American retirees form
support system at Sigonella
By Anthony Burgos,
Sigonella bureau
Williamson |
NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Sicily — A group of Americans, who
have retired and now settled in Sicily, is forming a support network to pool its resources
and help each other with some of the common hurdles of living overseas.
The Retired American Community of Sigonella, led by Phil Williamson,
a retiree with 38 years as a Coast Guardsman and 22 years as a federal civil servant under
his belt, is looking for members. He and other veterans, retired civil servants and other
retired Americans meet monthly not only to socialize and sightsee, but also to help each
other with some of the complications associated with setting up a residence in Italy.
“I think a lot of people fall in love with the place once they
have served here,” Williamson said of Sicily.
“I like the culture. It’s safer for my kids here and the
exchange rate is good,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Richard McAlpine, a sailor
serving at Naval Air Station Sigonella who plans to retire soon and stay in the country.
“But we need assistance, and I think we can pool our resources
to give each other a hand,” McAlpine said.
“Not all of us have full access to the base,” Williamson
said. “And there are some situations that you have to work out with the Italian
government when you live here.”
Some of the more complicated obstacles include setting up telephone
service, registering an auto, housing leases, and other matters that are not only time
consuming, “but when you add the language barrier, it could be a real sticky
situation,” Williamson said.
To join
Retirees interested in becoming part of the Retired
American Community of Sigonella can contact Phil Williamson by e-mail at ciaomeow1999@yahoo.com, or by calling
347-928-1522 in Sigonella, Italy. |
Fortunately, some of the retirees speak Italian or are married to
local nationals. Not only will they be able to help with translating, but with their
government experience can help newcomers or new retirees deal with red tape. The group
also is working on a roster of all retired Americans in the area and maps to all of their
residences to give to officials at Sigonella.
“We want to give that information to the command in case
there’s an emergency like a terrorist threat or a change in the political
climate,” Williamson said. The roster could aid the base if an evacuation were
needed.
Williamson said the group also is a benefit for spouses and
dependents. “If something were to happen to me like getting hit by a car, who could
my wife turn to? That’s what gave me the initial idea [to start the group],” he
said.
But the organization is going to be social as well.
“We are going to get together for cookouts and trip,” he
said. “More than anything, we are going to be there for each other.”
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