General of Squadra Paolo Rizzo hands over the duties of COMAER Commander and General of the Armament Role to General of Division Giuseppe Li Causi
At the ceremony, presided over by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Pasquale Preziosa, were present religious and military authorities, as well as a representative of the civilian and military staff of COMAER. General Rizzo, in his heartfelt speech, referring to COMAER, outlined the excellent results achieved by an Agency that “[…] manages more than 4500 people, has carried out contractual activities for 60 Entities […] has ensured essential logistical services such as canteens that have produced more than 800 thousand meals, the transport service with 1 million and 200 thousand km traveled […] has managed a housing stock for families of approximately 1200 accommodations […] we have been asked to participate in a significant and decisive way in planning and execution to realize, within the planned timeframes, the projects drawn up by the “Governance” of Forza Armata”. Therefore, referring to the rank of General of the Role of Weapons, he emphasized that: “[…] the problematic economic-financial situation required the reorganization of the military instrument. The Aeronautic Corps finds itself in the need to implement an unprecedented change, employing personnel according to criteria of rationalization, economy, and planning; that is, by valorizing human capital, using the dictates of “Human Governance”. […] The Role of Weapons, which represents 33% of the Officers of the Armed Forces, sees a significant presence both in inter-branch contexts and in off-site deployments, and within this framework it will make and increase its important contribution”.
General Li Causi, in assuming the duties of Commander of the COMAER and General of the Armament Role, expressed feelings of gratitude to the Chief of Staff for the trust granted to him, in a sign of continuity, in such prestigious positions. After greeting the flag of the Air Force and the fallen soldiers, he highlighted the complexity of the historical moment we are experiencing and the profound changes taking place that involve the country and all the Armed Forces. He then emphasized that: “[…] The extremely delicate economic-financial situation requires immense effort on the part of the Armed Forces, and in this regard the Air Force is contributing by implementing an innovative transformation process with the adoption of important, and sometimes painful, reorganization measures that affect all components of the Armed Forces, based on clear criteria of rationalization and efficiency, in compliance with the “Spending Review” and the law concerning the “Revision of the Military Instrument”.”. In this context, COMAER is directly and immediately affected by a comprehensive reorganization that began on April 11 and whose pillars are:
• the transfer of COMAER to the Centocelle site, with the simultaneous transfer of the Air Force Command to Palazzo Aeronautica;
• the establishment of the Command for Support to High-Level Entities, with the tasks of “commanding from the headquarters” at the Palazzo Aeronautica;
• the transit of the Centocelle Airfield/Command Headquarters, under the control of COMAER;
• the transfer of the Aeronautic Detachment of Terminillo and the Section of Personnel on Leave from the Lazio Region, from the Schools Command to COMAER. In the closing remarks of the ceremony, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force wanted to express his appreciation for General Rizzo, who after 46 years of career left the post and active duty, highlighting his work, studies and knowledge: “[…] you instilled in the staff the culture of “project management” whose criteria are now used by the Armed Forces for the management of major development and transformation programs”. Therefore, after the heartfelt words addressed to the outgoing Commander, the Chief of Staff, in reference to the ceremony, he wished to emphasize that complex structures such as the Air Force live and transform through the various generations that alternate: “The handover of power at the top of complex structures is one of the most significant and emblematic events because it manages to combine a moment of continuity and innovation, as well as the culmination of past experiences and future projects.”.
