Helping thePilgrims’ Way

EveryoneWon inPyla

UNFICYP observed two minutessilence at midday on 14 July intribute to the victims of the Londonbombings, as did the Greek Cypriotand Turkish Cypriot communities ofthe island. The morning after theatrocity, Force Commander Maj. Gen.Figoli conveyed the mission’s condo-lences and sympathy to UNFICYP’sBritish Contingent.

On the day of the actual bombings, 7July, the Secretary-General, who wasattending the G-8 meetings in Glen-eagles, Scotland, spoke of his devastationat the news.

“These vicious acts have cut us all tothe core, for they are an attack onhumanity itself. My thoughts and prayersare with all those who have lost lovedones, all those who were hurt, all thosewho were traumatized by this tragedy. Igrieve with all Londoners at the woundsthat have been inflicted on this wonderfulcity – this city that is home to peoplefrom so many countries and cultures –and express my solidarity with theGovernment and people of the UnitedKingdom in this hour of trial.”

The Security Council condemned the 7 July terrorist attackswithout reservation as “barbaric” and expressed its utmost

determination to combat terrorism in accordance with itsCharter responsibilities. By unanimous adoption of resolution1611 (2005), the Council, meeting just hours after the deadlybomb blasts shook London, expressed its deepest sympathyand condolences to the victims of the attacks and their families,and to the people and Government of the United Kingdom. TheCouncil urged all States, in accordance with their obligationsunder resolution 1373 (2001), to cooperate actively in efforts tofind and bring to justice the perpetrators, organisers andsponsors of those barbaric acts.

Adamantios Vassilakis (left), Permanent Representative of Greece to the UnitedNations and President of the Security Council for July, and Emyr Jones Parry,Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom

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3July 2005 - The Blue Beret

London Tribute

... and Remembering Canada

Since 1 July 1867, when Canada became a dominion,Canadians have held celebrations to mark the birth oftheir country. This year, a celebration took place within

the UNPA, hosted by the Commander, Canadian Contingent(CANCON) and assisted by those few “Canucks” who are partof the UN family here in Cyprus.

Capt. Dan Zegarac opened the festivities with a shortspeech, welcoming friends and colleagues to the InternationalGolf Club Nicosia. Canadian libations were served up, includinga lethally innocuous concoction called “Moose Milk”, whilegenuine maple syrup complemented a selection of snacks andpancakes provided by Michael and the staff of the Inter-national Cafeteria.

A relaxed and comfortable evening was enjoyed by agathering that included the Chief of Mission, the ForceCommander, representatives from UNOPS Bicommunal Deve-lopment Programme, UNCIVPOL and UNFICYP colleagues andfriends. Several international representatives stopped by toshare in the festivities. UNFICYP’s Canadians thank all who tookthe time to join them in celebrating this wonderful event.

Since 1964, 28 Canadians who came to Cyprus “In the Serviceof Peace” have died while on assignment with the mission.Two helmets pay tribute to their sacrifice, marking the

memorial in Wolseley Barracks. It is believed they belonged to Pte.Kohlman and Pte. Berger, killed during the hostilities of the mid-1970s. Their families have not forgotten. Pte. Kohlman’s parentsvisited in May 1998, and Pte. Berger’s parents visited in 1996.

On Canada Day, 1 July this year, an early morning ceremonytook place at the memorial. Refurbished by the soldiers in Sector2, a re-dedication service was officiated over by Padre Durant.Those present included CO CANCON Capt. Dan Zegarac, FieldSecurity Officer Ross Wickware and his wife and 2i/c Sector 2 Maj.Howard Wilkinson. The touching ceremony ended with the sound ofthe lone bugler (courtesy of Sector 2) echoing over the grounds, asomber reminder of the many who served and made the ultimatesacrifice.

CANADA Day –

Mick Raine, head of the Demining Cell, is welcomedby Canada Day committee member Anne Bursey

A Remembrance Service ...

THE BLUE BERET

Published monthly by the:

Public Information OfficeUnited Nations Peacekeeping Force inCyprusHQ 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 KellyAnne BurseyCapt. Stefan ZemanovicMiriam TaylorAldo HenríquezSgt. Adrián Artimovic (Photographer)

Unit Press Officers

Sector 1 Maj. Gustavo Villegas

Sector 2 Lt. Bertie Swan-Ingrey

Sector 4 MSgt. Sylvia Lojanová

Capt. Tibor Berecz

UNCIVPOL Sgt. Jim Flanagan

UN Flt Lt. Alfonso Naish

MFR Lt. Alex Markwick

FMPU Capt. Jozef Kascák

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 photoswith captions) are invited from allmembers of the Force.

Copyright of all material is vested in UNpublications, but may be reproducedwith the Editor’s permission.

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2 July 2005 - The Blue Beret

Front Cover: Everyone Won in Pyla

Back Cover: Helping the Pilgrims’ Way

Contents

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Editorial/Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

London Tribute/Canada Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

USG Prendergast briefs Security Council . . . . . . . .4/5

Bins on Trial!/Sector 4 Donor Squad! . . . . . . . . . . .6

Helping the Pilgrims’ Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

“Los Magníficos” in their Flying Machines! . . . . . . .8/9

Sector 2 News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10/11

Visitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

57 Pick-up(s)/PIO House-Warming . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Summer Sports Round-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14/15

Briefing the Security Council in late June (pages 4and 5) after visiting the region, USG Prendergastreported that the gap on issues of substancebetween the two sides appeared wide, which,combined with the apparent lack of confidencebetween them, did not bode well for efforts toestablish common ground.

