The Minister met with the Italian personnel deployed in Afghanistan, delivering the Government’s greetings on the occasion of the upcoming Christmas holidays.
Upon his arrival, Minister Di Paola, accompanied by Chief of Staff General Pasquale Preziosa, and Chief of Staff of the Defence Staff General Biagio Abrate, was received by the Commander of the Regional Command West (RC-West), Brigadier General Luciano Portolano. Subsequently, he visited the FOBs (Forward Operating Bases) of the “South” Task Force in Farah, at the 152nd Regiment “Sassari” base, and the “South East” Task Force, at the “San Marco” Regiment of the Naval Forces, in the districts of Bakwa and Gullistan. Upon returning to Herat, Minister Di Paola met with personnel of the Aviation Battalion, at the 5th Regiment “Rigel” of the Army Air Force, and subsequently, accompanied by Colonel Alessandro De Lorenzo, Commander of the Joint Air Task Force, he visited the Task Group “Astore”, the aeronautical component of the “Predator” MQ1C remotely piloted aircraft, where he was received by Major Iury Topini. At the end, Minister Di Paola held a meeting with the “key elements” of the RC-West staff for an update on the main operations currently underway and those to be carried out in the future by RC-West.
