The National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor, Dr. Federico Cafiero De Raho, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force Brigadier General Alberto Rosso, were present at the ceremony this morning in Pozzuoli, at the Air Academy, in the presence of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force Brigadier General Alberto Rosso, the traditional opening ceremony of the 2018/2019 Academic Year of the Military Air Training Institutes. The ceremony, The event, which was attended by civil and military authorities and a large number of parents and relatives of the young students, began with a speech by the Commander of the Air Force Schools and the 3rd Air Region, General of the Air Force Umberto Baldi. After a brief introduction on the main activities carried out by the Armed Forces in the last academic year in the fields of personnel selection and training, General Baldi wished to highlight the most significant results achieved in the year of study just passed, as well as the future projects and objectives.
“The ongoing transformation process of all the armed forces,” declared the Commander of the AM Schools, “necessarily entails an adaptation of the training courses. For this reason, in recent years, great emphasis has been placed on multiple collaborations with the university world throughout the national territory, on synergies with the aerospace industry sector and on numerous projects of inter-service integration and international cooperation, which find their first and significant field of application precisely in the Training Institutes and schools of the Armed Forces.” The presence of numerous foreign students from different countries is the tangible sign of the fruitful process of internationalization of the training offer underway.
The words of the Chief of Staff AM. “This is an important day, because it testifies to the attention given to our future, to those who represent our continuity, the Air Force of tomorrow,” began General Rosso in his greeting address, referring metaphorically to all the young cadets of the Armed Forces. “Our greatest responsibility is to invest and dedicate the most precious resources to the human element, the heart of the organization. It is essential to prepare men and women inspired by values, exemplary morale and ethics, faithful witnesses of the oath of service to the Homeland, professionals capable and authoritative in such an advanced sector as aerospace. Technology and innovation are the hallmarks of the Air Force, but aircraft, vehicles and increasingly sophisticated and modern systems are of little use unless paired with the best preparation of the human element.’ The ceremony concluded with the intervention of the National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor, Dr. Federico Cafiero De Raho, who delivered a presentation on activities to combat mafia-type crime and international terrorism. “Freedom, dignity, solidarity and equality must be, for all, non-negotiable values. Mafias are strong when society is weak and when silence prevails,” emphasized the Prosecutor, “and only through the circulation of information and the sharing of knowledge is it possible to prevent and defeat such criminal phenomena. To you, young students, who will have the duty to fulfill with discipline and honor the functions assigned to you in the future and to contribute to national security and the affirmation of peace and solidarity, I extend my most cordial wishes for an extraordinary academic year.”.
Awards and recognition.During the ceremony, the pilot’s wings were presented to the first-year students of the regular courses of the Air Academy who obtained the aircraft pilot’s license at the 70th Squadron in Latina, the first stage of the comprehensive training path to become a military pilot, as well as a series of awards to the students who stood out particularly during the training process, including the “honor shield”, awarded to the pilot student who maintained the position of course leader during the three years of the Regular Course. Below are the awards presented during the ceremony:
– the “annual award for military aptitude in the Academies”, established by the Military Order of Italy in 1996 and intended for the students of all the Military Academies who distinguished themselves in military aptitude at the end of the 2nd year of their course, awarded to the aspiring pilot Filippo Cheli of the Urano V Course;
– the “Sword of Honor”, intended for the Trainee pilot who, during the three years of the Regular Course, maintained the position of head of the course, awarded to the Trainee pilot Lorenzo Nardi of the Turbine V Course;
– the “Targa d’Onore”, intended for the non-navigating student who, during the first three years of the regular course, remained in the top ranking of the respective role, awarded to the Aspirant of Aeronautical Genius Francesco Riboli of the V Turbine Course;
– the “Daga d’Onore” to Marshal Giuseppe Convertini, of the 18th “Sidharr” Course of the School of Marshals of the Italian Air Force, first classified in the final ranking of the Course at the end of the third Academic Year. Balances and numbers. In the 2017/2018 academic year, a total of over 5800 students passed through the Training Institutes and schools of the Italian Air Force, of which more than 100 were foreign students.
In particular:
– 148 Officers and Marshals have obtained a short degree;
– 87 Officers have completed their degree studies with a Master’s degree;
– 47 Officers, of which 10 from the Kuwait Air Force, obtained the military pilot’s certificate at the Flight Schools of Lecce, Sheppard (USA), Pratica di Mare and Frosinone, while at the Flight School of Latina 58 Officer Trainees, of which 9 foreigners, obtained the aircraft pilot’s certificate;
– 5 members of the Guardia di Finanza have obtained the military pilot’s license for helicopters;
– 4 members of the Fire Department have obtained the helicopter pilot's license;
124 Officers have completed the 2nd-level Master's degree in Leadership and Strategic Analysis.
