General

Inspection

August 2007 – The Blue Beret 3

MFR Medal Parade

The MFR held a medal paradeon the 19 July, where UNFICYPForce Commander Maj. Gen.

Rafael José Barni decorated 50 per-sonnel from this multi-national unit.

The occasion was split into twoparts. While the MFR personnelformed up on parade, the ForceCommander was tested on his dri-ving abilities over the cross-countrycircuit by 2 Platoon’s Sgt. ShaneWatson.

In a Toyota Hilux patrol vehicle,the Force Commander had to nego-tiate his way around a tough coursewith a large open barrel of watersecured to the back of the pick-up.He was competing head-to-headwith his Military Assistant, Maj. MattWalker. The aim of the competitionwas to complete the obstacle coursewhilst preventing the water fromspilling out of the barrel. It was aclose contest with a difference ofonly 1 cm of water, however the MAreceived a 2 cm penalty for notwearing his beret, leaving the ForceCommander victorious!

The second event wasslightly more demand-ing. This had the ForceCommander behind thewheel of the vehicle usedby the MFR for crowdcontrol within the bufferzone – the “Tactica”, anArmoured Personnel Car-rier. The Force Commandernegotiated the circuitwith ease and he seemed

to thoroughly enjoy the experience.He was then invited to take theTactica on a drive around the UNPAairfield under the guidance of Sgt.Watson. It was evident from theword go that he was either on avery tight timeline, or he had wokenup that morning and put on a pairof lead diving boots, as there wasno time wasted. Maj. Gen. Barniwould have given the MacClaren F1team a run for their money aroundthe Airfield, much to Sgt. Watson’sdelight.

On return, the Force Commanderenjoyed refreshments whilst he wasguided through 64 Fuel Squadron’sphoto album. The album was filledwith photographs collected over thelast five years in which time thename has changed from 64 Fuel SpSqn to 64 Fuel Sqn.

The MFR personnel waited pati-ently as W02 (SSM) Mawby finallybrought the MFR parade to atten-tion. The Force Commander salutedeach recipient as he presented the

medals. As the temperature rose,the Force Commander was inter-rupted during his speech by Pte.“Jordan” Barlow. The heat had gotthe better of her, so with wobblylegs, she made her way to themedical centre.

A heart-warming speech by theForce Commander added to the

event. Remarks on theoccasion with the empha-sis on pride were espe-cially appreciated by first-time recipients. After theceremony, there was justenough time for the ForceCommander to meet thesoldiers and discuss theOp TOSCA tour to date.The medal parade was acomplete success andenjoyed by all.

The beautiful surroundings of the “Finnish Sauna”,near the UNPOL Club, formed the venue for theUNFICYP UNPOL Medal Parade, which took place

on 23 July.This medal presentation was unique because it

involved only one contingent. As four Dutch police offi-cers were scheduled to depart the mission in August,leaving UNFICYP between two major rotations, theywould have been unable to receive their medal. Hencethe four officers of the Netherlands were granted thisspecial medal presentation.

And special it was! The Ambassador of The Nether-lands to Cyprus, H.E. Mr. J. van den Berg, addressedthe medalists and their guests initially in the Dutchlanguage. As he was clearly “going Dutch”, the audi-ence started to look somewhat bewildered, but fortu-nately, he then switched to English. Chief of Mission,Michael Møller, having addressed the medalists, invitedthe Netherlands Ambassador to join him in handing outthe medals to the “happy few”: Senior Sergeants NicoNuijen and Niels Pouw and First Constables ArletteKooiman and Jan Douma.

An estimated 80 guests attended the presentation,among them two delegates from the Netherlands Policewho had come especially to Cyprus for this occasion.

A reception at the UNPOL Club followed – which wasindeed, a “Dutch treat”!

Dutch Medal Parade

Sgt. Dave Dobson

2 August 2007 – The Blue Beret

UN Flight celebrated Argentinian Air Force Dayon 10 August with a military parade inspected byForce Commander Maj. Gen. Rafael José Barni.

The 28-member unit responsible for the mis-sion’s two Hughes 500 and one Bell 212 hosteda reception for their guests in honour of the day.

THE BLUE BERETPublished monthly by the:

Public Information OfficeUnited Nations Force in CyprusHQ UNFICYPPO Box 216421590 NicosiaCyprus

Tel: 2261-4550/4416/4408Fax: 2261-4461E-mail: unficyp-blue-beret@un.org

blueberetcyprus@hotmail.comWebsite:www.unficyp.org

Editorial Team

Brian KellyMiriam TaylorNetha KreouzosSSgt. Michal Ivan (Photographer)Anne BurseyCapt. Tomas Pavlik

Unit Press Officers

Sector 1 Capt. Guillermo LarreynaSector 2 Capt. Gary AllenSector 4 Capt. Miloš SegeňMFR Lt. William PercyUNPOL Sgt. Gail McClureUN Flt Lt. Cristian RamosFMPU Capt. Miroslav Svorník

The Blue Beret is UNFICYP’s in-housejournal. Views expressed are of theauthors concerned, and do not neces-sarily conform with official policy.

Articles of general interest (plus pho-tos with captions) are invited from allmembers of the Force.

Copyright of all material is vested inUN publications, but may be repro-duced with the Editor’s permission.

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Front Cover: General InspectionBack Cover: Uplifting Air Force Day

Contents

Argentinian Air Force Day

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2MFR Medal Parade / Dutch Medal Parade . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Climate Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4/5Visit to Kokkina / Illegal Dumping in the BZ . . . . . . . . . . .6SG’s Message / Summer Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Golden Oldies Show the Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8/9Blood Donations in Sector 4 / Town Hall Speakers . . . . . .10Third Time Lucky / Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie! . . . . . . .11Exercise Blue Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Baghdad Bombing / EU Disaster Assessment /

Commendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13General Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14New Arrivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Investment of more than $200 billion will be needed by2030 just to keep greenhouse emissions at today's levels,according to a report by the UN Framework Conventionon Climate Change (UNFCCC). One thousand representa-tives from over 150 governments, businesses and indus-tries, environmental organisations and research institu-tions met under UNFCCC auspices in Vienna in lateAugust. The reason for the gathering? To help prepare forthe global summit being held later this year in Bali. There,the topic will be what must and should be done aboutclimate issues come 2012, when the UN's Kyoto Protocolexpires.

