Staff awards were presented on the occasion of the leadership handover at the Air Fleet Command and the Logistics Command. The conferment of thirty-eight Medals for Air Force Valour and Merit, which took place in the presence of the recipients' families, authorities and military personnel drawn up to represent the Armed Forces, marked a well-deserved recognition of the excellent results achieved in Italy and abroad by Air Force personnel, with particular reference to the operational missions conducted in Libya without sustaining any collateral damage.
The military ceremony, marked by the utmost sobriety, began with the change of the Logistic Commander, which saw Air Squad General Maurizio Lodovisi hand over command to Air Squad General Gabriele Salvestroni, and ended with the handover at the top of the Air Squad Command between outgoing Air Squad General Tiziano Tosi, who has reached the end of a prestigious career, and General Lodovisi himself. General Salvestroni, the new Logistic Commander, opened the speeches by thanking the Chief of Staff for the trust placed in him with the conferment of the prestigious role and highlighting how “
the need to rationalise available material resources requires recourse to sobriety, common sense and initiative, avoiding habitual or dogmatic positions but seeking out, case by case with curiosity and acumen, the solutions that correct professional practice recommends, always scrutinised in the light of common sense. In this context, I attach great importance to synergy: synergy between the various divisions of the Logistics Command, between the latter and the other High Commands of the Armed Force and, where possible, also with equivalent bodies of the other Armed Forces, in a frank and friendly relationship aimed at achieving the result which, ultimately, enriches us all”During his speech, sealing the handover with General Tosi—marked by the reading of the Order of the Day and the formula of recognition—General Lodovisi, the newly appointed Commander of the Air Fleet, referring to the absolute excellence of the results achieved by the Logistics Command during his period in command, stated that “[...] t
these results were made possible thanks to a combination of factors: the Logistics Command is a structured and tried-and-tested High Command that capitalises on the work and insights of the Commanders who preceded me, some of whom are gathered here today, whom I greet and thank. We have also worked in a context of transparency, loyalty and shared purpose with all bodies of the Armed Forces, the Defence Administration, and government and industrial organisations. Allow me to extend a sincere and enormous thank you to all those who have helped us. Finally, the decisive element has certainly been the quality, professionalism, dedication, loyalty and ethical calibre of our personnel, who have constituted the true added value of our organisation. General Tosi subsequently took the floor, greeting the decorated personnel, the esteemed guests and the authorities present. During his speech, he highlighted how, throughout this long period in command, all the personnel under him, and in particular those decorated on the occasion, had been able to provide an example of the highest professionalism and attachment to the Armed Force, addressing them with the
“[...] consideration that the activities and actions being recognised took place over the last two years and relate to men from the Squad or who operated under the aegis of the Squad. This makes me particularly proud because it positively qualifies the operational environment of the C.S.A. as a whole“He therefore wished, lastly, to thank his closest collaborators and his family, who have always been able to guarantee him the backing and support necessary to lead [his life/work] in peace
“[…] the wonderful adventure that has been the experience of service in the Italian Air Force“The Chief of Defence, for his part, emphasised that
“Today’s handover ceremony at the Air Force Command between General Tosi and General Lodovisi – who in turn passes the baton as Logistics Commander to General Salvestroni – has a twofold intrinsic significance. As well as being the official occasion to wish the two new senior commanders the very best of luck, it provides an opportunity for the entire Armed Forces to bid farewell to Air Force General Tiziano Tosi, who, after more than forty years in the Air Force, is leaving active service.”. Addressing General Tosi directly, General Preziosa stated
: “[…] Tiziano, you have had a long and distinguished career. You have always been a true leader, taking on increasing responsibilities, holding key posts both within the Air Force and at Joint Forces level, and always exercising command inspired by loyalty and consistency. Under the expert guidance of General Tosi, the Air Wing Command has been able to carry out tasks of the utmost sensitivity and importance, namely the fundamental capability to generate and make “air power” readily available – which, it is worth remembering, is our raison d’être, or, better still, what the country asks of us. […] Examples of this were the “Odyssey Dawn” and “Unified Protector” operations conducted in 2011 over Libya, which represented the most significant operational commitment for our Armed Forces since the Second World War.”. The Logistics Command, comprising agencies and units spread throughout the country, ensures the efficiency and technical and logistical support for the weapon systems, apparatus, equipment, vehicles and infrastructure used by the Air Force, as well as healthcare for Air Force personnel in collaboration with other bodies within both the individual Armed Forces and the Joint Forces. The Air Force Command is the High Command hierarchically superior to the operational units and sub-units of the Italian Air Force (Intermediate Commands, Brigades, Wings, Airfields, technical training units/departments, Flight Groups, Radar Groups, etc.). Its institutional task is to prepare these units so that they acquire and maintain the levels of operational readiness – and associated logistical autonomy – necessary to achieve the objectives defined by the Armed Forces, with the aim of ensuring the security of national airspace, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As part of the process of rationalising the Armed Forces, since 1 January 2011, the Air Force Command has also assumed responsibility for the operational deployment of its subordinate units through the Air Operations Command at Poggio Renatico (FE).
Tgr Lazio, 20 September 2013 at 7.30 pm
