In the presence of the Air Squad Commander, the 90th Anniversary was celebrated
On Sunday 1st October, the airport site of Ciampino (RM) hosted the celebration of 90th anniversary from the constitution of 31st Wing.
At the ceremony, the Commander of the Air Squad, Air Force General Alberto Biavati, the Commander of the Mobility and Support Forces, General D.A. Enrico Maria Degni, and the Mayor of Ciampino, Lawyer Emanuela Colella. Also present were many former Commanders of the Department and representatives of the servicemen's and veteran associations and the National Association of former Nunziatella students.
The day began with the laying of a laurel wreath, intended to honour the memory of all those who, in serving the country with the Armed Forces at the 31st Wing, gave their lives. The ceremony then continued with the solemn flag-raising of the Unit. Afterwards, the personnel of the Wing and various guests gathered in the hangar, which had been specially prepared for the occasion.
It Colonel Gianmattia Somma, the Commander of the 31st Wing wished to address a greeting and express heartfelt thanks to all those present, emphasising how “So much of what this Operational Department is today is thanks to the men and women who work there in silence and to all those who preceded them over these long ninety years, thereby allowing experience and passion to be capitalised upon.”.
It General Biavati, Speaking, he stressed how “the work of all those who have commanded the Department over the years delivers to us today an operational Wing capable of expressing a Readiness seamlessly, like other branches of the Armed Forces, useful for offering assistance to compatriots in difficulty, anywhere in the world and in the shortest possible time. A reality of which the Armed Forces are proud and which they proudly make available to the entire community on a daily basis.” Gen. Biavati also praised “the capability with which the Department responds flexibly and with great professionalism to the air transport needs of State Dignitaries and Government Authorities, often becoming the first calling card of our country abroad”.
Finally, the screening of a film allowed everyone present to briefly go over the entire history of the Department, which is full of achievements and milestones – with particular reference to the Atlantics and their deeds – and to highlight how its origins are inextricably linked to those of the Armed Force itself, which, moreover, celebrated its first Centenary this year.
The 31st Wing is based at Ciampino Military Airport. The Department conducts air transport activities to meet the mobility requirements of State and Government officials and Military Leaders, for urgent aeromedical transport and for humanitarian reasons for patients in imminent danger of death, medical teams, organs for transplantation, and interventions in favour of compatriots in risky situations. Given the particular nature of the assigned tasks, the 31st Wing reports to the Air Squad Command, through the Mobility and Support Forces Command and the State and Government Flight Service of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which exercises operational control of the State Fleet through the Summit Situations Room responsible for coordinating all air transport activities for the indicated requirements.