In July, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed theneed for countries to agree to the terms of a pact de-signed to follow on the Kyoto Protocol. Moreover, he said,the new pact should be ready for ratification three yearsbefore the current Protocol expires to allow signatory na-tions sufficient time to prepare the necessary legislation.

The Vienna meeting was in two parts. The first dealt withcooperative actions designed specifically to addressclimate change. The second part focused exclusively onKyoto Protocol-inspired negotiations.

Speakers at the Conference emphasized the need for anintegrated approach to the “huge global challenge” ofclimate change, noting that each year that passes withoutmeasures to mitigate the situation drives up the humanand financial costs of adapting to change.

The UNFCCC study analyzed both existing and potentialinvestment and financial flows relevant to developing aninternational response to climate change. The studyfound that the additional amount of investment and fin-ancial flows in 2030 would amount to between 1.1% and1.7% of global investment. Also, that up to $210 billionworth of additional investment and financial flows will benecessary to return greenhouse gas emissions to currentlevels.

If you want to see what you can do to help cut thoseemissions, check out the article on how climate changeimpacts on us all. On page 5, we list a series of simple,practical and responsible measures that we, as individuals,can take to help change or influence climate change.

Helping Change Climate Change

Bell 212

Hughes 500

August 2007 – The Blue Beret 5

Driving• Surface transport is responsible for 25% emissions of

CO2 and rising. In the past 30 years, traffic on theroads in Europe has more than doubled.

• Give your car a day off! Can you find a way to makeyour journey to work on foot, by bike or using publictransport, for instance by car-pooling with colleagues?

• Keep your car tyres properly inflated. It’s estimatedthat up to 80% of car tyres are under-inflated, whichcan increase fuel consumption, and therefore emis-sions, by up to 5%, as well as increasing wear and tear.

• Drive with the windows up. Thisreduces drag, thus increasingyour fuel consumption efficiencyand lowering your emissions.Drag can also be lessened by removing heavy itemsand roof racks from the vehicle when you don't need tocarry them.

• Switch off the engine if you think you will be stationaryfor more than two minutes. Idling for this long burnsmore fuel than it takes to restart the engine.

• Avoid short car journeys. A cold engine uses almosttwice as much fuel as a warmer one. Take a walk inthe fresh air to the local shops instead – it’s good foryou!

• Hire bicycles instead of a car if you are exploringlocally. Not only will this save emissions, but somemoney too – and help burn off any holiday excess.

Food and Drink• Think before you buy. Demand local and organic and

seasonal products and produce – it’s your right to bechoosy! Avoid all air-freighted foods and if your shopcannot assure you of this then don’t buy. Gettingproduce out of season means either growing it usingglasshouses or importing it, sometimes by air.

• Cook from fresh. Avoiding processed and packagedfoods reduces the emissions generated by transportingmultiple ingredients and products around the countryor even the world, as well as in the production ofpackaging. Fresh is also better for your health.

• Use a toaster rather than the grill to make toast – itwill use less energy.

• Recycle aluminium. The energy saved by recycling onealuminium drink can is enough to run a TV for threehours.

• Buy in bulk for everyday items. As well as savingmoney, this will avoid the emissions created whenpackaging individual items. If you don’t use largequantities but still want to take advantage of thesavings, share an order with a friend, colleague orneighbour.

At HomeSimple measures could substantially reduce the emis-sions from your home, and save you money as well. Forinstance,• In summer, does it need to be so cold? Keep the a/c

thermostat to 24°C.• Keep the doors closed when the a/c is turned on. It

doesn’t make sense to let cold air out.• In winter, does it need to be so hot? Turning the ther-

mostat down by just one degree can save you up to$75 a year on your heating bill and make a real dentin your household’s emissions.

• Set your timer efficiently. Avoid wasted energy bytiming your heating to go off 30 minutes before youleave the house, and to come on again 30 minutesbefore you are due to get back.

• Reflective radiator panels can fit perfectly behindradiators. They are cheap to buy, easy to install andreflect back heat that would otherwise drift through thewall.

• Draw your curtains at dusk. A thick pair of curtains canstop a huge amount of cool air or heat from escapingthrough your windows.

• Put a lid on it. Saucepans with lids on heat muchquicker and use less energy.• Don’t keep opening the oven tocheck whether your food is ready –this adds to the time needed to

cook your meal and uses more energy. Switch it off afew minutes before your food is ready – the oven willstay hot enough to finish cooking the food.

• Turn lights off! Lighting an empty office overnight canwaste the energy required to heat water for 1,000 cupsof coffee.

• Buy energy-saving light bulbs. Some can use less thana quarter of the electricity of their equivalents, and canlast up to 12 times longer. One energy efficient lightbulb can save you $20 a year on your electricity bill.

• Make the most of nature. Light-coloured walls, ceilingsand floors, as well as mirrors, reflect daylight, makemaximum use of natural light and reduce the need forartificial lighting.

• Use infrared. If you have exterior lights, ask yourelectrician to fit infrared sensors so that the lights onlycome on when you pass in front of them.

• Resist standby – it’s expensive! People pay millions ofdollars every year for the electricity used in keepingtheir appliances on standby. That goes for PC screenstoo.

• Unplug equipment once fully charged. Mobile phones,shavers and electric toothbrushes keep drawing elec-tricity even when the battery is full.

• Keep fridge and freezer doors closed. Each minute afridge door is open it can take three energy-intensiveminutes for it to cool down again.

• Keep your freezer full. It takes less energy to keep afull freezer cool than it does an empty one.

• Think how you cook. Pressure cookers and steamersboth save energy; steamers are particularly easy touse and very healthy.

• Only use a washing machine on full-load. Ninetypercent of the energy that washing machines use goestoward heating the water, so switch to a cooler washtemperature: using 40°C for all clothes can use a thirdless electricity per wash. Today's washing powders arejust as effective on low temperature programmes,saving both energy and money.