Prendergast stressed that the Secretary-Generalbelieved the starting point for the UN right nowmust be full respect for the decision taken by thevoters on both sides in the 2004 referendum andthat this should guide the Organisation’s approachto resumed negotiations.

True, the UN could not consider a solution otherthan the kind envisaged in Security Councilresolutions, he said, but Greek Cypriots should feelconfident that the concerns that led them to voteas they did are kept in mind in any future processbased on the UN plan.

This calls for a prioritized and exhaustive list ofproposals for negotiation, he noted, since it isdifficult to address a long list of concerns in anorderly manner when there is no indication of theirrelative importance.

The USG went on to caution that this approachwould not help if it undermined majority supporton the Turkish Cypriot side for the UN plan. Theytoo must feel sure that any renewed process keepstheir concerns in mind, especially considering theirefforts for a solution and the fact that they hadseen little or no improvement in their situationsince the referendum.

Both sides should focus on their overridingcommon interest – the need to agree to revisionsso that the plan could command majority supportin their respective communities. A settlement callsfor compromise, which in turn calls for leadershipwith vision, courage and political will. It will only bepossible, USG Prendergast said, if the partiesproceed with respect and understanding for oneanother’s concerns and a desire for an earlysettlement.

4 5July 2005 - The Blue BeretJuly 2005 - The Blue Beret

On 22 June, USG Prendergast briefed the SecurityCouncil about his “pulse-taking” visit to Cyprus,Greece and Turkey between 30 May and 7 June,

concluding that the gap on substance appeared to bewide while confidence between the parties did notseem high.

The USG said all parties in Cyprus wanted reactiva-tion of the UN’s good offices and accepted that the UNplan should serve as the basis for resumed negotia-tions. There were cordial contacts between politicalfigures on both sides in an effort to promote mutualunderstanding, and there had been useful contacts atother levels, too. Of interest also, was an independentbicommunal survey of grass-roots attitudes on poten-tial changes to the UN plan that had found opinion onboth sides encouraging insofar as it might be possibleto make certain changes that would secure majoritysupport for the UN plan in both communities.

Despite those impor-tant positives, he said, onthe negatives side, thegap between the statedpositions of the parties onsubstance appeared to bewide, while confidencebetween them did notseem high. Those twofactors, especially in com-bination, made efforts toestablish common groundextremely difficult. TheSG believed that thestarting point for the UNmust be full respect forthe decision of the voterson each side of the 24April 2004 referendum,and that this positionshould guide the Organi-sation's approach.

The USG noted thatmore than three quartersof Greek Cypriot voters

had rejected the finalized UN plan. While the UN couldnot countenance a solution other than the kindenvisaged in Council resolutions, the concerns ofhighest priority that had led Greek Cypriots to vote inthat way would most certainly have to be addressed inany future process based on the UN plan – and theGreek Cypriot electorate must have confidence thattheir concerns would be borne in mind in a renewedprocess. In that context, a prioritized and exhaustivelist of concrete proposals for negotiation would be animportant advance, because it was very hard toaddress a long list of concerns in an ordered way ifthey were expressed without modulation or indicationof their relative importance.

At the same time, USG Prendergast stressed, itwould not help the search for a solution if GreekCypriot concerns were met in a way that lost majoritysupport for the UN plan on the Turkish Cypriot side.The Turkish Cypriot electorate must have confidencethat they too would be borne in mind in any renewedprocess. Meanwhile, confidence on the Turkish Cypriotside and in Turkey, whose role would be critical, wasdiminished by the fact that, although a clear majorityof Turkish Cypriot voters supported a compromise UNplan finalised by an agreed procedure, they had seen

little acknowledgement of their efforts to achieve asolution and little or no improvement in their situationsince the referendum.

While it was natural for each party to seek to pro-tect its own interests, it was important to encourageboth sides to focus on their overriding commoninterest: the need to agree on revisions so that theUN plan could command majority support not only intheir own community, but also in the other. Outsiderscould help, but it was the parties who must summonthe vision, courage and political will needed to make asettlement, which would require compromise. Leadershad to lead, not just follow, their supporters, and asettlement would only be possible if the parties actedin a way that conveyed respect, understanding for oneanother's concerns and a desire for an early settle-ment.

Responsibilities also fell on Greece and Turkey,which must keep in mind that the Cyprus problemshould be settled on its own merits and in theinterests, first and foremost, of the Greek Cypriots andTurkish Cypriots, the USG stated. The two countries’strong support for the SG’s mission of good officesmust be matched by a readiness to think afresh oncertain aspects of the problem, so that a solution couldbe achieved on the basis of a revised UN plan.

As for the next steps, he said the SG was mindfulof his own responsibilities and remained committed toassisting the parties to achieve a settlement. More-over, the persistence of the status quo on the islandwas unacceptable, as the Security Council had madeclear on several occasions. At the same time, thepremature launch of an intensive new process wouldbe inadvisable. It was to be hoped that the Councilwould agree that nothing positive would be served bya new effort that ended, as had the previous two, inhigh-profile failure or frustrating stalemate.

USG Prendergast said that, as things stood, the SGbelieved that it would be prudent to proceed verycarefully and intended to reflect on the future of hismission of good offices in the period ahead. He wouldtake full account of the Council’s reaction and wouldalso be closely observing developments on the ground,particularly any evolution in the position of the partiesin light of the assessment and observations made thatday. Depending on the evolution of events and atti-tudes on the island, it might become appropriate toconsider appointing a Special Adviser, who wouldengage the parties and explore whether the necessarycommon ground existed, or could be built, to enablethe resumption of full-scale negotiations.

