Colonel Federico Cerini leaves the command of the Main Infirmary to Lieutenant Colonel Alessandro Fiorini, the new Director.
On the morning of Thursday, 20 September, at the airport Pratica di Mare, The ceremony took place Change of Command in the role of Director of’Main Ward between Colonel Federico Cerini, outgoing and the Lieutenant Colonel Alessandro Fiorini, subsequent.
At the event, chaired by Chief Inspector Fabio Morgagni, Head of the Logistic Command's Health Service, the Head of the Health Corps was also present, Chief Inspector General Pietro Perelli along with a strong representation of the airport's permanent staff, representatives of the Italian Red Cross, Pomezia section, and members of the Italian Air Force Association.
During his farewell speech, Colonel Cerini, after thanking the participants, praised the Infirmary staff for their dedication and professionalism, highlighting the commitment shown in the activity of Medical transport, And for supporting his Command's action aimed at reorganising airport adherence activities, in view of transitioning to new health platforms with the objective of medicalising strategic and tactical vectors. He then highlighted the personnel's work in preparing the complex health apparatus for the Armed Force's Centenary celebrations, a useful moment to structure a health capability for managing emergency events, starting from that already present Point of entry, with Advanced Medical Post functions, also included in national emergency response circuits. Following this, the recent ceremonies for the naming of the Main Infirmary after Captain Doctor Luca Sironi and the inauguration of the memorial to the Air Ambulance Doctor were also recalled, which represented “a moment to look at history as the foundation of our identity through the strength of example”. Finally, Colonel Cerini wanted to address the staff with a heartfelt invitation: “Keep the value of your guiding courage high, to direct your actions towards ever higher goals and to make a difference on the ground... be proud of knowing you are excellence, as confirmed by the six medals of aeronautical valour that personnel have been awarded over time, which signify only one thing: making a difference.. At the conclusion of his opening lecture, Colonel Cerini highlighted how“... Basing my Command action on the enhancement of human resources allowed me to achieve the planned objectives, because I was strengthened by the involvement of staff who shared, with a unity of purpose, a Road Map ambitious and realised in results.”
The ceremony, after the symbolic handover, continued with the speech of the incoming Commander who, after respectfully greeting those present, thanked the superior authorities for the trust placed in him by assigning him the prestigious role and highlighted the value that the Department represents for the Armed Forces today: “an excellence with operationally irreplaceable capabilities and an emblematic example of how virtuous it has been to invest in staff training and innovative healthcare technology to face asymmetrical and unpredictable challenges.”
The address then continued by outlining the principles upon which their work will be based. This work, building on the continuity established by their predecessors, will be to support and substantiate, with the generosity and loyalty that distinguishes the personnel, the adjective “Principal” held within the Department’s name. The aim will be to enhance the Infirmary as a driving force for the Healthcare Service, managing and standardising activities related to airport assistance, while simultaneously maintaining and enhancing capabilities in air medical transport, the ultimate expression of forward-looking aeronautical healthcare.
General Morgagni then took the floor, recalling the numerous activities that the Main Infirmary has undertaken. He thanked all the staff for their commitment and spirit of service in carrying out their duties, which have allowed it to be recognised as an indispensable and vital operational medical unit for the Health Service. In closing, heartfelt thanks were extended to the staff's families, who also played a part in supporting the Unit's value through the daily, silent, and invaluable moral support provided to the Infirmary staff who are frequently engaged in operational activities far from their loved ones.
The Main Practice Nursing Mare is a Health Authority operating under the Logistics Command Health Service, which provides support for out-of-area operations through specific advanced health assistance activities and Aeromedical evacuation, ensuring the execution of urgent or scheduled transport of patients requiring a high level of Biocontainment for national and international needs.
