On Saturday 13 November, at the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, the Certificate of Merit was awarded to the Anti-Submarine Unit at Sigonella. The 41st Wing at Sigonella was honoured with the following citation: “The 41st Anti-Submarine Wing operates in the waters of the Mediterranean, ensuring – through its capabilities in monitoring submarines and patrolling surface vessels – the safety and prosperity of commercial shipping lanes within its area of responsibility, whilst also carrying out, in addition to its institutional duties – sometimes in conditions of extreme adverse weather and environmental conditions – search and rescue operations at sea which, thanks to the outstanding search and rescue capabilities of the Breguet 1150 Atlantic aircraft in its fleet, have enabled, over the years, the location of numerous refugees on rubber dinghies and small boats – resulting in the saving of lives – who, without the commitment, dedication and deep personal involvement of the crews and the rest of the technical and logistical staff, might well have met very different fates.The Wing’s crews have carried out this work and continue to do so day in, day out with a strong sense of duty and professionalism, the mission entrusted to them, never swayed by an awareness of the personal risks involved, conscious and proud not only of rendering a service owed to their country, but also of contributing, on so many decisive occasions, to the saving of precious human lives”. The Scudi di San Martino Institute was founded in Florence in 1983 with specific social aims: to promote acts of human solidarity through an awards scheme aimed at all those who have distinguished themselves through commitment, a spirit of sacrifice and courage in helping the most vulnerable, the needy and those in grave danger. In 1995, the Italian Air Force’s Air Warfare School in Florence took custody of the institute’s cast.Among the ‘historic’ recipients are Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Chernobyl and New York Fire Brigades, and the Nobel Prize-winning organisation ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’.