USG Prendergast said that the Secretary-General’saim in asking him to travel to the region had been tofind out where the parties stood, to seek their viewson what, if anything, the UN should be doing in thecurrent circumstances. In Cyprus, he had met GreekCypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos three times andTurkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat twice. In Greeceand Turkey, he had met their respective ForeignMinisters, as well as other officials and prominentGreek and Turkish personalities.

He said that on the Greek Cypriot side, Mr. Papado-poulos had said he was eager for negotiations toresume under the SG’s auspices and that his peoplewere suffering from occupation and uncertainty andwanted a solution. On procedure, he had said newnegotiations should be carefully prepared without

deadlines, arbitration of substantive issuesby the UN or third parties, and that only asettlement plan agreed by the partiesshould be submitted to referendum. At thesame time, he agreed that negotiationsshould not be open-ended.

On substantive issues, Mr. Papadopouloshad said that the plan finalised by the SGlast year gave the Turkish Cypriot side andTurkey “nearly everything they wanted,more than they needed and more than wasfair”, he said. In his view, that was why amajority of Greek Cypriots had rejected theplan, while a majority of Turkish Cypriotshad accepted it. He believed that futurenegotiations could only be successful if theTurkish Cypriot side and Turkey understoodthat and they were prepared to meet out-standing Greek Cypriot concerns during thecourse of negotiations.

He said that the substantive points thatthe Greek Cypriot side would like to pursuetouched on most of the main issues dealt with in theplan, including governance, security, citizenship,residency, property, territory, economic and financialissues, transition periods and guarantees of imple-mentation. Asked by the Greek Cypriot side for hisinitial reaction to their ideas, the USG had said that hethought the other side would find daunting the breadthand depth of what the Greek Cypriot side had elabora-ted and encouraged them to produce a list of focused,finite, manageable, prioritized proposals.

On the Turkish Cypriot side, he said, Mr. Talat hadsaid he wanted to see a settlement as soon as possiblebased on the UN plan and that he would like to seeintensive negotiations under the SG’s auspices toachieve such a settlement within a reasonably shorttime. He had stressed the desire of his people for anurgent settlement. On procedure, Mr. Talat favoured aprocess with UN arbitration and clear time limits fornegotiation, since he was concerned that the negotia-tions might otherwise drag on indefinitely.

He said that Mr. Talat had stressed that TurkishCypriots were disappointed at the Security Council'sfailure to react to the SG’s good offices report of 28May 2004, particularly insufficient acknowledgementby the international community of the fact that amajority of those who had voted on the Turkish Cypriotside in the referendum had accepted a compromise UNplan and that the Council’s lack of action to help easeunnecessary restrictions that had the effect ofunjustifiably isolating and punishing the Turkish Cyp-riots. That lack of response should be remedied and,should negotiations resume, there should be somesort of mechanism in place so that each side wouldknow their fate should the negotiations end in failureresulting from the actions of the other side.

On substance, he said, Mr. Talat had said that hispeople had been prepared to accept the UN plan, notbecause it was ideal, but as a compromise. He hadstressed that certain key features – political equality,partnership, bizonality, bicommunality, the guaranteeand alliance treaties – were the essence of the planand should not be eroded. Other points of concernthat the Turkish Cypriots would like to discuss in futurenegotiations included territory, property, resettlementof dislocated Turkish Cypriots, financing, and guaran-tees against usurpation of the settlement arrange-ments by either side.

He had told Mr. Talat of the SG’s surprise at theSecurity Council’s lack of response to his report, butreminded him that 76% of the Greek Cypriots who hadvoted had rejected the finalised UN plan, which was aproblem not just for the Greek Cypriots, but for both

sides. Mr. Talat had said that he would be prepared toentertain minor changes within the parameters of theplan, but it was very important to have a clear andfinal list of demands from the Greek Cypriot side.However, he regarded the concerns raised by the otherside, as well as outside the parameters of the plan andunacceptable to theTurkish Cypriots.

In Athens, theGreek Government hadexpressed a wish tosee a resumption ofthe SG’s mission ofgood offices, he said.In that context, Greekrepresentatives haddescribed the UN planas the first compre-hensive solution frame-work ever put forward,and it had come closeto delivering a settle-ment. However, Greecebelieved that on cer-tain aspects the planreflected the fears of the past more than it did thechallenges of the future with Cyprus as a member ofthe EU. The Greek Government would want to see thetwo sides in cooperative negotiations based on the UNplan, so that outstanding concerns could be addressedand a settlement achieved.

He said that in Ankara, the Turkish Governmentsaid that they wished to see a settlement based on theUN plan, and that Turkey would welcome an intensiveprocess under the SG’s auspices. For that to happen,the Turkish Government believed that it was importantfor the Greek Cypriot side to furnish a clear andexhaustive list of changes it would like to see to theplan. The Turkish Government stressed the sense offrustration in Turkey at the Security Council’s lack ofresponse to the SG’s report of 28 May 2004, sayingthat that made it difficult to persuade people thatTurkish and Turkish Cypriot efforts for a solution wereadequately acknowledged.

The SG had conveyed to Prime Minister Erdogan hissurprise and disappointment that the Council had notreacted to the report or to last year’s developments,he said. Also, both the Turkish Cypriots and Turks hadexpressed disillusion, as well as disappointment, atwhat they perceived as inadequate steps by the EU toease Turkish Cypriot isolation, which they felt they hadbeen led to expect.

