Operation ATALANTA Bids Farewell to Deputy Commander R. Adm. Giovanni Battista Piegaja

Jan 17, 2020 - 10:23
“It has been a privilege to finish my military career working for Operation ATALANTA. My 7 months with this operation will not be easily forgotten."

R. Adm. Giovanni Battista Piegaja
Former Deputy Commander of Operation ATALANTA

Rota, 17 January 2020—In a ceremony at the Operation ATALANTA Operation Headquarters (OHQ) on Thursday, Italian Deputy Commander (DCOM) Rear Admiral (R. Adm.) Giovanni Battista Piegaja handed over Deputy Command of the operation to German R. Adm. Wilhelm Tobias Abry.



R. Adm. Piegaja bids farewell to staff in Rota OHQ on 16 January 2020.



R. Adm. Piegaja bids farewell to staff in Rota OHQ on 16 January 2020.


Rear Admiral Piegaja served as Operation ATALANTA Deputy Commander for seven months, first supporting former Operation Commander Rear Admiral Antonio Martorell Lacave, and most recently supporting current Operation Commander, Major General Antonio Planells Palau. 

In his time serving as Deputy Commander, R. Adm. Piegaja played a key role in managing and supporting various Operation ATALANTA tasks and events on behalf of the Operation Commander. Some of these tasks included:

Enhancing partnerships in the area of operations,


R. Adm. Giovanni Battista Piegaja greets EU Ambassador in Djibouti Adam Kulach on 23 July 2019.



R. Adm. Piegaja meets with the Djiboutian Navy’s Chief of Staff, Commander Ahmed Djama in Djibouti in July 2019.



R. Adm. Piegaja meets with the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Djiboutian Armed Forces, Gen. Ali Mohamed Taher in July 2019.



R. Adm. Piegaja meets with the Chief of the Role 2 Medical Facility in Djibouti, MC Malan Lionel in July 2019.



R. Adm. Piegaja meets with the Chief of the Djiboutian Coast Guard, Colonel Wais Omar Bogoreh in July 2019.


representing Operation ATALANTA in key international engagements,


R. Adm. Piegaja represents Operation ATALANTA in Saudi Arabia for the first ever Saudi International Maritime Forum – 2019 (SIM Forum – 2019).



R. Adm. Piegaja meets with the U.K. Assistant Chief of Naval Staff for Policy, Major General Gwyn Jenkins during the U.K.'s International Shipping Week in September 2019.


supporting the Operation ATALANTA Force Headquarters in key activities and meetings,


On board the ITS Marceglila, R. Adm. Piegaja oversees the ceremony in which former Force Commander R. Adm. Simi handed force command of Operation ATALANTA over to R. Adm. Vizinha Mirones.



Alongside former Operation ATALANTA Force Commander R. Adm. Simi, R. Adm. Piegaja meets with Commander of the French Base in Djibouti, Colonel Francois Tricot.


...and bringing Italian flair to the Operation ATALANTA Headquarters in Rota.


R. Adm. Piegaja accepts a personal gift from his staff at an internal event in the Rota OHQ.


Grazie to you, R. Adm. Piegaja, and fair winds and following seas! Bravo Zulu!

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