On Tuesday 15 February, the handover ceremony took place with General S.A. Tosi, in the presence of General S.A. Bernardis, Chief of the SMA. In his address, General Tosi emphasised that “the focus of our work is the men, and in this regard I would like once again to reiterate what I have repeated ad nauseam over the years: behind the names of the personnel we take into account in our planning, there is almost always a family – wife, husband, children, expectations, ambitions, plans, friends, social life – and by taking action regarding a service member, we are affecting all these people and their present and future lives; we risk being intrusive or, worse still, destructive; this is why we must have the courage and wisdom to be sincere, the rigour of transparency, and the sensitivity to be attentive and tactful; we must engage with people, without for that reason neglecting the needs of the Armed Forces, so as to gain a precise understanding and awareness of what will happen in the wake of our activities and the decisions we propose to adopt.” In conclusion, General Tosi emphasised “the extraordinary opportunity to learn something new every day, with humility, drawing on the valuable life lessons I have received from our people, which have enriched me greatly, both personally and professionally.” General Marsiglia, expressing his heartfelt thanks to the Chief of the General Staff for the prestigious post entrusted to him, also wished to highlight the valuable guidance that General Tosi had been able to provide him during his time serving as Deputy Director. General Bernardis, in reiterating the concept of the individual as a fundamental element of the Air Force, wished everyone present every success in their future work. General Tosi will take up the post of Commander of the Air Wing on 23 February. General Marsiglia, born in Turin on 24 May 1955, is a graduate of the standard courses at the Air Force Academy in Pozzuoli (Naples), which he attended from 1974 to 1976 as part of the ‘Pegaso III’ intake. From 1978 to 1980, he obtained his military pilot’s licence at the Flight Schools and gained qualification to fly military aircraft up to the F104S. In 1980, he served with the 51st Wing at Istrana, in the 22nd All-Weather Interceptor Fighter Flight Group, first as a squadron pilot and subsequently as a squadron commander. From 1983 to 1986, he was posted to the 60th Air Brigade at Amendola, where he served as a flight instructor on the G.91.T aircraft. From 1987 to 1991, he was posted once again to the 51stWing at Istrana; during this period, he held the posts of Commander of the 354th Squadron and Commander of the 22nd All-Weather Interceptor Fighter Flight Group flying the F104S / F104ASA. In 1991, he was transferred to the Air Force General Staff, 1st Department, where he held the post of Head of the Organisation and Personnel Office. From 1998 to 2000, he served as Commander of the 51st Wing at Istrana. From 2000 to 2003, he returned to the 1st Department of the Air Force General Staff, where he held the post of Head of the 1st Office as well as that of Head of the Planning Office of the Logistics Command General Staff. Promoted to Air Brigadier in 2004, he took up the post of Head of the 1st Organisation and Personnel Department of the Air Force General Staff. From 14 September 2006 to 31 October 2009, he was Commandant of the Air Force Academy. From 1 November 2009 to 7 October 2010, he served as Head of the General Office of the Chief of the Air Force General Staff. From 8 October 2010 to 14 February 2011, he served as Deputy Director of DIPMA. He attended a number of professional courses, including the Basic and Advanced Courses at the Air War College in Florence, the Flight Safety Prevention Course for Wing Commanders and the Course for Civilian and Military Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has been awarded numerous honours, including: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (OMRI), Knight of the Legion of Honour of the French Republic, and the Gold Medal for Long-Distance Air Service. He has logged approximately 3,000 hours of flight time on jet aircraft, having flown 14 different types of aircraft. General Marsiglia holds degrees in Political Science and Aeronautical Science. He is married and has one son.
