Minister for Home Affairs and National Security, Carmelo Abela, visited personnel from first regiment of Armed Forces of Malta, based at Lyster Barracks in Hal Far. Accompanied by Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi, he applauded AFM’s activities in local and overseas operations, be it AFM’s contribution to Crisis Management Operations or Frontex Operations on Europe’s Eastern Border. In recent months, personnel from this regiment formed part of AFM’s contribution to different overseas missions in Bulgaria, Greece and the waters off Somalia.

During this visit, Minister Abela had the opportunity to meet a number of soldiers who spoke about their experiences, including Captain Sharon Bellizzi, who has just returned from a two month deployment in Italy as part of Frontex-led Operation Triton. She explained that her role as a liaison officer at Frontex Coordination Centre was to work in an international environment and help in the coordination of aero-maritime operations of AFM Air and Sea assets and Frontex in southern Mediterranean.

Currently Armed Forces of Malta have deployed another officer, Captain Marvin Mangion to take over the same duties at Frontex Operations Centre in Italy. Concurrently AFM has an intelligence officer serving in the EU’s Mission Headquarters in Northwood (UK) as part of  EUNAVFOR Atalanta, Europe's Naval mission against piracy off the coast of Somalia.

 

The first Regiment serves as AFM’s main land manoeuvring element, responsible for securing locations of strategic and national interest.