At Work• Reduce office paper consumption. One study says that

office paper consumption is rising by 20% per year. Onaverage each worker uses 50 sheets of A4 a day. Addthe slogan “Think before you print” at the bottom ofyour emails. Print double-sided.

• Switch office equipment off at night. A photocopier lefton overnight uses enough energy to make 1,500photocopies.

YES, BUT WHAT CAN I DO?

MT

4 August 2007 – The Blue Beret

Finding out the factsThe UN has assisted in bringing the best science, thelikely impacts and the probable costs to the attention ofgovernments and the general public through theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“Unequivocal” is the word it now uses on the linksbetween human activities — from burning fossil fuels tocutting of forests — and climate change.

Assessing risks and impactsClimate change is likely to bring more extreme weatherevents from droughts and floods to rising sea levels.

Other likely impacts include increased pressure onwater and food supplies in many parts of the world,changes in the patterns of disease and faster extinctionrates for plants and animals.

Taking action is affordableAverting climate change will not “cost the earth” —perhaps as little as 0.1 per cent of average annual GDPgrowth over the next 30 years if we act immediately.

Adapting to climate change

Even if greenhouse gas emissions were stopped today,some level of climate change is inevitable. The UN isstepping up assistance to the poorest and most vulner-

able people so they can cope better with the speed andthe scale of the climatic changes likely to come.

Creative answers-concrete solutionsThe UN is helping to harness the power of the carbonmarkets, assisting to accelerate the take-up of clean andrenewable energies and assessing the potential forforests to counter the climate change challenge.

At the grassrootsWorking with people in their communities, the UN hason the ground initiatives that are opening new oppor-tunities for people, growth and development with alower carbon footprint.

Greening the UNUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called foraccelerating efforts to make the UN’s own operationsclimate-neutral, and to turn the soon to be renovatedUN Headquarters into a globally acclaimed landmark ofenergy efficiency.

Finding commo n groundClimate change is a global problem that needs a long-term global solution. The UN is at the centre of broker-ing a fair, equitable and decisive climate change regimefor a post-2012 world.

Climate change refers to a change of climate directlyor indirectly attributable to human activity thatalters the composition of the global atmosphere

over and above natural climate variability observedduring comparable time periods.

The phrase “climate change” is gaining usage inpreference to “global warming” because it connotes morethan a simple rise in temperatures.

The earth’s average temperature seems to have beenremarkably stable for the past 10,000 years, varying byless than 1°C, allowing human civilization to thrive atwhat is today a comfortable 15°C. But the very successof our civilization risks disrupting the climate that hasserved us so well until now.

The “blanket” of greenhouse gases that occursnaturally in the troposphere — representing less thanone percent of the entire atmosphere — serves the vitalfunction of regulating the planet’s climate. When solarenergy in the form of visible light strikes the earth, itwarms the surface. Being much cooler than the sun, theearth emits this energy back out to space in the form ofinfrared, or thermal, radiation. Greenhouse gases blockthe infrared radiation from escaping directly into space.The resulting “natural greenhouse effect” keeps theplanet some 30°C warmer than it would otherwise be,which is essential for life as we know it.

The problem we now face is that since the start of theindustrial revolution some 250 years ago, emissions ofgreenhouse gases have been making this blanket thickerat an unprecedented speed. This has caused the mostdramatic change in the atmosphere’s composition for atleast 650,000 years. Unless we make significant effortsto reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the global climatewill continue to warm rapidly over the coming decadesand beyond.

From 31 July to 2 August, UNHQ hosted the firstextended General Assembly informal thematic debate,“Climate Change as a Global Challenge”. Given climate

change developments, the debate sought to promote areduction in pollution and to raise overall awareness ofthe problem. Nearly 100 Member States were eager todiscuss hot topics like carbon offsetting. So much so thatthe two-day seminar was extended to three to accommo-date the demand.

The carbon neutral theme of the debate was put intoperspective when the amount of CO2 the panelists andspecial guests used to travel to the event was comparedto how much CO2 the UN Secretariat emits per day basedon total electricity consumption. The conclusion: 43,300kg of CO2 was produced by the travelling panelists, whilethe Secretariat emits 52,890 kg of CO2 daily. To offsetthe accumulated carbon dioxide emissions generated bythe event, including air travel, a biomass fuel project wasfunded in Kenya to create new economic opportunitiesfor local farmers. For further details, see:

http://www.un.org/ga/president/61/followup/climatechange/carbonneutral.shtml

A new DPI web site, “Gateway to the UN System’sWork on Climate Change”, has been launched to highlightthe work of the United Nations system on climatechange. This makes it easier for Internet users to findinformation on climate change from across the UnitedNations system.

The web site does more than bring Member Statestogether to find common ground for addressing climatechange at the international level. It also serves to assessthe most up-to-date science on climate change, developprojects to help people at grassroots level adapt to theconsequences of climate change and aims to developcreative solutions to reduce emissions of climate-changing gases.

So, if you want information on the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC), an update on efforts toreach a new international climate change agreement, ora listing of future climate change events and projects,look no further than: http://www.un.org/climatechange.

United Nations: Taking Action on Climate Change

August 2007 – The Blue Beret 7

“Be Seen, Be Heard” –SG’s Message on International Youth Day

Summer Camps

International Youth Day – 12 August – is an annualopportunity to recognise the world’s 1.2 billionyoung people, to celebrate their achievements, and

to push for their participation in all areas of society. This year’s commemoration – “Be Seen, Be Heard:

Youth Participation for Development” – focused on theenormous contributions young women and men every-where can and do make towards national uplift. As theSG said in his message for the day, young people are:. valuable and committed partners in the global effort

to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, inclu-ding the overarching goal of cutting poverty andhunger in half by 2015

. remain at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS; and

. bring fresh, innovative thinking to longstandingdevelopment concerns.At the approach of the midpoint of the race to

achieve the MDGs, “we need their participation morethan ever,” since their energy and idealism “can helpmake up for lost ground, and achieve our developmentgoals in full and on time,” the SG said.

