June 3 - The medical staff of the San Marco assists the Somali population. Three weeks before returning home, the San Marco, NATO Flaghsip for the Ocean Shield anti-piracy operation, under the command of rear-admiral Natale, offered medical assistance and support to the north-eastern Somali communities (in the Xabo area). The unit and its crew made an important contribution to the confidence-building activities promoted by NATO and the Italian Navy to help people in need. The operation emphasized the functional flexibility of this amphibious unit, able to satisfy purely operational goals (as in the case of Operation Leonte in 2006) but also core business operations (such as humanitarian assistance in case of natural disasters and logistics platform for many different uses). A large number of men and women (66, including 24 minors) underwent a medical visit and were offered fresh drinks and food. The commander of the San Marco, captain Massimo Esposito, reiterated that "as long as the work of my men and women brings a smile to the eyes of the local population, it will mean that our work is useful and valuable and it is therefore essential to continue."

HEADING HOME AT THE END OF JUNE

Italy has been contributing to counter-piracy activities in the Horn of Africa since December 2008 and assumed command of Operation Ocean Shield on December 7, 2012. The San Marco, the Flagship Unit of the Task Force, will return to Italy at the end of June after about seven months at sea. NATO, on March 19, reached an agreement to extend Operation Ocean Shield until the end of 2014. At the moment, the Task Force is composed of the San Marco, the TCG Gokova (Turkey) and USS Nicholas (United States).