The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) was approved by the North Atlantic Council and is awarded to military and civilian personnel who have been commended for providing exceptional service to NATO. This year the award was presented to Master Sergeant Frank PAPO. Master Sergeant Papo excelled himself in the planning and execution of support to 1st NATO Signal Battalion’s (1NSB) embryonic commitment to the Operation ALLIED SOLACE mission deployment.
The Meritorious Service Medal, 8 June 2023, from the left: Deputy National Military Representative of Germany to SHAPE, Captain (N) Eckhard Bödecker; Master Sergeant Frank Papo; Brigadier General Luigi Carpineto, DCOM/COS NCISG.
The SACEUR Recognition Award was established to recognize exceptional service and outstanding individual achievement. It is the senior Allied Command Operations award honoring personnel serving for NATO within the Allied Command Operations.
Recipients of the Awards were Lieutenant Colonel Karel MAZANEK, 3NSB Commander and Sergeant Major Cristina MACCHIAROLA, Staff Assistant (Administration) to DCOM/COS NCISG.
The SACEUR Recognition Award, 8 June 2023, from the left: Lieutenant Colonel Karel Mazanek, 3NSB Commander; Brigadier General Luigi Carpineto, DCOM/COS NCISG.
Lieutenant Colonel Mazanek was recognized for his outstanding leadership during a critical period for 3NSB marked by chronic workforce and staffing shortfalls; he was able to identify the operational gaps and apply the best solution to overcome them. He also showed equal diligence and meticulousness for the training of his staff members, particularly for the winter training of his soldiers in preparation for Exercise BRILLIANT JUMP/COLD RESPONSE 22. In his brief remarks, Lieutenant Colonel Mazanek stressed that it was only through the support of his soldiers that he was able to call himself the Commander of the 3NSB.
The SACEUR Recognition Award, 8 June 2023, from the left: Lieutenant Colonel Karel Mazanek, 3NSB Commander; Brigadier General Luigi Carpineto, DCOM/COS NCISG.
The second SACEUR Recognition Award was presented to Sergeant Major Cristina Macchiarola for coordination of the Front Office and Command Group activities during an unplanned extended absence of the Military Assistant. She was a key player in organizing the semi-annual Commander’s Conference ensuring seamless continuity and resolving all administrative issues. The energy she provided in her coordination of the Front Office and Command Group activities only resulted in high quality production in perfect compliance with objectives.
The SACEUR Recognition Award, 8 June 2023, from the left: Sergeant Major Cristina Macchiarola; Brigadier General Luigi Carpineto, DCOM/COS NCISG.
The SACEUR Recognition Award, 8 June 2023, from the left: Sergeant Major Cristina Macchiarola; Chief Master Sergeant Andreas Merz, CSEL NCISG.
The SACEUR Recognition Award, 8 June 2023, from the left: Deputy NMR ITA, Colonel Claudio Caruso; Sergeant Major Cristina Macchiarola; Brigadier General Luigi Carpineto, DCOM/COS NCISG.
Brigadier General Carpineto presented also two NCISG Individual Awards to Lieutenant Colonel Jose VIERA MARCHAN, NCISG HQ J4 Division, and Master Sergeant Miroslav FERENC, 3NSB Battalion Sergeant Major (BSM).
Lieutenant Colonel VIERA MARCHAN was awarded for his unceasing work to wrestle the complex non-CIS elements of NCISG assets into compliance. He had a tangible impact on the operational readiness and deployability of SACEUR’s Deployable CIS Modules (DCMs). He led his team in the efforts to restructure the DCMs’ and Maintenance & Support Companies’ staffing profile in order to provide greater operational availability in support of any future NATO Response Force (NRF) activation.
The NCISG Individual Award, 8 June 2023, from the left: Lieutenant Colonel Jose Viera Marchan, NCISG HQ J4; Brigadier General Luigi Carpineto, DCOM/COS NCISG.
The last NCISG staff member recognized or his outstanding achievements was Master Sergeant Miroslav Ferenc, 3NSB BSM. His outstanding skill, leadership and tireless efforts in major contributions to the effectiveness and success of many battalion run programs in support of soldiers and family members throughout the battalion. His accurate responsiveness to the most urgent tasks and assignments has been crucial for the overall performance of the 3NSB and entire NCISG organization.
The NCISG Individual Award, 8 June 2023, from the left: Master Sergeant Miroslav Ferenc, 3NSB HQ CSEL; Brigadier General Luigi Carpineto, DCOM/COS NCISG.