Today the Army begins its in-depth explorations of the Ibiza terrain after arriving yesterday at the city’s port after 2.30pm. A total of 15 soldiers and seven vehicles from Mallorca are in Ibiza to visit different points of military interest, such as the airport and hospitals, among others. They will remain here until Saturday and will carry out their work under the command of Enrique Carratalá, Lieutenant Commander of the reconnaissance section of Regimiento de InfanterÃa Palma 47, and Sergeant Guido Ragazzoni. Since last night they have all been staying in the facilities of the old barracks of Sa Coma, where they arrived yesterday at around 4pm.
As such, in Ibiza they are continuing a military exercise that has been ongoing since 2016 to thoroughly familiarise themselves with the terrain of the archipelago, within the framework of the Plan Vigilante Balear: “With this exercise we will update our knowledge of the island’s terrain ahead of possible crisis situations,” explains Carratalá in relation, for example, to natural disasters at which time the Army should, he says, “provide people with security and reassurance.” That is why they will also explore all those “infrastructures that may be vulnerable” in difficult situations, such as hospitals, and will study possible evacuation routes to prevent incidents: “In an emergency situation, civilian personnel can go into a state of shock or panic, and we must step forward to help,” adds the lieutenant during a conversation with this newspaper from Sa Coma.
Several military personnel before starting the demonstration for Diario de Ibiza. ZOWY VOETEN
In fact, Carratalá, who has also been in Lebanon and Afghanistan, recalls how a month after joining this Regiment as a lieutenant, there were serious floods in Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, Mallorca, in 2018, in which thirteen people lost their lives. This is a clear example of the need for the Army in certain disasters with serious effects on the population.
From today the 15 soldiers will start work at 6am and continue until the job is done (with marches on foot and motorised reconnaissance on different parts of the island), trying to avoid, of course, the hottest times of the day.
Sergeant Guido Ragazzoni and Lieutenant Enrique Carratalá, yesterday at the entrance of the old barracks. Zowy Voeten.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.