Monday 5th September saw the hand-over at DIPMA between Air Force General Magro and Air Force General Panato. General Panato, who will assume the role of President of the Centre for Higher Defence Studies (CASD) from 7th September, underscored the centrality of human resources in a complex and multifaceted organisation like the Air Force in his speech, subsequently thanking all personnel for the excellent work carried out. General Magro also dwelt on the important role that personnel play in the functionality of the Armed Force in his handover speech, recalling the responsibility the latter holds in meeting priority operational needs, which must be addressed by taking care, as far as possible, of the expectations of individuals, on whom investment must continue to be made.
Air Force General Paolo Magro, born in Udine on 29th December 1952, comes from the Regular Courses of the Air Force Academy, where he attended Course Marte 3rd from 1971 to 1974. In 1976, after obtaining his Military Pilot Brevet on the G91T aircraft at the Amendola Advanced Basic Jet Flying School, he was assigned to the 9th Wing Francesco Baracca – 10th Interceptor Fighter Group in Grazzanise (CE) where he achieved Combat Readiness on the F104S aircraft. During 13 years of service at the 9th Wing, he held the following positions: Commander of the 84th and 91st Squadryl, Head of Operations Section, Commander of the 10th Group, Head of Flight Safety Office and Head of Operations Office. In 1989, he was assigned to Air Force Headquarters with the role of Head of Air Defence and Tactical Evaluations Section within the 2nd Office (Operations) of the 3rd Department.
In 1994 he was posted to Amendola Airport where he commanded the 32nd Wing and began the unit's conversion to the AMX aircraft.
In 1995, he returned to the Air Staff where he held the position of Head of the newly established 4th Office of International Cooperation and subsequently of the 3rd Office of Training.
In 1997, following the restructuring of the 3rd Department, he took on the role of Head of the 2nd Operations and Training Office. In July 1998, he took on the role of Air Attaché at the Italian Embassy in London. In July 2001, upon returning to Italy, he took on the role of Deputy Commander of the Fighter Interceptor Division in Bari and in July 2002, that of Deputy Head of the 3rd Department of the Defence Staff. In January 2004, he was assigned to the Air Staff where he took on the role of Deputy Head of the 3rd Department. Appointed Head of the 3rd Department of the Air Staff in January 2006, he held this position until October 2009, before taking on the role of Head of the 3rd Department of the Defence Staff, which he left on 30 June 2011. Among the numerous courses attended by General Magro, mention should be made of the AM Flight Safety Officer course (1979), the Normal and Senior Courses at the Air War College (1980-81 and 1988-89 respectively), the “Defence Resource Management” course at the Defence Resource Management Institute (2004). He also attended the NATO “Electronic Warfare for Staff Officers” Course and the “Flight Safety” Course at the University of Stockholm. General Magro, Air Marshal since March 2011, has approximately 2500 flight hours to his credit, predominantly on single-seat jet aircraft.