“In turn, we must fulfil our obligations to youth. TheWorld Programme of Action for Youth asks Govern-ments to consider the contributions of young personson all policies affecting them. Governments must hon-our this commitment. They must also increase thefinancial, education and technical support made avail-able to young people, and help them realize theirpotential.

Despite growing recognition of their needs, youngpeople in many parts of the world continue to bemarginalized and ignored. Their status as a group ex-periencing disproportionate levels of poverty andunemployment is frequently overlooked. The young arethree times more likely than adults to lack jobs.Although they constitute one fourth of the world’slabour force, young people make up almost half of itsunemployed.

It is high time that we stopped viewing our youngpeople as part of the problem and started cultivatingtheir promise and potential. On this International YouthDay, let us all resolve to invest in and protect our mostvaluable resource, and give young men and women afair and full stake in our society, and in its success.”

UNDP Action for Coopera-tion and Trust (ACT) iscontinuing its work on multi-cultural youth camps in orderto help Cypriots, regardless oftheir ethnic, religious or lin-guistic background, to build abright and prosperous future.

With the aid of the UNDP-ACT Programme, youth campsare organised by Cypriot organ-isations in order to foster long-lasting relationships built oncommon interests, friendship,cooperation, mutual under-standing, and trust.

This summer, the UNDP-ACT Programme has helped toorganise eight different multi-cultural youth camps aroundthe island. These camps havefocused on various themessuch as sport, the environment,volunteerism, science, andfighting racism.

About 450 youths partici-pated in this year’s summercamps this year. Moreover, astudy conducted by an independent research firm onUNDP’s behalf showed that most of the participants

have kept in contact since the campsfinished, 79% exchanged contact infor-mation with other camp participants andabout 88% have kept regular contact withmembers from the other community. Theseresults are very promising and show thesuccess of the camps, as well as the needto continue with the programme.

In addition to multi-cultural youth camps, UNDP-ACT also organises multi-cultural youth camp trainings.The aim of these trainings is to enhance the impact andsustainability of multicultural camps across the island,since they are one of the rare possibilities of creatingsubstantial contact between the children and youth ofboth communities.

For more information on youth camps or up-comingevents of the UNDP-ACT Programme, please look underwww.undp-act.org or contact Eleni Sophocleous ateleni.sophocleous@undp.org.

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot youths at the Doves Olympic Movement camp whichtook place between 18-25 July at the Agros Sports Centre in the Troodos mountain range

6 August 2007 – The Blue Beret

UNFICYP has advised the authorities that an illegalrubbish dump in the buffer zone area alongsidethe village of Peristerona, to the west of Nicosia,

is believed to contain hazardous asbestos materials. UNFICYP peacekeepers have cordoned off the area,

pending arrangements by the responsible authoritiesfor the safe removal of the materials and for the site’sclearance and closure. The materials in question couldpose a real danger to the health of anyone who comesin contact with them.

UNFICYP has worked closely with a number of localmunicipalities to remove waste from illegal dumpingsites in the buffer zone. Anything from furniture to thecarcasses of dead animals has been deposited in thesedumps, which constitute both an environmental eye-sore and a serious health hazard. Selfish acts by thought-less individuals put communities, children especially, atreal risk.

UNFICYP has joined local authorities in repeatedlyappealing to the public to avoid the practice of illegaldumping.

Once again, the mission urges people to be aware ofthe health risk consequences of unregulated dumping.There should be consideration for the wellbeing of thecommunity at large.

UNFICYP also wishes to point out that the bufferzone is open only to authorised users.

UNFICYP’s three pillars once again worked to-gether to facilitate a visit to the cemetery inKokkina, where Turkish Cypriots hold an annual

ceremony to honour their fallen.On 8 August, approximately 30 peacekeepers from

Sector 1, together with personnel from UN Flight, MFRand UNPOL, deployed 12 vehicles to escort approxi-mately 640 people to Kokkina, which is located only 7 kmaway from the Kato Pyrgos checkpoint.

The peacekeepers met them at Kato Pyrgos andescorted them to OP 08, approximately 7 km east ofthe village, where they checked the attendance fromlists. Eleven buses then started the 30-minute journeythrough the buffer zone to OP 03, approximately 1 kmeast of Kokkina.

They then continued on towards the deserted villageof Kokkina where the ceremony was held.

This was followed by a picnic and a walk through thedeserted village where many of the Turkish Cypriots wereborn. Local Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot stationsreported on the event.

At 1.00 p.m., the visitors slowly returned to OP 03,where they were met and escorted back through thebuffer zone to Kato Pyrgos by UNFICYP’s peacekeepers,arriving at 2.30 p.m.

The whole operation, which took place withoutincident, was considered a success, and UNFICYP waswarmly thanked for its efforts.

Capt. Guillermo Larreyna

Illegal Dumping inthe Buffer Zone

Visit to Kokkina

August 2007 – The Blue Beret 9

This is Fülöp’s third mission in Cyprus, his first beingin 1997 in Famagusta when he was attached to theAustrian contingent as ops assistant for one year. Hethen served in 2002 as HUNCON’s Contingent Com-mander based in Sector 4.

Fülöp says the first time he came on mission toCyprus was a challenge for him to see whether he wouldbe able to work in an international environment. “Thosewho haven’t tried have no idea,” he says. For his secondmission, he was asked at the last minute because theofficer due to deploy was unable to do so and theauthorities only had one week to find a replacement.

This September, Fülöp will have served 35 years inthe military. He says, “Personally, I believe I have

served too long and I would like to givethe opportunity to younger officers to stepin.” Although he is the oldest member ofhis contingent, he says “I don’t feel like Iam over 50 years of age. Even though theother members of my contingent in manycases are much younger than I am, this isnot an obstacle. We are all friends whowork and socialise together.” Fülöp con-cedes that he does get asked for advice onoccasion.

Married with two children, a son Gyorgy(25) and a daughter Katalin (27), Fülöp

says although his wife was not too pleased with himgoing on a third mission, he says “she is a real militarywife, and has taken it in her stride”.