USG Prendergast briefs SecurityCouncil on Cyprus Situation

USG Prendergast briefing the Security Council

... USG said allparties in Cypruswantedreactivation ofthe UN's goodoffices andaccepted thatthe UN planshould serve asthe basis forresumednegotiations...

... the SG wasmindful of his ownresponsibilitiesand remainedcommitted toassisting theparties to achieve

a settlement...

6 July 2005 - The Blue Beret July 2005 - The Blue Beret 7

Bins on Trial!

The UNPA has at long last “Gone Green” by acquiring someenvironmentally friendly waste bins. These bins are for atrial period of three months, that is between July and

September If, and only if, the trial is successful, will they becomea permanent fixture on the UNPA.

The bins are located in the area of the HIVE in the BRITCONMarried Quarter Area and also outside of the InternationalCafeteria in the UNPA. An additional paper bin is located outsidethe Public Information Office (wonder why? – Editor)

This is a free facility and if it is to become a permanent asset,we will all have to make a great deal of effort during the trialperiod to ensure that we fill the bins with the correct commodity.

All living and working in the UNPA should remember that onlyif we look after our environment, will it look after us.

UNFICYP soldiers came to the rescue, yet again,when the call for help came. On 12 July,members of Sector 4 donated blood to the local

community – for the fifth time.In the Medical Centre, Athienou, 20 Slovaks and

17 Hungarians queued up and took part in this volun-tary action. In spite of a very busy work schedule,they managed to answer the urgent request from theblood bank of the Nicosia Makarios III GeneralHospital. CO Sector 4, Lt. Col. Martin Backo, wasalso in attendance.

In the past, Sector 4 members have donatedblood to the blood bank of the General Hospital inNorth Nicosia, and also to the Larnaca GeneralHospital. Most of the blood is for thalassaemiapatients, a blood disorder which is common in theMediterranean region.

The soldiers from Sector 4 were very glad theywere able to contribute to this very worthy cause –benefitting patients island-wide.

Regular blood donor, Capt. Stanislav Sikel,Sector Ops Officer

Sector 4 Donor Squad!

For the second time since 1974, Greek Cypriotsattended a liturgical service at St. Barnabas Churchin the village of Engomi, Famagusta area, on 11

June, the feast day of the saint. Under tight security, theservice started at about 7.50 a.m. and was attended byjust over 600 clergy and civilians from the south. BishopVasilios, who officiated, said he was very moved to beback in the place where he started out as a youngdeacon over 30 years ago.

Some 200 cars, buses and trucks arrived for theceremony. Authorities in the north, in close cooperationwith the Civil Affairs team of Sector 4 and UNCIVPOL,worked together to organise and supervise the wholeevent. Checks made before entry to the church werecarried out smoothly and efficiently, enabling the serviceto proceed without a hitch.

While the ceremony had special meaning for theworshippers, it was no less significant for the membersof UNFICYP who attended. Once the service ended,candles were lit and icons kissed in traditional fashion.

Dep. Supt. K. Babu

According to local tradition, the first officialintroduction of Christianity to Cyprus started

with the visit of Paul, Barnabas and John Markon their first missionary journey in 45 AD.

Barnabas was a Salaminian and the trio’sfirst port of call was Salamis where theypreached at the local synagogues. They alsowent to Paphos where they converted SergiusPaulus, the Roman Governor of the island.

In 52 AD, after separating from Paul,Barnabas took his nephew John Mark andreturned to Cyprus where he became the firstBishop of the Church of Cyprus. The Apostledied in Salamis, his native city, in 57 AD andwas buried by John Mark.

The discovery in the fifth century AD of St.Barnabas’ remains and a copy of St. Matthew’sGospel in Barnabas’ own handwriting promptedEmperor Zeno to endorse the autonomy andindependence of the Cyprus Church.

Following the discovery of St. Barnabas’remains, a church was constructed but waslater destroyed between the 7th and 9thcenturies. The present church is a later recon-struction. The traditional burial place of theApostle is located about 100 metres east of thepresent church.

The story of the historic event is generallyillustrated in iconographs in four, life-sizedfrescoes on the walls of the church.

... and St. Barnabas

One of life’s most rewarding moments iswhen we find ourselves in a position tohelp others, especially when it is some-

thing impossible to do alone. So it was withUNFICYP’s Sector 4 soldiers on Sunday 17 July,when they provided transport, security andmedical assistance for Greek Cypriots attendingthe mass in the small chapel of Ayia Marinalocated in the buffer zone.

Activities began at 6.00 a.m. Sector 4 soldiershad, however, been up since the crack of dawn,getting ready for their day of goodwill. Approxi-mately 30 members of the Slovak Contingent,plus members of UNCIVPOL, were present atthe checkpoint, along with their vehicles, whenthe first pilgrims arrived. Most were from thevillage of Dherinia but some came from nearbyvillages. This event takes place every year withan average of 800 attending the service. Thisyear, UNFICYP soldiers escorted 976 pilgrims,some in UN vehicles and some travelling in theirown vehicles. In all, 87 civilian cars were escorted toand from the chapel.

It was a hot Sunday, yet the soldiers were veryhappy to be of help and to meet with the people.Special mention should be made of Pte. MarianSekerka, who alone transferred more than 80 pilgrimsthroughout an exhausting but exhilarating day. Pte.Jozef Piliar so impressed one of the old ladies, that shegave him a white flower, a gentle gesture which he

found very moving. The best present for the soldiers’hard work were the smiles and words of gratitude theyreceived during the course of the day.

