A total of 12 Armed Forces of Malta soldiers returned to their families this weekend, safe and sound, after deployment off the horn of Africa.
The soldiers, from different regiments, were tasked with attachments pertaining to the protection of vessels that were delivering much needed food aid to the people of Somalia, under the World Food Programme. They served on a Dutch ship as part of EU Navfor, Operation Atlanta.
To take part, these men did not simply just hop on a boat and sail off into action. It required serious training, forming part of a boat crew and eventually being shipped off for active service. We should be proud of them.
Unfortunately, our soldiers do not get the gratitude they deserve. Whether it is boring fixed point duty outside an embassy, standing guard at the airport or actively searching for boats in distress, these lads put their heart and soul into their profession.
We sometimes also underestimate the tenacity, expertise and knowhow of the AFM. Granted, their resources are limited, but the officers, NCOs and enlisted men it turns out are of the highest standard. It is no coincidence that Maltese officers always place very highly when taking part in training programmes in mainland Europe, the UK or the US.
We should not forget that come hell or high water, our soldiers took to the seas in very bad conditions, time after time, to rescue people off rickety boats. They will tell you that on many an occasion, the seas are so bad that they were actually frightened. Yet still, they do their duty. Others take to the skies in small spotter aircraft to look for the boats. Others are showered with abuse and more as they have to deal with the frustrations of detainees at immigration camps. Still, they do their duty.
Others were sent off to Libya on a mission to Tripoli, only days after the fall of Gaddafi, when the situation was still volatile. They too, did their duty. Others man the back offices and advise on policy. Others are deployed in other hotspots around the world. There was a time when people might have looked at the AFM and thought they were a bunch of territorials. The same definitely cannot be said in these times.
The government has increased its spending on the AFM, mainly to secure our borders, and prevention is better than cure in a volatile Mediterranean. Malta’s entry to the European Union also helped matters by facilitating funding which the AFM could tap into. Training is an ongoing exercise and members of the Armed Forces are encouraged to take up postings on UN and EU-brokered missions. This shows dedication and professionalism. Each and every service member works hard.
The AFM is a credit to this country and all the members who make up its complement deserve our thanks and praise. They are, after all, Malta’s first and only line of defence if anything were to ever go wrong.