He says working abroad in UN, NATO and otherpeacekeeping missions is good experience and headvises those soldiers who are bored in their jobs athome to go abroad, where they will gain knowledge and,most importantly, the skills to be able to survivemissions with difficult conditions. This wealth of experi-ence gained from working with different nations andarmies creates a better understanding for those chargedwith leading others, he says.

His years as a peacekeeper have given him manyfriends in the Slovak and Argentinian Contingents as wellas UN Flight, with whom he served when he was here in2003. As he is close to retirement from the military,Fülöp says he would like go join the UN as a civilian tocontinue working in peacekeeping.

Born 14 August 1957, the youngest of the veteransis WO1 Carlos Maria Lopez, the highest-rankingNCO, working directly with Commander Sector 1.

New to peacekeeping, he says he is happy to be here

where he can interact with soldiers from other nationswhom he may otherwise not have been able to.Although the type of work he does here and in Argentinais the same, the fact that they are far from home makesa difference. “My job is to try and keep morale amongthe soldiers high, and although the initial reactions whenthey first arrive are enthusiastic, as time goes by andthe soldiers miss their families, they become moreanxious to return home,” he says. For many who are ontheir first tour in Cyprus, it is difficult initially to accli-matise themselves. To help ease them into their roles,he tries to group those on the first tour with soldiers whohave been here before so they receive support and canlook to the more experienced to help resolve anyproblems they may face.

He says both his position as well as his age inspireconfidence in the younger soldiers who feel comfortablecoming to him to discuss personal and work-relatedproblems they may be experiencing. “I am always happyto listen to them and advise them if I can”.

Lopez has four children. The eldest is Carlos (23),followed by Patricia (21), José (16), and Juan (15), sobeing a father figure comes naturally, he says smiling.

He began his 33-year military career at the age of 16and now has only two years until he retires at what willbe a young 51 years of age. His only regret is he won’tbe able to go on another mission before he has to leavethe military.

Lopez says he would encourage young soldiers tobecome peacekeepers and serve in UN missions wherethey will be able to work with other forces and gainmuch knowledge and experience. For himself, he says ithas been good to work with men and women from hisneighbouring countries like Paraguay and Chile.

Netha Kreouzos

8 August 2007 – The Blue Beret

Golden Oldies Show the Way

First among the veterans is Major Alan Halsall T.D.,born on 1 March 1954, who is not only the oldestmember of the British contingent, but of the

UNFICYP peacekeepers currently on the island. He wearsthis title proudly, as he does the fact that he is from theRoyal Logistics Corps – Territorial Army, and is the firstto be deployed to Cyprus as such.

At UNFICYP, Halsall serves as a Military ObserverLiaison Officer for Sector 2 where he is in contact withthe opposing forces. His experience has shown him thatpersonal contact always achieves more, and he finds hisduties take him out of the office on a regular basis whichhe enjoys, along with the interaction with members ofother contingents.

Extremely fit, Halsall trains hard five-to-seven days aweek. He sets his younger colleagues – some of themhalf his age – a tough example, as he was the first togain admission to the Scorpion 300 fitness club. Hissporting achievements include winning the 10km vete-rans relay race for his sector, testament to his belief thatage is a state of mind. Young at heart, he says he is able

to communicate with the younger soldiers in his regi-ment at their level. Although he is old enough to be afather to many of them, he feels he is more of a friendand can be seen regularly socialising with them.

Back home, Halsall served with the TA for well over30 years, mainly in supply and logistics, as quarter-master and in liaison officer roles. Previous missionsinclude “Iraqi Freedom” in 2003 as a liaison officer, anda second tour in Iraq in 2006 serving as Quartermasterand Camp Commandant of Sheiber Logbase.

The oldest Slovak peacekeeper is Lance CorporalPeter Knizat born 23 April 1954, a special mech-anisms driver in the engineering unit. He served as

a conscript between 1973-1975 and has been in theprofessional army of Slovakia since 1994 when he wasposted to the UN mission in the former Yugoslavia. Healso served in UNMEE in 2001 and 2002. He has had twopostings to UNFICYP, from 2004-2006 and again from2006-2007, both in Famagusta and HQ.

“Sometimes I feel like a father to the Slovak contingent,as many of the soldiers are younger than my children.”He says he does not feel uncomfortable receiving ordersfrom soldiers that are many years his junior, as he says,“In the army, an order is an order, no matter who itcomes from.” However both officers and soldiers fre-quently draw on his wealth of experience when it comesto finding solutions to problems they may face in theirwork or on the best way to get a job done.

Looking back at his career in peace-keeping, Knizat says the most dangeroussituation he found himself in was while onmission in the former Yugoslavia where hewas working 10-15 km behind the frontline, very close to the fighting. They couldhear the shelling and see the smoke fromthe explosions. Other hardships he hasexperienced include the difficult conditionsof missions in Africa. There, he had to dealwith the threat of diseases like malariaand living conditions far more basic thanat UNFICYP.

Reflecting on his choice to go on peacekeepingmissions, Knizat says, “This was a sacrifice by my wife,Erika and I that we chose to make for our children’sfutures.” Knizat has two sons, Peer (26) and Yuraj (27).He says his wife is happy that he has the opportunity towork on UN missions, as the extra money he receives ishelping to put his son through medical school.

However this is his last mission before he retires fromthe Slovakian army. When he returns, he will go back tothe Air Defence Brigade as a driver, and will also preparefor another happy event – his son’s wedding and thenbecoming a grandfather…

Hungarian Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Fülöp wasborn on 16 November 1955. As the SO2 Personnelin HQ UNFICYP, he is responsible for the forces

military personnel strength, reporting monthly to NewYork. He assists the CPLO and sectors on personnelissues. In this capacity, his is the only military personnelposition responsible for 860 military peacekeepers on theisland. This involves liaison with the troop-contributingcountries on issues ranging from allowances to rotations.

Just as football teams like to have a fewveterans on the team to balance the talent andskills of the younger with the wisdom ofexperience, so too UNFICYP’s peacekeepingteam is lucky to be able to draw on the wisdomof a corps of veterans.UNFICYP’s pool of wisdom and experience isdrawn from all contingents on the island.

