Colonel Esposito hands over the command of the squadron to Colonel Albano
At the military airport of Furbara, the headquarters of 17th Attack Wing And of the 1st Special Operations Air Brigade (1st B.A.O.S.) took place on June 16 last year, with the change of command between Colonel Andrea Esposito and the Colonel Livio Albano.
The ceremony was presided over by Brigadier General Riccardo Rinaldi, Commander of the 1st B.A.O.S., in the presence of the highest military and civil authorities of Cerveteri, Ladispoli and Santa Marinella, as well as a representative of the Air Wing.
The event, which represents a significant moment in the life and activities of the Department, was organized in compliance with the measures in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.
It Colonel Esposito, The outgoing Commander, after addressing the authorities present, highlighted the brilliant results achieved and the numerous activities supported over the last two years, despite a context made particularly difficult by the pandemic emergency. During his speech, Colonel Esposito wished to express his particular thanks to the staff of Stormo for the impeccable commitment and professionalism demonstrated on every occasion, offering the Armed Forces and the country an operational capability of the highest level.
For the Colonel Albano, Instead, it is a return to Furbara in his capacity as Commander, having personally witnessed the reconstitution of the Special Forces of the Air Force in 2003. In his speech, Col. Albano highlighted the importance of loyalty, sense of duty, and esprit de corps, values that he learned the deep meaning of during his service in the 17th Assault Wing. He wanted to thank Colonel Esposito for the results achieved and the path traced, which the Wing will continue to follow. At the end of his speech, he wanted to thank Colonel Esposito for the achievements achieved and the path set, which the Wing will continue to follow.
It General Rinaldi, The commander of the 1st B.A.O.S., from which the 17th Assault Wing depends, finally took the floor expressing his deep gratitude to Colonel Esposito for the commitment and dedication to the Department shown during the two years of command. Turning to the succeeding Commander, Colonel Albano, he expressed a warm “welcome” with the awareness and hope of a future full of close and fruitful collaboration for increasingly ambitious goals and the full achievement of the objectives set by the Armed Forces.
The 17th Assault Wing has the task of selecting, training, and equipping the future operators of the Special Forces (Incorruptors) and the Special Tactics Operations Support (S.T.O.S.) operators, in order to respond to the current international context that requires the development of the ability to prevent and intervene effectively and promptly, even at long distances, in Operations Outside National Borders (O.F.C.N.). The objective of the 17th Assault Wing is to give the Incorruptors the ability to perform missions such as: Special Reconnaissance, Direct Action, Military Assistance, Hostage Release Operations (HRO) and Counter Terrorism Operations (Hostage Rescue and Anti-Terrorism Operations). The S.T.O.S. Operators are instead required, in addition to direct tactical support for the operations of the Special Forces, to conduct Personal Recovery operations in semi-permissive environments.
