My name is Angela Pollicino. I am a Veterinary Officer in the Italian Navy, serving at the Headquarters of the Italian Navy Fleet Command. I was born in Messina, a city where one of our naval bases is located.
In the Italian Navy, the Veterinary Officer is a key figure in ensuring food safety and hygiene within the organization, playing an active role in all phases of the food supply chain to prevent any potential issues from arising.
I graduated in Veterinary Medicine in 2017 from the University of Messina, and in 2021 I specialized in Breeding, Hygiene, Pathology of Aquatic Species, and Control of Derived Products.
I worked for 4 years in a private veterinary clinic in Reggio Calabria, where I focused on Small Animal Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Physiatry.
When I discovered I could combine my veterinary profession with my other greatest passion, the sea, I decided in 2020 to join the 20th Fixed-Term Officer Cadet course (30 months) as a Veterinary Officer in the Navy's Medical Corps.
In 2021, I attended a 3-month military and professional training course at the Naval Academy in Livorno, after which I was assigned to the Garrison Infirmary in Rome, where I began my new work experience.
I have started performing inspection and hygienic-sanitary control activities for military food businesses, according to current regulations. I control the phases of food acquisition, transport, preservation, processing, preparation, and distribution, after which a legally mandatory sanitary authorization is issued.
I am also responsible for training Italian Navy personnel in the food sector. I am an H.A.C.C.P. and Pest Control trainer, and I instruct personnel on the correct practices for handling and storing food, as well as on proper disinfestation and deratization procedures. I issue the legally required training certificates for working in this sector.
In 2023, I worked for six months at the Health Office of the Maritime Logistics Command in Naples, where I also had the opportunity to manage water resources and Legionellosis prevention.
In 2024, I was assigned to the Inspectorate of Military Health in Rome, a central body that allowed me to gain an even broader perspective on the activities in which I had previously been directly involved. What has always excited me most about my profession in the Navy is the dynamism - the constant challenge, the opportunity to always have new experiences, and to learn about new realities.
For this reason, in the same year, I decided to participate in the open competitive exam for Permanent Effective Service (S.P.E.). I re-attended the practical veterinary course at the Naval Academy for nine months, after which I was assigned to the Hygiene and Psychology Section at the Headquarters of the Italian Navy Fleet Command.
I conduct inspections onboard Italian Navy vessels with Chief Petty Officer Roberto Currò, a nurse.
Specifically, we oversee the food service operations and verify the ship's hygienic-sanitary condition. Afterward, we issue a Sanitation Exemption Certificate, in accordance with Article 39 of the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR). This document is required for all vessels that plan to make stops at foreign ports.
I recently conducted these activities onboard LHD Trieste and ITS Duilio at La Spezia naval base, as well as onboard ITS Caprera and ITS Bergamini at the Taranto base.
This part of my role is also a source of great enthusiasm for me. It allows me to get an up-close look at medical care onboard all the Italian Navy ships, which strengthens my sense of belonging to one big family: the Navy family.
At my current duty station - the Headquarters of the Italian Navy Fleet Command - there is also the Italian Navy's Canine Unit. Here I am responsible for the health management of the working dogs. These are extraordinary animals that perform a valuable role within the Navy. My healthcare activities include a periodic verification of their health status and the monitoring of their physical efficiency, which is necessary to ensure they are fit for operational duty.
In addition to basic interventions related to the prevention of infectious and parasitic diseases, as well as general assessments of the animals' physical condition and aptitude, medical-veterinary assistance is required for procedures such as:
deployment/re-entry for operational theatre employment;
maintenance and updating of official animal identification documents (health record and passport, if any);
necroscopic activity in case of sudden death of the animal;
awareness raising and indoctrination activities for military and/or civilian personnel involved in animal management for the purpose of protecting the health of both personnel and animals;
collaboration with the competent local health authority's (ASL) Veterinary Service for the issue of sanitary authorization for facilities used to shelter animals;
periodic inspection of the entire kennel facility, regarding compliance with sanitary and structural regulations, food storage areas, grooming and clinic rooms.
I hope my experience can stimulate the curiosity and interest of those who would like to enter the extraordinary world of the Navy, with the desire to get involved, face new challenges, and discover new and stimulating realities!
