Lieutenant Engineer Agustín Raúl Di Berardino, is 37 years old, is Deputy Chief of the Powder Magazine Department of the Puerto Belgrano Naval Arsenal and for a decade has been part of the Professional Corps of the Argentine Navy.
Today we celebrate his day and that of all Argentine engineers, a profession that, through its different specialties, makes transcendental contributions to our lives. This day is celebrated every June 16 in commemoration of the beginning and implementation of the Engineering career in Argentina, as an initiative of Carlos Enrique Pellegrini in 1855.
Agustín Di Berardino embraced engineering as soon as he graduated from high school in Mendoza, a province that opened its arms to his family when he was very little; land where they took root upon arriving from Santa Rosa (La Pampa), the city where he was born.
His primary education at School No. 1250 “Miguel de Azcuénaga”, in the rural area of General Alvear, south of Mendoza, and the strong presence of subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in the School of Agriculture, awakened his inclination towards engineering. “I felt comfortable with those slightly harder subjects and I thought it was a good alternative for me. I was between medicine and engineering; Finally the second one triumphed and as time went by in the race, I felt that I had chosen well.”
Agustín studied at the Faculty of Sciences Applied to Industry in San Rafael, which depends on the National University of Cuyo, about 220 kilometers from the provincial capital. Once graduated, he specialized in metal-based mining in the Republic of Chile.
Returning to Mendoza, at the age of 27, the Internet put an image in his path that caught him: it was a photo of the personnel of the Argentine Navy. “It called my attention; I liked the uniform and once I entered the link and started watching, I discovered that engineers could join the Navy.”
From that moment on, he began a sequence of calls and procedures that found him in 2015 at the Naval Military School, along with other professionals, taking the Naval Integration Course (CUINA). “I had experience as a chemical engineer and had completed my specialization, but when I saw that the Navy could train me in chemistry and explosives and I could dedicate myself to the service that way, it seemed very tempting; So I embarked on military life.”
This came as a surprise to his family, who supported him unconditionally. “They were very happy with the decision I had made and, internally, I was sure that this career completed me as a person and as a professional.”
The naval race
Due to his specialty, Lieutenant Di Berardino is assigned to the Powder Magazine Department and Specialized Ammunition Workshops and, previously, he served in the Central Missile Workshop, both dependent on the Puerto Belgrano Naval Arsenal, based at the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base , located south of the province of Buenos Aires.
In 2017 he was commissioned to participate in a new challenge: to be Battalion Chief in the Preliminary Selective Period of the Marine Corps Command. “It was a very big surprise because I did not expect to have 250 applicants in charge, a fairly large group of non-commissioned officers and officers and also to be entrusted with the responsibility of leadership and fulfillment of objectives.”
“It was a very interesting experience where I was able to learn stories of many young people from different parts of Argentina who decided to start serving their country as soldiers in the Navy,” he highlighted.
Regarding the performance of his profession within the Institution, Agustín explained that “the chemical engineer in the Argentine Navy contributes his knowledge and criteria to benefit the institutional interests dedicated to his specialty; In my case, the Navy decided to specialize me in chemistry and explosives.”
Among the responsibilities that the engineering officers of the Department of Powder Magazines and Specialized Ammunition Workshops must assume is the adequate and safe storage of explosives and ammunition to protect the useful life of the elements, and carry out quality controls of the material through chemical tests and analyses. “In addition, inventories must be managed so that they faithfully reflect stocks and judicious actions must be taken in the event that explosive material is obtained and transferred to final disposal and it is decided to move forward with its peaceful demilitarization,” he added.
The safety of personnel and facilities is the basis of all activities carried out there; That is why compliance with regulations and staff training are vital for everyone who provides service within the specialty. “The chemical engineer establishes and updates procedures and protocols for handling explosives, adapting them to new technologies and regulations,” added Lieutenant Di Berardino.
This Department participates in the reception, stowage, custody, inspection and provision of ammunition and explosives to the different units of the Argentine Navy, in accordance with what is ordered by the competent higher body. Likewise, it understands testing of weapons, ammunition, pyrotechnics, explosives and demilitarization tasks.
In addition to the specific development of his profession, the Navy offers Agustín a wide possibility of training and growth: “From language courses to different options that, as an engineer or officer, one can access to develop professionally. The Institution allows you to build your professional life and gives you confidence to exercise that knowledge.”
His naval vocation led two of his university classmates, chemical engineers who are now officers of the Argentine Navy, along the same path: Navy Lieutenants Jair Sosa, with whom he shares a destiny, and Ramiro Méndez Casariego, who serves in Buenos Aires. .
“Mendoza is my root”
Engineer Di Bernardino’s eyes light up when he talks about Mendoza, and even more so about General Alvear, a city of 40 thousand inhabitants that saw him grow up with his siblings Homero, Carla and Constanza. “Mendoza for me is my roots and has a very important place in my heart. Every time I come back it’s like coming home.”
His parents still reside there: Fabio Augusto, Graduate in Natural Resources, who for a long time of his life was a teacher and then dedicated himself to public service; and her mother, Susana del Carmen, who, although she is a teacher, often prioritized staying in her house in the care of Agustín and her brothers.
Lieutenant Di Berardino currently lives in the Dufourq neighborhood of the Puerto Belgrano Naval Base with his wife Daiana – also from Mendoza – and their children Máximo (4) and Genarito (3).
“For me, the Navy is a very good investment in life, camaraderie and ideals. Without a doubt I would join again, and I encourage more engineers to join it because it is a different life,” he assured.
