TheThe BlueBlue BeretBeret VolumeVolume 3636 -- DecemberDecember 2000-January2000-January 20012001 UNFICYPUNFICYP PlantsPlants TreesTrees inin BufferBuffer ZoneZone ChristmasChristmas inin CyprusCyprus TheThe ChangingChanging FaceFace ofof UNFICYP:UNFICYP: 1992-20001992-2000 Published monthly by the Public Information Office of the United TREES... Nations Force in Cyprus, HQ UNFICYPUNFICYP UNFICYP, PO Box 21642, Nicosia, The task set out by the Force Commander to all Cyprus sectors was an unusual one: head out to the fields Tel: (02) 864550/864416/864408 with shovels, dig holes and plant 1,500 trees and Fax: (02) 864461 shrubs - one for each of the approximately 1,500 PLANTSPLANTS TREESTREES E-mail: [email protected] military, police and civilian personnel of Editorial Team UNFICYP. The saplings were tenderly planted Charles Gaulkin by all contingents at dozens of locations ININ THETHE Maj Dezsõ Kiss throughout the buffer zone - with the Chief of Miriam Taylor Mission and Force Commander also wielding the shovels. Photography The “operation” was conceived as a contribution BUFFERBUFFER ZONEZONE Contingent Photographers to improving the environment in Cyprus, and Unit Press Officers Tree planting in personnel who took part were glad to do the job, the UNPA Sector 1 Lt Jorge Mobilia in the same spirit as those who participated in the In the west of the island Sector 2 Lt Alex Martin “World Clean-Up Day” last year. We hope the ERET Sector 4 Capt Andreas Scherer plants (chosen for hardiness) will thrive and live B Capt Béla Andrási on long after UNFICYP folds its tents, as symbols n mid January, UNFICYP personnel planted about 1,500 Capt Tanja Pecnik of UNFICYP’s work for the people of Cyprus. trees at various locations throughout the buffer zone - LUE approximately one tree for each member of the Force B UNCIVPOL Garda Kevin Keys GOODBYE AND HELLO... I (military, police and civilian). Sgt Mike McKay HE A regretful goodbye to Sarah Russell, who left The aim was to support environmental improvement and the UN Flt Lt Mariano Garbini editorial T Cyprus in December after serving as UNFICYP repair of woodlands damaged over the years by fire and drought, MFR Capt Martin Estrada Spokesperson for the past two years. The family - and to contribute to conserving the natural beauty of Cyprus. FMPU 1/Lt Gerard Verhulst now doubled in number, with year-old twins The plants included oleander, cypress, callitris, acacias, wild Civil Adm Mike Brown olives, and pines. Zbigniew Wlosowicz, Chief of Mission, George and Anna - moved to Geneva, where Force Commander Maj Gen Victory Rana and UNFICYP The Blue Beret is the in-house journal Sarah’s husband Rupert will be working for the civilians and soldiers from all contingents joined in the tree- of the United Nations Peacekeeping UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Sarah’s planting event. Force in Cyprus. The views expressed professional skills in helping journalists “get the are those of the authors concerned, and do not necessarily conform with story” accurately were highly regarded by The magazine for UNFICYP’s civilian, military and police personnel official policy. UNFICYP. The Blue Beret staff and her many Articles of general interest are invited friends in Cyprus will miss her. from all members of the Force. FORCE COMMANDER BREATHALYZED Photographs, together with captions, And “hello” again to the acting Spokesperson should accompany the articles. (sometimes known as the Smokesman) Charles t’s not every day that you get to breathalyze a The copyright of all material in this Gaulkin, who for the third time returns to General, but Sgt Gill had the opportunity at a journal is vested in United Nations UNFICYP from New York as a “pinch hitter” in Irecent Force Commander’s visit to the FMPU. Publications. Any article or illustra- Maj Gen Rana was shown various items of new MP tion may be reproduced with the the post for an interim period. equipment, including the new Lion Intoximeter written permission of the Editor. SD400 breathalyser, the Lazer Speedmeter and digital cameras. The Force Commander tried his hand at checking a Contents few UN vehicles for speeding, and was most Editorial/Contents . .2 impressed by the accuracy of the machine. Calibrated UNFICYP Plants Trees in BZ/ FC daily, the machines are accurate to within 0.10kph at FC breathalyzed/ 1,000m. Speeders beware! Lt Gen Guthrie departs . .3 Christmas in UNFICYP . .4/5 UN Flight . .6 MFR . .7 Sector 1 . .8/9/10/11 The Western Buffer Zone . .12 Lieutenant General Sector 4 . .13 Sector 2 . .14/15 12 Sig Unit Walkdown 2000 . .16 Guthrie departs FMPU . .17 Sport . .18/19 ieutenant General Sir Charles Guthrie, outgoing Christmas in Cyprus - MFR . .20 LChief of the Defence Staff, visited Sector 2 on 15 December as part of his farewell to the British Army. IN THIS BLUE BERET: Lt Gen Guthrie Front Cover: General Guthrie is the most senior member of the being briefed at Tree Planting in the British Armed Forces, and as such has been responsible Irish Bridge in for all three services. He is replaced by Admiral Sir Sector 2 Buffer Zone Michael Boyce. 