By 12.45 p.m., the celebrations, which had beenprepared in collaboration with the local municipality,were over. The Mayor of Dherinia gave a short speech,thanking the UN soldiers for all they had done. Theofficers of Sector 4 were then invited to lunch with theMayor and representatives of the local municipality.

At Ayia Marina ...

Helping the Pilgrims’ Way ...

Bins are colour coded foreach commodity of waste:

Mixed GlassMixed Glass -- Purple BinsPurple Bins

CansCans -- Yellow BinsYellow Bins

Plastic BottlesPlastic Bottles -- Red BinsRed Bins

PaperPaper -- Blue BinsBlue Bins

8 July 2005 - The Blue Beret July 2005 - The Blue Beret 9

At the southernmost end of the old Nicosia InternationalAirport runway lies a hangar once used for housing aircraftof the island’s only commercial airline company, Cyprus

Airways. It is now home to a Bell 212 and a Hughes 500 D, thetwo helicopters manned by UN Flight, the unit responsible forproviding helicopter air support to UNFICYP 24 hours a day, 365days a year.

When the Argentinian Air Force first took over from the British16 Flight Army Air Corps in September 1994, it was equipped withtwo Hughes 500 D helicopters. However in July 1998, one of thesewas exchanged for a Bell 212 medium transport helicopter, whichsubstantially enhanced the capabilities of the unit. Both heli-copters are equipped with a hook for external underslung loadtransportation and a medevac/casevac configuration. Infra-redequipment is also available for day or night surveillance. Onehelicopter and crew is maintained on 30 minutes standby noticeto move during duty hours, and at 45 minutes notice to moveoutside duty hours at all times in support of operations in thebuffer zone and for casevacs.

In the hangar vicinity, associated buildings provide accommo-dation for the operations room, flight briefing area, administrativeoffices and technical support facilities. All UN Flight personnel arevolunteers.

The operational flying crew is made up of eight pilots, headedby the Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Osvaldo Albanesi, who is onhis second tour with UNFICYP. On his first assignment in 2002-03, he held the post of Air Safety Officer.

The 2ic, Capt. Adriano Ferrari, is on his fifth tour withUNFICYP! Asked why he returns so often, Adriano says: “There isa shortage of pilots in Argentina, so it is not difficult to get toCyprus – if you don’t mind being away from home for months ata time. I am lucky – my wife is with me, and my first child willsoon be born. Some are not so fortunate and leave wives andchildren behind. That is really difficult, but flying is a vocation forus – a way of life. So we make the sacrifice willingly, and ourfamilies support us.”

Adriano adds: “We pilots do not only take on the responsibilityof flying the helicopter. We all take on additional duties, forinstance Personnel, Logistics, Operations, Transport, Training andCommunications. Each of us has to deal with administrative/paperwork, so we have very little free time. I take care of theflying schedule, arrangements for demining activities, liaison withthe north and south civil aviation authorities on flying restrictionsnear minefields, etc. I also run regular safety briefings.”

His office is at one end of UN Flight’s operations centre. At theother end is the general pilots’ room where all the paperwork is done.

The room is named “Alejandro Sucarrat” after a pilot who served withAdriano on his first tour with UNFICYP in 1995 and who died ofmultiple sclerosis in 2002.

1/Lt. Maximiliano Videla has just returned for his second tour withUNFICYP. He recently served a six-month term in MINURSAH, Haiti.Also a pilot, Maximiliano has enjoyed serving in both missions,although, as he says, “there is an enormous difference between Haitiand Cyprus. In UNFICYP, our primary task is to patrol the bufferzone. In MINURSAH, we patrol the whole country. Here we arepeacekeepers – in Haiti we were peacemakers, which meant wecarried arms, both personally and on our helicopters. We saw a lotof poverty in Haiti – mothers and their children begging or searchingfor food in rubbish piles. On one occasion, we helped clear thestreets when more than 4,000 people were killed by floods. Suchscenes don’t occur in Cyprus.”

Also on his second tour is WO II Jorge Martinez, a specialisttechnician who will be serving for one year with UNFICYP. Jorge alsorecently completed a tour in MINURSAH. He explains that techni-cians not only maintain the helicopters on a daily basis, but also carryout regular maintenance inspections, some minor and some moredetailed. For instance, the Hughes 500 D undergoes a main inspec-tion after every 300 hours’ flying time – the Bell 212’s inspection isafter 1,000 flying hours. During these inspections, the helicopter istaken to pieces and every part undergoes thorough scrutiny to checkit is up to standard. And any free time the technicians may have isspent assisting the pilots with paperwork.

The air crews are augmented by two loadmasters and onecommando. The loadmasters check the weight on helicoptersincluding equipment, passengers, fire-fighting equipment, medicalequipment, etc. They are also flight followers, monitoring take off andlanding, checking wind velocity, etc. The commando is trained in airrescue operations, and is also a specialist in ground combat, para-chuting and sharp shooting.

The ground support crew consists of a Maintenance ChiefEngineer who supervises 13 technicians and three fuel specialists.The fuel specialists check the safety of the fuel truck, the fuel (e.g.for condensation), fire fighting equipment, etc.

Walking into the Ops Room, the first impression a visitor will get isone of calm and tranquility. Run completely by Argentinians, any oneof the UN Flight members would typically welcome all visitors in arelaxed and friendly fashion. South Americans are known for theirgeniality and hospitality. However, make no mistake – these men arehighly skilled and extremely professional. At the time of going to print,the unit has logged 12,100 successful flying hours, 33,232 transportedpassengers and 22,480 kg carried cargo. That’s no mean feat!