As the Force Commander RafaelJosé Barni has been heard to sayanecdotally:“What is the secret of your success?Two words – good decisions.How do you get good decisions?One word – experience.And how do you get experience?Two words – bad decisions.”

August 2007 – The Blue Beret 11

Two, love struck soldiers finally found fortune andtied the knot in marriage in Cyprus last week,after three years of trying.

LCpl. Valerie Bishoprick, from 8 Transport RegimentRLC, and Cpl. Lloyd Doak, who is in the QRL, have hadto cancel twice due to operational commitments beforefinally taking the opportunity to wed while LCpl. Bishop-rick is on tour with the United Nations in Nicosia.

The Catterick Garrison based soldiers, who havebeen together five years, were married in a small civilceremony in Yeroskipou, near Paphos, in what wasadmittedly not their first choice of location.

LCpl. Doak (neé Bishoprick) said: “The first time wetried to get married in Greece, but then he got called upto Iraq, and the second time we were planning forCounty Durham in the UK, but we were both on exer-cises for operations and it was impossible to organise.

“Then we were going to try again in the UK but Lloydwas warned off for Afghanistan in October, just when Iam supposed to get back from Cyprus and it was allvery tight.”

Help came though in the form of UNFICYP Sector 2Padre Roy Burley, who reminded the then LCpl. Bishop-rick that Cyprus was, of course, the island of love.

He said: “Her then fiancé was due to deploy toHerrick on a date to be confirmed in October, so Isuggested why not use the R&R we get on operationshere as it is the only two weeks over the next 12months they could guarantee being together.

“Then it was just a matter of finding a location andmy wife and I were honoured to be asked to attend aswitnesses to the ceremony. If you look at any of thepictures, you can see what it meant to them.”

And one of the bonuses of marriage during R&R wasthat the soldiers were already guaranteed a honey-moon.

The new Mrs. Doak said: “We had a combined holi-day of a week on a cruise looking at the Pyramids andSphinx in Egypt, which my husband is really interestedin, followed by a week on the beach at Protaras – thatwas for me!

“The honeymoon was awesome and he was ecstatic,even happier than me I think, because now he knowsthat he has finally caught me in his trap!”, said Val.

Possibly even better news for the couple is that Cpl.Doak has been told just recently that he may not berequired for the October deployment to Afghanistan,meaning an extended period of time together.

If that’s the case, then the love struck soldiersintend to conduct a church service and blessing on Mrs.Doak’s return back to the UK in Catterick.

Third Time Lucky forLovestruck Couple

Bye Bye, Miss American Pie!

Marlette Miltiadous, the American from NewJersey who made everyone feel very much “athome” in the UNPA’s CESSAC, spent her last day

on the job on 14 August after three years with theorganisation.

Donna Zalabras, CESSAC’s Nicosia Manager, organi-sed a surprise get-together of Marlette’s best custo-mers to bid her a fond farewell. How Donna managedto keep this from Marlette is to her credit, since on theday, it was obvious to all present that Marlette had noidea what was planned. The CESSAC “girls” even gother to prepare some of the snacks for a supposedcustomer’s birthday party!

Regina Potter, CESSAC’s Regional Manager, travelledfrom Episkopi for the event, and presented Marlettewith gifts from the organisation and also from Mar-lette’s “customers” in appreciation of her efforts overthe years.

Marlette is going on to better things – debt collect-ing! After a short while, she is planning to open up herown business. We wish her well in her endeavours.

From the left: Gina, Donna, Marlette, Aysen and Danielle

Capt. Gary Allen

10 August 2007 – The Blue Beret

Lt. Col. Andrej Harendarčík M.D., SeniorMedical Officer in Sector 4, has madeseveral contacts with colleagues in the

central north Nicosia Hospital during his tour.There is a significant shortage of blood on

the island, so with the support of Comman-der Sector 1 Lt. Col. Jaroslav Schönvický, Lt.Col. Harendarčík and his contacts fromSector 4 arranged for the hospital to send aMobile Blood Transfusion Unit to CampGeneral Štefánik. On 2 August, 33 Slovakpeacekeepers, men and women, officers andsoldiers, stood in line to donate a total ofalmost 20 litres of their precious, life-savingblood.

The activity started off with the basicmedical check-up, including blood pressure.The staff of the Nicosia hospital’s MobileBlood Transfusion Unit then stood by to transfer thesoldiers’ blood into sterile packaging, ready for onwardtransmission to the nearby hospital.

Dr. Harendarčík said, “I am personally more thanhappy that our soldiers are so willing to help people inneed, particularly those with rare diseases likethalassaemia. Chronic illnesses like this, coupled witheveryday normal surgery, require more than 600 unitsof blood every month. This is a noble way of supporting

the local community in a generous and humanitarianfashion. I am very proud of our soldiers, and I wouldlike to thank them all.”

Since September 2006, three blood donatingsessions have taken place in Sector 4. The Slovak andHungarian peacekeepers are more than happy to helpthe local community in this charitable act, which will nodoubt continue in the future.

As the saying goes, “It’s just what the doctorordered!”

Town Hall Speakers

Three Town Hall Meetings took place in the Interna-tional Cafeteria, UNPA, with visitors from NYHQbriefing staff on a number of issues.

27 June: Alicia Bárcena briefed on current challengesof peacekeeping operations, including the intergrationof civilians, police and military, the UN as a frameworkfor negotiations on climate change, and also poverty-related Millenium Development Goals. Jan Beagle thenspoke about the new integrated package of reforms,which looks at a set of policies and procedures withregard to recruitment, contractual arrangements andconditions of service, career development and im-proved mobility within the system.

5 July: Donna-Marie Maxfield, Chief of PersonnelManagement and Support Services, outlined upcomingchanges in the department as regards human resourcemanagement; and11 July 2007, Ron Hall ran through the decisionstaken at the recent Staff Management CoordinationCommittee meeting.

