Jump to full article: Stars & Stripes, 2009-07-31
Author: Kent Harris, Stars and Stripes European edition
Intro: The shelves of the Army and Air Force Exchange and Defense Commissary Agency outlets in Vicenza and Aviano are largely bare of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco — with only a few brands left in most locations.
The shortage is caused by a lack of tobacco shipments from Italian ports, officials said.
Previously, Italian carabinieri had escorted the shipments to Vicenza, Aviano and Camp Darby, AAFES-Europe spokesman Lt. Col. Wayne Marotto said. But they’re no longer doing that, and AAFES is working with various agencies to come up with a solution.
Until a solution is found, the tobacco will stay where it is.
Since AAFES supplies DECA with tobacco in northern Italy, they’re both affected.
Faced with budget shortages and limited personnel, the carabinieri have decided they don’t need to provide such escorts any more, said Col. Daniele Benvenuti, head of the Gruppo Carabinieri Southern European Task Force based in Vicenza.
Benvenuti said escorting cigarette shipments is not seen as a high priority, given all the missions they have to accomplish.
“We are a military police force. The escorting of cigarettes is not a military function. It never should have been,”
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Quotes from this article:
We are a military police force. The escorting of cigarettes is not a military function. It never should have been.
Col. Daniele Benvenuti, head of the Gruppo Carabinieri Southern European Task Force, which has stopped escorting cigarette shipments from Italian ports to US military bases.
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