MT

2i/c Capt. Adriano Ferrari OC UN Flt, Lt. Col. Oswaldo Albanesi

Pilots Capt. Pablo Guerrassio and 1/Lt. Maximiliano Videla

Load checking area

1/Lt Alfonso Naish in the Hughes 500D

1/Lt. Maximiliano Videla and WO II Jorge Martinez

11July 2005 - The Blue BeretJuly 2005 - The Blue Beret10

From Cape of Good Hope to Cape Greco– via Britain and Iraq!

Gerhard Grimett left South Africa for London inJanuary 2002 in search of an adventurousexperience before returning to his homeland to

continue his education. What he did not expect was tofind himself serving in the British Army in Iraq – andthen peacekeeping in Cyprus as a member of theUnited Nations!

Working in a variety of casual jobs throughout 2002and 2003, he became aware of the rules allowingcommonwealth soldiers to serve in the British Army.He saw a friend join, and then decided to go to TheStrand Recruiting Office and take the plunge himself!Recruit Grimett was trained by a 1 RHA officer and soelected to serve in 1 RHA.

After a period of intensive training starting in late2003, Gnr. Grimett joined the Regiment in Iraq inAugust 2004 during a particularly dangerous period ofthe six-month tour. On return from Iraq, Gnr. Grimettdeployed on exercise in England, serving on the AS90155mm self-propelled howitzer which the Regiment isequipped with.

It was not long, however, before he found himselfdonning desert combats once again, this time for hisrole as a UN peacekeeper in Sector 2! Assigned toCentre Troop, he finds himself patrolling in and aroundthe Old City, describing the experience as fascinating,challenging and very rewarding. He particularly enjoys

the chance to visit both the north and south of theisland during his time off, and says it has been a privi-lege to experience the unique aspects of each culture.

When you consider that Gnr. Grimmett came toBritain for adventure, he has certainly found it. Henow has a host of experiences to take back to SouthAfrica when he returns, for the first time since 2002,for a period of leave upon finishing his UN duties inCyprus.

WO1(RSM) K.C. Cammack is the current Regi-mental Sergeant Major in Sector 2. As thesenior soldier in the Regiment, he works along-

side the Commanding Officer and is responsible forrepresenting the interests of the soldiers in theRegiment – with a particular eye on discipline!

WO1(RSM) Cammack joined the Army in July 1983and since then has served with 3 RHA, 7 Para RHA andnow joins 1 RHA. Extremely well travelled, he hasexercised in Belize, Kenya, USA, Mexico and Italy andhas deployed on operations to Bosnia (in 1996) andIraq (during the war in 2003). He has also served withUNFICYP twice in the past, including in 1994, when theCommanding Officer, Lt. Col. N. Marshall OBE RHA,was also last in Cyprus.

WO1(RSM) Cammack is also a keen sportsman whohas gained colours for downhill skiing, skydiving,cross-country running, tug-of-war and, most recently,orienteering. He is enjoying his current tour withUNFICYP, and has been impressed by the immenseprogress in the operational situation in the periodsince 1994 to the present day.

Users of the LedraPalace vehiclecrossing facility,

otherwise known as the“Kilmister Highway”,will (or should) notethat the authorisedvehicle crossing routehas now reverted to thehard top road linkingthe two checkpoints.

Maj. Ian Middleton, currently MOLO to 9th RegimentNational Guard, seen here with his wife Jane, wasmade MBE by the Prince of Wales on 8 June 2005.

The award recognises his substantial contributionto the restoration and improvement of provincialgovernment departments in Southern Iraq from Aprilto October last year.

The MBE – Member of the Order of the British

Empire – is an honour awarded to both military

personnel and civilians for distinguished

service to their country. It was created during

the First World War in 1917, originally to

recognise the valuable service of combatants

and civilians towards the war effort.

Maj. Neil Wright, Military Assistant to the ForceCommander, seen here with his wife Amanda, has re-cently received an MBE from the Queen at BuckinghamPalace in recognition of his service in Iraq.

As the Officer Commanding A Company of the 1stBattalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, hismission was to train, equip, field and deploy a NationalGuard battalion of 1,000 Iraqi soldiers in six months.He and his soldiers – both Scottish and Iraqi – wereoperating under extremely dangerous conditions.However, over the course of six months, they enforcedlaw and order, bringing increased security and stabilityto the area.

Maj. Wright finished his tour of Iraq in July 2004 andthen assumed his current appointment in HQ UNFICYP.

WO1 (Conductor) Andrew Smith, Force OrdnanceWarrant Officer, seen here with his wife Tracey, wasrecently awarded the MBE by the Prince of Wales atBuckingham Palace in recognition of work carriedout in Afghanistan and Iraq while serving with 3Commando Brigade.

WO1 (Cdr) Smith served a four-month tour inBagram, Afghanistan in 2002 and primarily assistedin setting up the logistic element of the deployment.

In 2003, he was posted to Iraq during theopening engagement and again was instrumental insetting up the logistic support for 3 CommandoBrigade.

WO1 (Cdr) Smith is currently on a one-yearposting with ISS in HQ UNFICYP.

“Back onthe HardStuff”

Meanwhile, for his exceptional leadership and braveryduring an action in Basra, Iraq, on 9 August 2004,

Sgt. Terry Bryan was awarded the conspicuousGallantry Cross (second only to the Victoria Cross interms of bravery in the face of the enemy).

