The conference was addressed to the captains attending the 5th course of the Master in “Leadership and Strategic Analysis”. The event, organized by the Studies Department of ISMA, was attended by the Commandant of the Institute, General of the Air Division Gian Franco Camperi, who, thanking the Department Heads “for bringing their thoughts and experience to the benefit of the trainees“,“ he expressed the hope of “to keep high the spirit of those who are protagonists in the national defense scenario and not only“.
The attendees, close to obtaining their university degree, have taken advantage of this important opportunity as an additional educational moment to learn about the new perspectives of the Armed Forces. Among the topics discussed, particular attention was paid to the AM’s training programs, the relationship with the national industry, the Armed Forces’ financial programs, and the role of the Air Force in the Inter-Forces and social context.
The panel was opened with the intervention of Brigadier General Gianni Candotti, Head of the 3rd Air Staff Department, who emphasized the importance of the role played by those present in the daily activities of the Armed Forces. General Candotti focused attention on the need to maintain a high level of “know-how” and a progressive computer skills as “Anyone who does not access the internet today is not on the front line in the defense of the national objectives.“Subsequently, General Antonio Conserva, Head of the “Economic and Financial Affairs” Department, Air Brigadier General, intervened, highlighting the enormous effort the Armed Forces are undertaking to achieve each single objective continuously while observing the strict national programs related to the spending review, and General Umberto Baldi, Head of the 1st Air Division, who analyzed the main perspectives of the personnel organization and the importance of the training needs of the Armed Forces, in which man remains the essential protagonist in every project. The proceedings were continued by General Stefano Salamida, Head of the 4th Air Brigade “Logistics”, who illustrated the relationships between the Defense and the national and international industries aimed at implementing the operational and Command and Control capabilities of the Armed Forces, and the Head of the newly established General Office for Communication, Air Brigadier General Claudio Salerno. This latter, presenting the latest communication challenges of AM, after specifying that”Our Armed Forces were the first to open up on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, providing for an interview with the network and opening the platforms to user comments.“has been described as “The citizen wants to be informed and involved in military reality; hence the digitalization of visits and educational paths, a new way to bring history closer to young people“The conference was concluded by General Roberto Cattaneo of the Airspace and Meteorology Office and Colonel Marco Picciau, Head of the General Department for Security, who illustrated how the National Security System interacts fully with the military instrument and how the Air Force intervenes in safeguarding classified information in the new scenario of “cyber defence”.
At the end of the interventions, attendees delved into the topics in a period of “question time”, showing a significant attention to each of the topics discussed during the day.
The event concluded with a second intervention by General Camperi, the moderator of the panel, who further sensitized the participants on the need to act “with grit and courage”to ensure maximum efficiency for the present and the future.”.
