It took place on Friday 12 December, at the Officers’ Club of the’Italian Air Force Academy of Pozzuoli, the award ceremony of Sub-lieutenant ranks to 81 Officer Cadets of the Drago VI Course, which represented the culmination of a very intense educational and professional journey, marked by commitment, a spirit of sacrifice and a sense of duty.
Attending the event was the Head of the General Defence Liaison Office for the National Cybersecurity Agency, Air Division General Enrico Degni, as well as Godfather of Corso Drago IV who with his presence highlighted the importance of the continuity of values and traditions between the different generations of the Corsi Drago family.
It Cape Corso of the Dragon VI, after thanking General Degni for his authoritative presence, together with two other Godfathers of Dragon V, he highlighted the period spent at the Air Force Academy, full of milestones and challenges, faced daily with team spirit and a sense of belonging.
Next to take the floor was the General Degni who expressed his warmest regards to the entire Drago VI Course, also acting as a spokesperson for the greetings of General S.A. Basilio Cottone (Godfather of Drago II), General Vincenzo Camporini (Godfather of the Drago III Course) and Lieutenant Colonel Luca Guasti (Godfather of Drago V), who were unable to attend the ceremony but remain attentive and close to the achievements reached by the young men and women of the sixth generation of the Drago Courses.
Gen. Degni then congratulated everyone present on reaching this first milestone in their military career: “... From today, with your new rank, you will have new responsibilities and authority, especially towards the younger trainees, but rank and authority are not enough; you also need personal standing, and that you will have to build for yourselves, day by day, throughout your military career. To command respect from the personnel you are called upon to lead, there is no better method than that of’example, you must be true to yourselves in order to be true to others. Only thus will you be prepared for future responsibilities in an increasingly complex international context. Be the drivers of change, be innovative and do not be afraid of making mistakes if you do so in good faith. I wish you to throw yourselves into these new challenges, to seize all the opportunities that come your way and to aim high tooth and nail as our motto goes!.
With this milestone, the newly commissioned Second Lieutenants are now preparing to face the next stages of their operational and professional journey, carrying with them the spirit, discipline and values that have always distinguished the men and women of the Italian Air Force.
The’Air Force Academy It depends Air Force Schools Command/3rd Air Region. It is a military institute of Higher education with a university character whose task is to recruit and train young people aspiring to become Air Force Officers. By attending the Regular Academy Courses, one can become a Second Lieutenant in Permanent Active Service in the Air Force, in the normal Navigating Role (pilots) and in the Normal Role of Weapons, Air Force Engineering, the Air Force Commissariat Corps, and the Air Force Medical Corps. The Institute also conducts Courses for Officer Cadets (Reserve Pilots and Fixed-Term Officers) and directly appointed Second Lieutenants (both Normal and Special Roles); finally, the Academy's Study Plan includes courses with a specialised aeronautical connotation for foreign personnel and other Armed Forces.