On the day in question, Sgt. Bryan’s nine-man patrolwas ambushed by an extremely large number of militiausing rocket propelled grenades and small arms. Theensuing action lasted in excess of two hours, forced thepatrol to abandon their vehicles and requisition a civilianhouse and was characterised by continuous attacks bya numerically far superior enemy. On the day, Sgt.Bryan’s patrol was down to their final rounds of ammu-nition when help finally arrived, their relief having alsosuffered serious casualties and one fatality. Sgt. Bryan’sleadership was assessed as being fundamental inensuring that the patrol retained the will to win.

He received his medal from Her Majesty The Queenon 7 June 2005.

Honourable Men, All

Sector 2 RegimentalSergeant Major

There were times recentlywhen the numbers of visitorspassing through mission

Headquarters resembled an air-port terminal in full summer flow.

Two Foreign Ministers

The Foreign Ministers of theSlovak Republic and Hungaryarrived two weeks apart – Mr.Eduard Kukan in late June, andMr. Ferenc Somogyi in earlyJuly. Chief of Mission ZbigniewWlosowicz received the Slovak,while Force Commander Maj.Gen. Hebert Figoli welcomed theHungarian Foreign Minister.

Among visiting ambassadorswere those of Austria, Dr. EvaHager, on 27 June, Germany, Dr.Rolf Kaiser on 18 July, and newlyarrived British High CommissionerPeter Millett on 14 July. All werereceived with customary honourguard. Ambassador Hager andHigh Commissioner Millett subse-quently toured the Green Line.

European Commission

Another VIP Green Line tourwas laid on for the EuropeanCommission’s Special Adviser forCyprus, Mr. Jaakko Blomberg,when he visited the mission on 28June. After being received by theChief of Mission at Ledra Palace,Mr. Blomberg inspected stretchesof the Green Line accompanied bythe Force Commander and SeniorAdviser Wlodek Cibor.

Irish Delegation

The European Union figuredagain when an Irish parliamen-tary delegation dealing with EUaffairs, accompanied by Irish Am-bassador to Cyprus John Swift,came to mission Headquarters tomeet with senior staff on 6 Julyas part of a fact-finding visit toCyprus.

13July 2005 - The Blue BeretJuly 2005 - The Blue Beret12

Visitors to UNFICYP

Several months after moving back in, the PublicInformation Office unveiled its new look officesand resplendent elegance by hosting a come-

one-come-all breakfast series for colleagues and staffat mission headquarters. Those unable to attend thebig event because of work commitments were invitedto attend a smaller gathering the following day.

PIO staff were happy to show off their new openplan, glass panelled offices and display the best ofrecent Force photography on their walls. Spokesperson

Brian Kelly paid tribute to Paul Kilmartin’s EngineeringUnit, especially Draughting Assistant Andreas Alexandrou;to the ITU and Communications team led by RoyJoblin, and to the stalwart crew from BMU. Theircombined skills fully realized what had been blueprinttheory at the beginning of the year. Words of thankswere also extended to CAO Frank Clancy for the“greenery”, and to FC Figoli for the uniform supportthroughout the transition from old to new.

Catering was by PIO information and translationstaff members, with a little welcome backup from theInternational Cafeteria. Ersin Oztoycan added to theoccasion with a display of traditional Turkish dance.

You may have noticed something different aboutthe UN Vehicle Fleet recently. Well, you'd beright! On 1 July, UNFICYP swapped its 57 old

pick-ups for 57 brand new Chevrolets, fully equipped(carlog, Motorolla, UN stickers and more) and ready totake on the patrol track.

What you might not know is what this rotationactually involved.

In the week leading up to change-over day, Tony,our auto-electrician, assisted by Niels, Lennart, Garyand Jerry, started removing carlog units from the old

pick-ups and re-installing them into the new vehicles(which had started to arrive on the unit) at a rate ofabout three per person per day.

It was estimated it would take about half an hourto complete each vehicle replacement. This procedureinvolved inspections, documentation, carlog calibrationand changeover of number plates.

We also had to consider the fact that the 57 oldpick-ups had to be de-rigged and returned to the con-tractor by midday on 1 July in their original state.

The other problems we faced were first, the factthat UN operations cannot be interrupted, second, theexpected volume of traffic (over 100 vehicles) and, ofcourse, the difficulty of working long hours in the sun.

This was a task that needed preparation andplanning! The solution?

The night shift!Comprising Jerry on the carlog, Cyril playing the

trip tickets, Shane and Gary on vehicle inspections andLennart on number plates and inspections, togetherwith their manager Dave “Master Driver” Goodchild,the gig started at 9 pm. The group played on throughthe night until 10 am the next day.

The boys all looked a little punch-drunk bymorning, but thanks to their hard work, the rotationwent very smoothly without a hitch.

You didn't notice?Then it must have been a successful operation! Congratulations Transport!

Christine Iacovou

Changing number plates– at midnight!