The meetings were an excellent opportunity for staffmembers to ask questions and exchange thoughts on awide range of subjects. Follow-up questions can be sentto the speakers at:

barcena@un.org, beagle@un.org,maxfield@un.org, hallr@un.org

Alicia Bárcena, Under Secretary-General for theDepartment of Management, and Jan Beagle,Assistant Secretary-General for the Office ofHuman Resources,

Ron Hall, President of the FieldStaff Union Donna-Marie Maxfield, Chief, PMSS

Blood Donationsin Sector 4

Personnel from the Mobile Blood Transfusion Unit innorth Nicosia collecting blood from Sector 4 peacekeepers

Capt. Michal Harnadek

July 2007 – The Blue Beret 13

Croatian Commendation

On rare occasions, the Force Commander has thediscretion to present outstanding peacekeeperswith his special commendation at the end of their

tour.Such was the case on 19 July, when Capt. Stjepan

Torkonjak, a Military Observer Liaison Officer and amember of the Croatian Contingent stationed in Sector4, arrived at Maj. Gen. Barni ’s office in HQ UNFICYP toreceive his award.

Capt. Torkonjak was recommended by CommanderSector 4, Lt. Col. Jaroslav Schönvický, for his outstand-ing performance as a MOLO. Throughout his tour, Capt.Torkonjak improved the three-pillar cooperation atSector level, dealing with operational tasks at a veryhigh level. His approach to his work and the diplomacyhe used were valuable and constructive, particularlywhen it came to keeping the situation calm in Sector4’s area of responsibility. This included dealing not onlywith military personnel, but civilian matters as well. Hisefforts were commendable, and he proved to be aexample to other MOLO colleagues on how to react inchanging conditions using liaison and negotiation skills,even in highly dangerous situations.

Capt. Torkonjak has acted in an exemplary fashion,both as a military officer, and as an ambassador of hiscountry.

EU Disaster Assessment

Fifteen experts from the European CommunityMechanism for Civil Protection conducted an exer-cise based on possible quake scenarios on the

island, and to train resident specialists for any possiblefuture disaster. An exercise scenario was based on anearth and/or seaquake measuring 7.2 on the Richterscale. The destruction from the quakes was on thesouthern coast of the island, and the experts had tosurvey the scene and assess the situation for theEuropean Search and Rescue Teams in Cyprus.

One task involved a reconnaissance of the OldNicosia Airport inside the UNPA. UNFICYP’s ChiefSecurity Officer, Air Safety Officer, Property Managerand Civilian Affairs Military Liaison Officer participated.

Force Commander congratulates Capt. Torkonjak for hisexcellent performance during his tour

Four years on and the bombing of the CanalHotel on 19 August 2003 remains one of theUN’s darkest days. Despite having lost collea-

gues before in the line of duty, this was the firsttime the United Nations was deliberately targetedon such a massive scale.

Speaking at a commemoration ceremony at UNheadquarters on 17 August, SG Ban Ki-moon said:“The bomb detonated at our Baghdad headquartersrobbed us of our best and brightest and injuredmany more, but it also shattered any illusion thatthe UN’s ideals and impartiality permitted us tooperate above the fray in Iraq. The bombers shookus to the very core, yet they could not shake ourideals: our values, our commitment, our resolve;these are all unchanged.

“Today, those very ideals, that same resolve,guide our work for peace, whether in Darfur or Dili,

in Beirut or Baghdad. This work is our ultimate andlasting tribute to our fallen friends. It is how wehonour their memory every day, wherever a blueflag flies.”

Noting the Security Council’s recent decision torenew and strengthen UNAMI’s mandate, the SGassured staff that their fears and concerns aboutany expansion were a matter of concern to him aswell. “That is why I affirm to you today that anysuch measure remains strictly subject to conditionson the ground – your safety is and always will be aparamount concern. At the same time, the terroristswho struck so cruelly in Baghdad must, one day, bebrought to justice. There can be no impunity forsuch murderers.”

On 17 August, UNFICYP staff observed aminute's silence at midday in memory of those whodied in the Baghdad bombing.

Baghdad Bombing Commemoration

12 August 2007 – The Blue Beret

ExerciseBlue DriveUNFICYP is committed to the

improvement of driving stand-ards and a reduction in the

number of Road Traffic Accidents(RTAs) in the mission. In recognitionof the statistics which demonstratethat road traffic collisions remain thegreatest cause of accidental death andserious injury in the mission, it is con-sidered paramount that a proactiveapproach be taken to reduce theRTA’s.

Exercise Blue Drive (2) is part of this initiative, andwas designed to test those areas of driving which con-tribute to the most prevalent traffic accidents/incidents.It also aims to develop individual and collective drivingskills, as well as promoting safety awareness throughoutthe mission.

All teams prepared for the competition with a veryenthusiastic and determined approach, and it wasencouraging to see teams practising prior to the event.In fact, all departments and sectors are urged to adoptthis approach and usesome of the driving standsas a tool for continuationof developing and increa-sing driver skills. The prac-tice of driving skills isessential to maintain ahigh standard within themission.

During the Exercise, itwas evident that driverswere serious about achie-ving a high score, both fortheir team and for theirown personal satisfaction.Many of the teams saidthat the newly introducedLarge Goods Vehicle Man-oeuvering stand tested their practical driving skills. Withlimited vision from an enclosed cab, using the mirrorswas the key to negotiating the course. The BlindManoeuvering stand offered not only a challenge to thedriver; it was designed to test the leadership skills ofverbal instruction from a commander of the vehicle whilethe driver was blindfolded. A test in itself was the multi-

national teams; communication is the vital link to anysuccessful operation, even in this simple form of drivingat slow speed…

With every competition, there is usually one individualwho has a degree of talent and shines above the rest.This was certainly the case with 1st Constable JanDouma, who was presented with the “Best Driver”award. He has a driving standard that was a credit tohimself, but he also showed extremely good teamwork.Throughout he was constantly encouraging his team, and

also proved his worth onthe theory side of roadsafety and basic main-tenance.

Overall, the teams whoparticipated gained a wealthof driving experience. Cre-dit and thanks must go tothe Directing Staff who puttogether interesting anddiversely challenging standson a successful two-dayevent.

