Four soldiers who form part of the 12-member contingent of the Armed Forces of Malta EU anti-piracy operation off Somalia talk to Kurt Sansone about their mission.
Captain Darren Micallef will not be reading about pirates to his two children. Instead he is on a mission to fight them when he boards a Dutch military ship as part of the EU's anti-piracy operation off the Somali coast.
He is the leader of a 12-member team from the Armed Forces that will be flying to The Netherlands this morning as part of Malta's contribution to the UN-mandated EU mission to patrol the pirate-infested high seas off Somalia.
Pirates are villains-turned-heroes in most children's books, but Capt. Micallef knows full well the armed bandits that harass and hijack merchant ships off the Horn of Africa are anything but innocent cartoon characters.
"It is hard to leave young children behind but my wife and I take decisions together and that gives me peace of mind," he said.
He served for six months at the EU's operational headquarters in the UK where the anti-piracy effort is coordinated and knows the intricacies and dangers of such an operation.
On the Dutch warship, Capt. Micallef will be the national contingent commander. His job is to coordinate the Maltese soldiers' work with their Dutch counterparts and liaise with the military authorities in Malta. He makes it clear the AFM soldiers will be taking orders from Maltese superiors.
"I have responsibility for the whole contingent but I am confident we will do a good job because I have a group of competent and knowledgeable people," he said, explaining the team had undergone five months of intensive training to be prepared for every eventuality.
The tactical commander, Lieutenant Joseph Degiorgio, who will be responsible for the operations on the ground, said the training also focused on building strong interpersonal relations.
"We will be operating in a confined space at sea for four months and it is important to have good team spirit in these situations," he said.
Having got married just seven months ago, Lt Degiorgio insists he is looking forward to serve his country abroad even if it means sacrificing time with his family.
"I am honoured to serve my country and although my wife may have been irked, she fully understands what my job entails," he said.
Sergeant Jonathan Galdes, the father of a four-month-old child, also speaks of "honour" when talking about his motivation to participate in this mission.
A qualified sniper, Sgt Galdes admits that if his wife was not four-square behind him he would not be where he is today.
"Obviously, leaving a baby behind is hard. My body and mind will be on the ship but my heart will still be here in Malta," he said.
Sgt Galdes has 17 years of service with the army under his belt and had formed part of the team that participated in the humanitarian mission in Kosovo 10 years ago. He will be heading one of the two five-man teams on board the Dutch warship.
The other team will be headed by Sergeant Alan Harvey, who had also participated in the Kosovo mission.
With a smile, Sgt Harvey said he had been postponing his marriage for a long time but insisted his family were accustomed to his absence.
"I have been on a number of training courses abroad. They understand the situation and know I am serving my country. It is satisfying for me to participate in this mission because it is frustrating to train and rarely use acquired skills in live operations," he said, pointing proudly to the insignia of the Maltese flag on his arm.
The 12 soldiers, some of whom have training experience with the US Marine Corps, are selected from the army's C Special Duties Company, and participation is on a voluntary basis.
ksansone@timesofmalta.com