The handover between the outgoing Colonel Balestri and Colonel Cracas, who has taken over command, was attended by General S.A. Tosi
The handover ceremony, presided over by Air Wing Commander Tiziano Tosi, Commander of the Air Wing, was symbolically marked by the handing over of the Wing’s War Flag, which took place in the presence of the Commander of Combat Forces, Air Division General Roberto Nordio, as well as all the military and civilian personnel present. In his farewell address, Colonel Balestri described his period of command at the 36th Wing as “one of the most intense and fascinating periods of his professional life, and he expressed his sincere gratitude to the town of Gioia del Colle for the relationships they had shared, which were always characterised by cooperation and friendship””. Colonel Balestri also addressed the personnel whilst standing before the War Flag, stating “a deep sense of gratitude for the skills, commitment and sense of belonging to the Unit demonstrated consistently throughout the entire period of command”. Finally, he extended his warm best wishes to Colonel Cracas on his new and prestigious post. Colonel Balestri is to be posted to the 4th Department of the General Secretariat of Defence – National Armaments Directorate (SGD-DNA), pending a new posting abroad. Colonel Vito Cracas, in his speech, said he was proud to become Commander of the 36th Wing, where, on 1 October 2007, he landed the first Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft assigned to the Wing, marking a key milestone in the transformation process that has now established it as the centre of air defence for the Southern Mediterranean. He also emphasised that “New and demanding challenges lie ahead for the Wing, which will undergo an Operational Capability Assessment in the coming months – first at national level and subsequently at N level”ATO“. Finally, General Tosi took the floor and highlighted the strong impetus for renewal that the Eurofighter fighter aircraft programme has brought to the air defence sector, facilitated by the commitment and professionalism of the men and women of the 36th Wing. The Commander of the Air Wing also stated that “[…] During the recent crisis in Libya, too, through its participation in Operations “Odyssey Dawn” and “Unified Protector”, the 36th Wing succeeded in ensuring operational readiness and efficiency that are of the very highest standard”. Finally, he extended his personal congratulations – and those of the Chief of the Air Force General Staff – to all the personnel of the Wing, whilst encouraging them to give even more in the future. Colonel Vito Cracas, born in Rome on 28 February 1970, joined the Air Force as part of the “Ibis IV” intake on 2 September 1988. He qualified as a military pilot at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training School from Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls (Texas), he was subsequently posted to the 36th Wing. After a period with the Royal Air Force’s 111 (Fighter) Squadron at Leuchars Air Base, St Andrews (Scotland), he returned to the 36th Wing, where he also served as Commander of the 12th Group. Subsequently, he served at the 4th Department of the Air Force General Staff as Eurofighter Programme Manager and was posted to the Headquarters of Regional Command West in Herat, Afghanistan, with the task of Deputy Chief of Staff for Stability Operations. Colonel Cracas has logged more than .3400 flying hours on the SF-260AM, T-37B, T-38A, F-104, Hawk, Tornado F-3, MB-339CD and Eurofighter.
Colonel Vito Cracas is married to Mrs Mara. The 36th Wing is based at the “Antonio Ramirez” military airport in Gioia del Colle. The Wing reports to the Combat Forces Command in Milan and, together with the 4th Wing in Grosseto, operates Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to provide surveillance of national and NATO airspace. The unit is organised into two Flight Groups, the 10th and the 12th, and carries out its mission as part of the training and operational activities assigned by the Air Wing Command.
