Italian military mission and the AFM

As an ex-serviceman, and a Maltese expatriate, I am somewhat surprised at the fact that it had to be a country's own ambassador who had to write in to a newspaper to drum up some public interest on the Italian Military Mission's (MIATM) goings-on in their daily working liaison with the Armed Forces of Malta.

Following the local media coverage of military events or those related to their various operations and training from afar, it is more than obvious that the AFM have improved the Maltese public's perception of the service in recent years. And this is no easy or quick-fix effort or initiative that de-pends, no doubt, on the AFM soldiers' own hard work.

What baffles me though is how the MIATM had to resort to using diplomatic channels for due exposure of their continued valid presence in Malta. It can't be said they are low-profile, with daily over flights between rescues, SAR or flight cross-training and navigational exercises. Understandably, they too have a public relations officer that works in close collaboration with his AFM counterpart on that side of the house.

So, I am of the opinion that diplomats ought to limit themselves to their realm's job, not blowing somebody else's trumpet!