PIO House-Warming – Better Late than Never

Slovak Foreign Minister EduardKukan visits Sector 4 troops

Peacekeepers’ day outIrish parliamentary delegates with UNFICYP senior staff

German Ambassador Dr. Rolf Kaiserwith the Chief of Mission

Hungarian Foreign Minister FerencSomogyi with the Senior Adviser

British High Commissioner Peter Millettinspecting guard of honour

EU Ambassador Blomberg with theForce Commander and Senior Adviser

Ambassador Hager meets the AustrianContingent

Peacekeeping Colleagues

Colleagues from peace-keeping missions around theworld gathered in Nicosia fora special senior manage-ment training course in lateJune. Nine missions wererepresented in all, includingKosovo (UNMIK), Tajikistan(UNTOP), Georgia (UNOMIG),Western Sahara (MINURSO),Congo (MONUC), Liberia(UNMIL), Cote d’Ivoire(ONUCI), plus Middle East(UNTSO), and, of course,Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Several members fromthe training group tookadvantage of an invitation byUNFICYP to take a shortbreak to visit the UNPA.They can be seen in thephoto (below) being briefedat the old Nicosia Inter-national Airport by MPIOCapt. Stefan Zemanovic.

One thing can be said for sure about the Slovaks –whatever the weather, they are certainly into theirsport! On 8 June, hockey was the name of the

game. The tournament took place on a concrete playground

surrounded by wire fencing – which at times added to thegame! Referee MSgt. Rastislav Ochotnicky and CO Sector4, Lt. Col. Martin Backo, opened the first match of theday at 9.00 a.m. Watched with great interest by manymembers of Sector 4, six teams of all ranks lined up,ready to do their best and play like champions.

And play like champions they did. A relaxed andcarefree atmosphere reigned throughout the wholecontest, all the more heartwarming since the tournamentwas held in honour of Miroslav Hruška, the young Sector4 member who died in 2004 in a helicopter accident atthe age of 23.

First place was taken by “E-55” and second placewent to the “Tatry Eagles”. No accidents, apart from oneslightly sprained knee, were reported.

14 July 2005 - The Blue Beret July 2005 - The Blue Beret 15

“Foottennis”

Hockeyball

Swimming

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going

Footballtennis, aka Indian soccer, is a sport whichoriginated in the early 1970s in the formerCzechoslovakia. It was invented for all who know

“how to kick a ball” and want to have a little activerelaxation. The game is played in camps, schools,parks – just for fun. It has recently become so popularthat World Championships are now organised on anannual basis.

As is clear from the name of the game and from thephoto (left), a football is kicked over a tennis net! Inthis game, there are three variations: solo, pairs andtrios. As in football, all parts of the body can be usedapart from the arms and hands. As in tennis, a servicetakes place and the ball is then kicked back and forthacross the net.

During the UNFICYP holiday on 20 June, a numberof Slovaks living in the UNPA decided to spend theirfree time organising the first tournament of this kind.Six teams of three played against each other – fourfrom the UNPA and two from Sector 4.

At the end of the day, Lt. Col. Backo, CO Sector 4,awarded the winners with a diploma. The weatherwas glorious and all enjoyed the day immensely.Anyone wanting to find out more about the gameshould contact Maj. Kukuk, SO2 Coord, Ext: 4531.

Civil Affairs facilitated the firstever exhibition footballmatch between the Greek

Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot teamsof the mixed village of Pyla onSunday, 17 July. This was the firsttime the two sides had playedsince the teams separated alongethnic lines in 1968.

The event went off very wellwith some 100 in attendance.Refreshments followed. The GreekCypriot side won with a 2-1 score

and trophies were presented to bothteams by the Force Commanderand the Australian High Commis-sioner, Mr. Garth Hunt.

The UN provided the refereeswhose impartial use of whistle andflag has won them a follow-upassignment when the next matchis held in the Turkish Cypriotstadium in the autumn some time.

Civil Affairs also continuesefforts to push for a mixedchildren’s team in the village.

This year’s UNFICYP Cross Country and Family Runwas organised by Sector 1 on 24 June. On a clearsunny morning, members of Sectors 1 and 2, the

MFR, UN Flt and the HQ arrived for the event, whichconsisted of a family run of 5 km and a cross-countryrun of 15 km, all within the boundaries of the bufferzone. There were 21 entrants for cross-country, while42 participated in the family run.

The path chosen for the run wasfor the most part Sector 1 patroltracks, a difficult terrain whichincluded climbs and long, sun-driedstretches, ending at Camp SanMartín. To quench the runners’thirst, water stations were set up enroute.

Gnr. Steven Braiton (MFR) wasthe fastest runner for the 5 km run,with a total time of 18 minutes. SSgt.Oscar Sosa (Sector 1) was the first tocross the finish line for the cross-country with a total time of 1 hour, 3minutes, 51 seconds. The only ladyto participate was LCpl. Joanne

Burgess (MFR). In both events, medals were awardedto the first three places of each age category.

Sector 1’s ultimate purpose was to bring togetherUNFICYP personnel so they could get to know eachother and promote comradeship. Also, of course,there the challenge of a good run on a demandingcourse.A

ll sectors participated in the annual summerswimming competition on 14 June, organisedand run by the MFR at the Dolphin swimming

pool in the UNPA. MFR soldiers also carry out thevery worthy task of lifeguard duty at the popularpool.

Six teams took part in the competition. Theindividual medley – four lengths of the 50-metrepool using backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly andfreestyle – was won by Sector 4.

The overall team places were as follows:First: MFRSecond: Sector 4Third: Headquarters

Runners up in no particular order of finish wereSectors 1 and 2 and our non-amphibious Engineers!

Congratulations to the winning team members:Lt. Straughen, Lt. Vergara, Gnr. Slade-Jones, Gnr.Pollet, LBdr. Fry, Sen. Sgt. Kempes and Gnr. Wilson.

Summer Sport Round-up

As Australian High Commissioner Garth Hunt looks on, the ForceCommander congratulates the team captains