelblom, a United Nations representative, and Ambassador John Phillips, the US Ambassador to Italy.

Lt. Gen. Tullio del Sette, Carabinieri General Commander, concluded the ceremony with a speech that mentioned the partnership between USARAF and CoESPU is playing an integral part in promoting peace and stability on a global scale.

Sette then presented senior representatives from each of the 18 participating countries with certificates of participation for graduating the one of the many courses offered at CoESPU.

These courses are focus on actual requirements of current multidimensional peace support operations. The CoESPU, with the aid of USARAF and lessons learned, created ‘train the trainer’ based courses to give partner nations the knowhow to train their own countries and establish what the CoESPU calls Formed Police Units.

The FPUs, once trained and validated by United Nations Diplomatic Peacekeeping Operations, can be selected to take part in UN missions on the continent.
After a decade, the CoESPU has become an important component of U.S. and Italian relationship, whose combined efforts help promote peace and stability throughout the continent of Africa.

• Date Taken: 12.10.2015
• Date Posted: 12.11.2015 05:35
• Story ID: 184081
• Location: VICENZA, IT
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• Hometown: VICENZA, IT
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