General Lodovisi presented an update on the Piacenza branch and visited the facilities of the base. The Commander of the C.S.A., following the entry into force of Decree-Law No. 66 of 15/03/2010 which provides for the abolition of the 50th Air Wing By December 31, 2015, he wanted to meet informally all the personnel – military and civilian – of the Piacenza branch, the delegates of the COnsiglio di Base della Rappresentanza (CO.BA.R.), the representatives of the trade unions and the Mayors of the local administrations who insist on the territory. “In compliance with the timelines outlined by the regulatory provisions,” stated General Lodovisi during the meeting, “it is our intention to hear all the parties involved in the process of closing the 50th Stormo, animated by the utmost determination to reconcile the priority and unavoidable institutional needs with the expectations of the personnel, who over time have helped to make this Stormo a significant aeronautical reality and full of so many enviable professional skills.” The Commander of the Air Force Squad was later able to meet with the Mayors of the neighboring municipalities of the 50th Air Wing, highlighting to them the clear intent of the Air Force to address the complex structural/organizational framework based on Piacenza in a serious manner and with the utmost attention to the interests that persist at 360 degrees regarding the future developments of the aeronautical installation. In particular, General Lodovisi made it clear that the measure will not directly affect the accommodation and logistical facilities that will remain on the territory, in order to limit the impact to a minimum for the personnel and their families. The authorities subsequently visited the 155th Flight Wing, which operates Tornado ECR aircraft (which took part in several real-life operations in which the A.M. was called by the country’s government to provide its contribution, from the conflict in former Yugoslavia’s “Decisive Endeavour” and Kosovo’s “Allied Force” in 1999, to the most recent operations for the crisis in Libya’s “Unified Protector” in 2011), the Office of Electronic Warfare Targets (U.O.G.E.) and the aircraft maintenance halls of the squadron, experiencing first-hand the reality in which the men and women of the 50th Squadron operate daily to fulfill the assigned mission. The visit concluded with the General Lodovisi signing the Honor Roll and exchanging their respective Commands.