2 December 2000/January 2001 - The Blue Beret December 2000/January 2001 - The Blue Beret 3 n most parts of the world, preparations for Christmas start well Ibefore 25 December. Homes, gardens and public areas are decorated with Christmas trees, coloured lights and nativity scenes. This year in Cyprus, the soldiers of UNFICYP were no different - they decorated camps and OPs all along the buffer zone, not only CCHRISTMASHRISTMAS IN IN to brighten up the area, but also to remind them of their families back home. Did you know that the star that is placed on the top of the Christmas tree, signifying the star of Bethlehem, appears every 974 years? The last time it was seen was in 1942, and it won’t UNFICYPUNFICYP appear again until the year 2916. 4 December 2000/January 2001 - The Blue Beret December 2000/January 2001 - The Blue Beret 5 Mouse in Cockpit: Cat Installed The Company of Integration P- No. 2 propeller seeping prop fluid. By Capt Martin Estrada S - No. 2 propeller seepage normal - Nos. 1, he multinational company known as the and 2 propellers lack normal seepage. Mobile Force Reserve, made up of It’s a very good opportunity for our boys to Argentinians, British, Dutch and learn about others. They become good friends T in a short time. I feel very comfortable with my P- Something loose in cockpit. Hungarians, is the best place in UNFICYP to learn S - Something tightened in cockpit. about other armies, cultures and customs. The job; everybody is cool”, says 2/Lt Ojeda from Argentina. variety of activities submerges its officers, NCOs P- Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces and privates into the most exciting a 200-fpm descent. experience. The key is the language. A platoon updating their first aid S - Cannot reproduce problem on ground. Despite the variety of activities, you can knowledge during a training day feel the environment, the friendship and P- Evidence of leak on right skid. cooperation in each task. Security, S - Evidence removed. patrolling or stand-by duties - it doesn’t ever let it be said that ground crews and make any difference to us. We always do Nengineers lack a sense of humour. P- Friction locks cause throttle levers to our best to face any challenge. Here are some actual maintenance stick. Our job is to constantly improve and complaints/problems, generally known as S - That’s what they’re there for! show our professionalism. We have an squawks, recently submitted by pilots to amusing “filtering system”, which means maintenance engineers. After attending to the that when the orders are given in English, P- IFF inoperative. they must be processed into other squawks, maintenance crews are required to S - IFF always inoperative in OFF mode. log the details of the action taken to solve the pilots’ squawks. P- Suspected crack in windscreen. After a patrol, the section S - Suspect you’re right. shares some Argentinian P = The problem logged by the pilot. “Taragüí mate” S = The solution and action taken by the P- Number 2 engine missing. “I think it is very useful to work in a MFR engineers. S - Engine found on right side after brief multinational force. We get to learn about different nationalities, search. countries, customs - and armies. We P- Left inside skid almost needs replace- can exchange our knowledge and ment. P- Aircraft handles funny. experiences and, after a short time, S - Almost replaced left inside skid. S - Aircraft warned to “Straighten up, Fly we get to learn and understand each Right, and Be Serious.” other. This is very important if we P- Test flight OK, except autoland very want to serve together as peace- rough. P- Mouse in cockpit. keepers”, says Cpl Czifra from UN Flight S - Autoland not installed on this helicopter. S - Cat installed Hungary. The OC, 2ic, BSM, platoon commanders and platoon Lt Col Salvador Ignacio Favolaro languages and given yet again in English sergeants during a morning Lt Col Ignacio Favolaro is the There, he was an Instructor, over and over again. Thus, a simple phrase briefing at the MFR HQ new CO of UN Flight. He was being Head of Course and Head is converted into many languages. born in Buenos Aires in of the Squadron Instruction Due to our mission, we not only carry February 1956. Programme until 1993. out our duties, but we also face much more Having joined the Argen- In 1994, he attended the difficult tasks: to arrive in an unknown tinian Air Force, he graduated Curso de Comando y Estado country, meet new people and - hardest of from the Escuela de Aviación Mayor (the Command and High Militar (Military Air Force State Course) and in 1995, the all - integrate.