Finally, congratulationsgo to the winners, Sector 2(A). They have clearly laidthe gauntlet for the nextExercise Blue Drive.

Overall results of the top three teams are as follows:1st - Sector 2 (A)2nd - Sector 1 (B)3rd - Sector 2 (B)Best Driver: - 1st Constable Jan Douma (UNPOL)

WO2 Stephen GoldsmithUNFICYP Master Driver

The winning team, Sector 2(A) Best driver: 1st Constable Jan Douma

Cross country

Blind manoeuvering

August 2007 – The Blue Beret 15

New Arrivals

Maj. Kathryn Heppinstallarrived in UNFICYP on 22August to take up the

position of SO2 Ops/Information.Kathryn, who comes from

England, is a graduate from TheUniversity of Reading where shestudied for a BSc (Hons) in FoodManufacture, Marketing andManagement. Before she joinedthe Army she worked as a KitKat taster for Nestle and as aFood Technologist for Marks &Spencer.

Kathryn joined the Army in1998. Commissioned into TheRoyal Logistic Corps, she hascompleted tours of Kosovo,Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iraq.Within her logistic trade she hasserved in transportation, combatoperations and supply. She hasrecently completed the Inter-mediate Command and StaffCourse (Land).

Kathryn’s hobbies includedownhill skiing, trekking, winetasting, travelling and cooking.

Maj. Kevin Dodgson arrivedin UNFICYP on 29 July totake up the position of

Officer Commanding Mobile ForceReserve, replacing Maj. SteveHanson-Church.

Kevin, who is from Leeds,England, was commissioned intothe British Army in 1992 and hasserved in Northern Ireland, Ger-many and completed four toursin Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Most recently he has servedin the Multinational 3* HQ AlliedRapid Reaction Corps and a Ter-ritorial Reserve unit where he

was the Training Major, Regi-mental 2IC, Ops Officer, BudgetManager and odd-job man!

Kevin is single and his hob-bies include travel, golf, footballand cricket. He is due to leaveUNFICYP on 2 October 2007 – ashort tour due to Kevin’s postingcycle – when he will return tocommand his Squadron inGutersloh, Germany.

He is very much lookingforward to the challenges andopportunities that this missionand Squadron command will nodoubt provide.

Renalyn Natural arrived inUNFICYP on 17 August totake up the position of

UNFICYP’s Archive Assistantwith the Public InformationOffice.

Renalyn is from Manila,Philippines, and holds a Bachelorof Science degree in ForeignService, majoring in Interna-tional Relations from the Lyceumof the Philippines.

She joined the United Na-tions in 2000 as a UNV for five

years and has so far worked forUNTAET, UNMISET, UNOTIL andUNMIS, prior to joining UNFICYP.

Renalyn is married to JimmyClavesillas, who accompaniedher to Cyprus for a brief visit.Jimmy is currently working asLogistics Assistant/Contingent-Owned Equipment Inspector inUNMIS.

Renalyn is joined by her five-year-old son, Rian. Her hobbiesinclude karaoke, cooking andtravelling.

Mary Groarke arrived inCyprus on 5 August totake up the position of

Administrative Assistant to theChief Administrative Officer,UNFICYP.

A U.S. national, born to Irishparents, Mary joined UN Head-quarters as a staff member inOHRM on 1 March 1989. Sincethen, she has held various postsin MINURSO, UNPROFOR, UNTSOand UNMIK.

It was during her first field

assignment to MINURSO thatMary met Paul Fennelly, a FieldService Officer who currentlyholds the post of UNFICYPSupply Officer. They married inVenice in 1995, and currentlyhave their home in Newport,Rhode Island, U.S.A.

Her hobbies include reading,travelling and sailing. In fact,she would love to start up a bookclub, so if anyone is interested,please contact Mary on Ext.4411, or 99-345236.

Officer Commanding Mobile Force Reserve

SO2 Ops/Information

Administrative Assistant to the CAO

UNFICYP Archive Assistant

14 August 2007 – The Blue Beret

General Inspection

Late August saw an all-star general inspection whenUNFICYP warmly welcomed Gen. Ľubomír Bulík,the Chief of General Staff of the Slovak Republic’s

Armed Forces, and Gen. András Havril, Chief of GeneralStaff of the Hungarian Republic. The two arrived for anofficial visit to the mission from 22 to 24 August.

Our own general, Force Commander Maj. Gen.Rafael J. Barni, joined by Senior Adviser Wlodek Cibor,greeted the visiting CGSs on arrival at UNFICYP Head-quarters. Gen. Barni then briefed his fellow generals onthe mission status, with specific emphasis on the roleand contribution of the Slovak and Hungarian Contin-gents. Afterwards, the CGSs stopped off to meet withnational staff stationed in the Headquarters. Gen. Bulikvisited Engineer Camp Tatry, while Gen. Havril droppedby the Hungarian national club.

A helicopter flight over the buffer zone followed,bringing the two generals to HQ Sector 4, CampGeneral Štefánik, in Famagusta. On arrival, CO Sector4, Lt. Col. Jaroslav Schönvický and the SOO, Capt MilošSegén, briefed the CGSs on the operational structure,the tasks and the position of SLOVCON and HUNCONrespectively. The generals then took the opportunity tomingle with Slovak and Hungarian soldiers, as well asto meet members of Sector 4’s Croatian Contingent.

A trip to CP 10 and OP 146 (“Baywatch”) at the fareastern end of Sector 4’s buffer zone area of responsi-bility followed. Subsequently, the visitors proceeded to

OP 129 and PB 126 (Alcatraz) in Pyla, where they werebriefed on everyday routine and given an orientationoverview by Post Commanders. The Hungarian dele-gation also called in on the HUNCON troops of 1stPlatoon at Camp Szent Istvan in Athienou village andPB 9, which borders with Sector 2’s AOR.

Wrapping up and before heading to Larnaca Airport,the two CGSs thanked the Force Commander for hishelp and support in making their visit so satisfying.

Uplifting

Air Force Day