From 5 to 15 September, the 2nd Theoretical and Practical Course “Experience the Armed Forces – Military for three weeks” was held at the Italian Air Force Specialists“ School in Caserta (S.S.A.M.), attended by 32 participants. The 22 young men and 10 young women, hailing from various regions of Italy, were assigned to the Specialists” School to attend the course for the following two weeks, following an initial one-week training period at the Italian Air Force Enlisted Volunteers“ School in Taranto (S.V.T.A.M.), were assigned to the Specialist School to attend the subsequent two weeks of the course. During their stay at the School, the trainees took part in specific training programmes led by military instructors and teachers, focusing on military and formal training, physical fitness, local defence exercises and various lectures on aviation-related topics. They also undertook several days of theoretical and practical ”field“ activities at the 9th Wing in Grazzanise (CE), to gain first-hand experience of the operational reality and the complex aviation-specific operations typically carried out within an Armed Forces flight unit. The simultaneous presence at the School of the Army’s 5th Alpine Regiment, engaged in Operation ”Strade Sicure“, enabled a demonstration and training exercise in rock climbing to be held on nearby Monte Tifata, using specialist equipment and ropes. The course participants also attended a demonstration, carried out by personnel from the Army’s 21st Pioneer Engineer Regiment in Caserta, on mine clearance and the detonation of unexploded ordnance using advanced, remote-controlled machinery and technological equipment. Alongside the course, cultural visits were also organised to the cities of Caserta and Naples, which were particularly appreciated by the course participants. The School Commander, Pilot Colonel Paolo Marco Felli, during his welcoming address to the course, emphasised just how important ”passion and a spirit of sacrifice, which you must possess in everything you do and which will be necessary to face military life, together with the concept of the Fatherland, which, after three weeks in the Air Force, you will certainly feel is more your own!“. The Commander of the S.S.A.M. then wished the young trainees a brilliant and rewarding future. The Italian Air Force Specialists” School provides military, cultural, technical-professional and moral training for Specialists (Sergeants and Enlisted Volunteers on permanent service) destined for deployment within Air Force units, both on national territory and in operational theatres beyond national borders. It also trains aircraft maintenance personnel to service aircraft. Finally, the School provides logistical support to Italian Air Force and Italian Army personnel deployed in the ‘Strade Sicure’ and ‘Strade Pulite’ operations.
