VICENZA, Italy - The walls have been stripped bare and freshly painted, and most of the personal mementos that once decorated the office of the U.S. Army Garrison Vicenza Command Sergeant Major's office are packed away.
The peaceful atmosphere gave Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Council time to look back on his time spent in Italy. Council, who relinquishes responsibility as the USAG Vicenza Command Sgt. Maj. Nov. 14 will soon be leaving for a new assignment at Fort. Bliss, Texas.
In reflecting on his tenure as the Garrison Command Sgt. Maj., Council said he was fortunate to hold such a satisfying and rewarding job that he liked; one in which he wanted to go to the office every morning.
"One of the things I enjoy is helping people," Council said. "We can't get enough of helping Soldiers and their family members, DA civilians and the local national workforce, both in Vicenza and Camp Darby.
"When you talk about taking care of their Soldiers and their family members - I was really impressed by how uniformed members, civilians and local nationals work together, hand in hand, to make this community great. Also, the partnership we have with the Italian Army - there is a strong coalition there."
Council said he's seen many changes in the VMC since his arrival more than two years ago.
"We've certainly experienced some closures and consolidation of services just as the rest of the Army is drawing down," he said. We've turned over facilities that we're no longer using. Sadly, we also closed the beach in Camp Darby," Council added, referring to the last known DOD-operated beach remaining in Europe, a facility operated for more than half a century for U.S. service members.
While Council wistfully talked about returning facilities to the host nation, he quickly pointed out the changes weren't only about closures and consolidation. In July of last year, the opening of Caserma Renato Del Din was a pivotal event for the Vicenza Military Community.
"We opened the state-of-the-art facilities at Del Din to primarily house the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat (Airborne) and U.S. Army Africa," he said of the installation considered Europe's newest and most modern military base. "Besides the master design to make it a walking installation, one of the primary benefits to the Soldiers living there is the Warrior Zone. Del Din has the best Warrior Zone in Europe, and stands as a prime example of how we care about, and take care of our Soldiers."
Council also talked fondly about a program designed to assist female Soldiers.
"We recently instituted a female to female initiative to get mentors for our junior female Soldiers," he said. We have events where we bring in senior female Soldiers to share their experiences while going up through the ranks, and they provide advice on how to avoid some of the pitfalls."
Besides the hard work of Soldiers, DA Civilians and local national employees, Council sees the local area as what sets Vicenza, Italy apart from many other installations. It's also part of what makes Caserma Ederle one of the Army's best duty assignments.
"From Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet, to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, some of those attractions people from the states spend thousands of dollars to come to, I can see them first hand," Council said. "That's an experience of a lifetime."
Council offers simple advice to those who find themselves assigned to the U.S Army Vicenza: get out, explore and enjoy the opportunities available here. The key to a memorable experience is getting out learning the culture.
And as he prepares to leave Italy to join the 1st Armored Division, Council said it is with fond memories of service members, families and sense of community shared within both the Vicenza and Darby communities.
"I want to thank everybody in the (local) communities and the organizations for all the support they've given me and my family, and for all the memories I'll be able to reflect upon for the rest of my life," he said. "I'm going to miss is how the community is like one family. Not just me and my family, but how when all newcomers come in, they are embraced by their organizations and made to feel at home."
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