The honour conferred upon the A.F. Detachment was received by Lieutenant Capece at Villa Bonfiglio in Agrigento. The honour was collected by Lieutenant Raffaele Capece, Commander of the 134th Remote Radar Squadron and of the Aeronautics Detachment, in the presence of the Interim Commander of the 37th Wing of Trapani, Lieutenant Colonel Fabrizio Genova. The honour, conferred by the Minister of the Interior, was awarded for the following reason:
“Since the beginning of 2011, the territory of Lampedusa has been affected by a migration flow of extraordinary scale. The personnel of the Lampedusa Air Force Detachment, together with that of the other institutions present, have worked tirelessly both in safeguarding public order and security and in numerous sea rescues, even in particularly difficult situations. The multiplicity of the interventions carried out has demonstrated great professionalism and courage, an praiseworthy spirit of self-sacrifice and human solidarity, earning the applause and esteem of the population and the entire Nation.In particular, following the extraordinary migratory flow that occurred on the island of Lampedusa, various components of the Armed Forces and Police, the Italian Red Cross and the Civil Protection were redeployed at the Air Force Detachment, reaching approximately 2,000 personnel during the most acute phase of the emergency. In this context, the base personnel intervened by providing the necessary logistical support for catering and ensuring accommodation for about 100 soldiers of the Italian Army and Air Force engaged in the ”Safe Roads/Humanitarian Emergency“ Operation. Furthermore, the Air Force Detachment supported numerous institutional visits by High State Officials by hosting all coordination meetings held in Lampedusa during the management of the emergency. Finally, immediately after the fire that broke out at the Reception Centre, the Unit provided continuous assistance to the Air Force carriers used to transport migrants from the island to the mainland, with over 30 sorties carried out in three days.
The Lampedusa Air Force Detachment provides logistical and administrative support to the 134th Remote Radar Squadron, whose primary task is to maintain the efficiency of the assigned weapon system and ensure the surveillance of its assigned airspace. In addition, it supports the other military units stationed on the island and, in this context, provides assistance to military aircraft transiting through Lampedusa civil airport. Since the beginning of the emergency, assisted by the personnel of the Squadron, it has also provided logistical support to all the components involved.
