The appointment during the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, January 13th
General Bernardis, who currently holds the position of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, will succeed Air Marshal Daniele Tei at the head of the Armed Force. CURRICULUM VITAE OF AIR MARSHAL GIUSEPPE BERNARDIS
Born in Porcìa (Pordenone) on 5 January 1948, he graduated from the Officer Cadet Course at the Air Force Academy, which he attended from 1968 to 1971 as part of the “Grifo III” intake. In 1973, he obtained his military pilot’s licence on the T-38 aircraft at Webb Air Force Base (Texas) and has logged over 3,600 flying hours on 19 different types of aircraft. He attended the Basic Course, the Advanced Course at the Air War College and the Air War College at the US Air Force Air University. In 1974–75, as a Lieutenant, he served as a fighter-reconnaissance pilot with the 132nd and 28th Groups of the 3rd Air Brigade (Villafranca). At the end of 1975, as a Captain, he was posted to the 313th National Aerobatic Display Team “Frecce Tricolori” (Rivolto) where, flying as a pilot in the aerobatic formation, he commanded the 540th Squadron. In 1979, as a Major, he was posted to the 20th Operational Training Group as a tactical flight instructor on the F-104, where, in 1980, as a Lieutenant-Colonel, he took up the post of Head of the Training Section. In 1982, he was reassigned to the 313th National Aerobatic Display Team as its Commander. In 1986, he was assigned to the General Staff (Rome) as Flight Aide to the Chief of the Air Force General Staff. In 1989, as a Colonel, he took up the post of Head of the Electronics and Air Defence Office of the 6th Department of the Air Force General Staff. In 1990, he was posted to the 6th Fighter-Bomber Wing (Ghedi) as Deputy Commander and subsequently as Commander. In 1992, he was reassigned to the 6th Department of the Air Force General Staff as Head of the Air Defence and Command and Control Office. In 1995, he took up the post of Head of the Office of the Chief of the Air Force General Staff and was promoted to the rank of Air Brigadier in January 1996. In 1997, he took up the post of Air and Defence Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Washington D.C. (USA). From 20 October 2000 to 20 October 2002, he served as Head of the 4th Department of the Air Force General Staff. In January 2001, he was promoted to Air Division General. On 28 October 2002, he took up the post of Head of the 4th Department of the Defence Secretariat. In January 2006, he was promoted to Air Force General. On 1 November 2006, he assumed the post of Deputy Chief of the Air Force General Staff. He has been awarded the following honours: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Mauritian Medal of Merit, Air Force Military Medal for Long-Distance Flight (Gold), Gold Cross for Length of Service, Medal of Merit for rescue operations in Friuli, Medal of Merit for Long-Term Command, Joint Forces Decoration of Honour S.M.D.. He has also been awarded the following foreign honours: The Legion of Merit (US honour), and the Medal of the Order of Aeronautical Merit with the rank of ’Officer’ (Brazilian honour). General Bernardis is married and has one daughter.
