YEAR OF BIRTH: 1949
MILITARY SERVICE: 1968 – 1970
DESTINATION: COMSQUADRAG 58
LOCATION: Ancona
ROLE: Italian Navy officer (Naval Engineering Corps)
Sergio Kocevar, born in Trieste in 1949, entered the Naval Academy of Livorno in November 1968 as a Conscripted Officer Cadet. In June 1969, he completed his period at the Academy and embarked with the rank of “aspirante sottotenente GN” (Naval Engineering Ensign) aboard the minehunter Bambù of COMSQUADRAG 58 (58th Coastal Minehunter Squadron Command), based in Ancona.
In July 1969, the squadron visited the city of Dubrovnik at the invitation of the Yugoslav Navy. From October 1969, Kocevar assumed the position of Head of the Naval Engineering Service of Squadron 58 (Minehunters Bambù, Palma, Mango, Sandalo, and Rovere). Embarked on the minehunter Mango, he first took part in the annual mine-clearing exercises in La Spezia and subsequently in fisheries patrol duties in the central and upper Adriatic Sea until March 1970.
In June 1970, the squadron participated, within a NATO framework, in joint mine-clearing exercises together with minehunters of the Greek and Turkish navies off the island of Aegina, operating from the port of Piraeus. In October 1970, Kocevar was discharged from the Italian Navy.
From May to June 1971, he served aboard the merchant vessel MS Marco Polo of the Lloyd Triestino Shipping Company. In November 1971, he joined Grandi Motori Trieste as a naval designer, working almost exclusively on projects intended for naval forces. In 1984, he took part in the study activities for the “NATO frigate replacement for 90s” multinational programme in Hamburg.
In 2000, he was employed by Wärtsilä Italia, where he held various positions until his retirement in 2014.
