Lieutenant Colonel Marco Manganelli takes over from Lieutenant Colonel Francesco Santucci.
Thursday 07 September, at the 22nd D.A.M.I. Group. site in Giugliano in Campania (NA), the handover ceremony took place between the Lieutenant Colonel Francesco Santucci, outgoing Commander and the Lieutenant Colonel Marco Manganelli, Incoming Commander.
The ceremony, presided over by Colonel Maurizio Moscato, Commander of the D.A.M.I. Unit of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara), The event took place in the presence of the Mayor of Giugliano in Campania, Dr. Nicola Pirozzi, the Bishop of Pozzuoli and Ischia, His Most Reverend Excellency Monsignor Carlo Villano, the banners of the Combatant and Weapons Associations, and neighbouring civil and military authorities, as a testament to the strong bond between the Department and the north-western reality of the Province of Naples.
Col. Moscato, who recently took command of the D.A.M.I. Department, expressed appreciation for the results achieved by the outgoing Commander, highlighting the importance of the service rendered to the country by the 22nd D.A.M.I. Group, 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. He therefore urged the men and women of the 22nd to support the command of his successor with the same dedication and professionalism hitherto employed with his predecessor and to serve the community and institutions, facing every type of operational commitment and adversity with courage and enthusiasm, qualities that have historically never been lacking in the 22nd D.A.M.I. Group.
Lt Col Santucci described his period of command as a very rich and exciting professional journey, from which he will take a wealth of experience that will accompany him in his future endeavours. A command during which numerous challenges were faced, with “humility and courage”, overcome together with a team of male and female collaborators who knew how to pull together even in the most difficult times, with the precious support of the military chaplain Don Alessandro Arnone. He also recalled the goals achieved both from an operational and technical-logistical point of view, emphasising the incessant Support secured to the’North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, as well as to the Nation, which at a critical international historical moment has “once again answered the call”.
In addition to its institutional task of airspace surveillance, the 22nd D.A.M.I. Group, due to the specific skills of its personnel, has made itself available for various operational theatres outside national borders. Special mention was also made of the celebrations of Centenary of the Air Force, as’Open Day, for the feast of Our Lady of Peace, when the 22nd D.A.M.I. Group, always active in the area, made its presence most keenly felt “among the people and for the of Giugliano in Campania. The outgoing Commander, wishing his successor the best of luck, expressed his hope for a continuation of the valuable network of tried-and-tested synergies that have allowed for “fundamental role as a link between society and the Military Institution” in the Giugliano territory and beyond.
Lt Col Manganelli has taken on the prestigious legacy, fully aware of the numerous responsibilities he has assumed, but equally “Proud and honoured to be able to command, from today, a Department that is a symbol of excellence in the field of air defence of our Nation.”. In the first instance, when sharing the Vision of what will be his command action, he indicated as guiding stars “readiness and adaptability”, necessary characteristics in a fluid geopolitical context such as the current one, and capable of courageously and determinedly intercepting the unpredictable new challenges that the future will hold. He then addressed the men and women of the 22nd D.A.M.I. Group, urging them to maintain a healthy curiosity to improve themselves even further for the benefit of the Organisation and the’Blue Weapon, ensuring exemplary guidance rooted in humility and respect for others. In congratulating his predecessor and addressing the representatives of the institutions present, he expressed great enthusiasm for the initiatives undertaken in the region so far, confiding in a fruitful collaboration with local authorities for the near future, with the aim of increasing the significant role that the 22nd DAMI Group has represented for society and the Campania region for almost 70 years.
It 22nd Integrated Missile Air Defence Group contributes to the Air Force's task of ensuring 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, seamlessly, the National Airspace Surveillance, through a complex Air Defence system integrated, even during peacetime, with that of other countries NATO. The possible immediate take-off order for interceptor aircraft, in jargon Scramble, is taught by CAOC (Combined Air Operations Centre) in Torrejon (Spain), responsible for the Southern European air traffic surveillance service, to the operational rooms of the 11th D.A.M.I. Group in Poggio Renatico (FE) and the 22nd D.A.M.I. Group. The two Groups are under the operational control of the Aerospace Control Brigade, via the D.A.M.I. Department. The Brigade acts as the Service Provider and Armed Force representative, through the Aerospace Operations Command, in the fields of Integrated Missile Air Defence and Operational Air Traffic Coordination and Control.
