Tuesday 11th December, the Hall of Heroes at Palazzo Aeronautica hosted a very special and... “communicative” event for the Armed Force: Major General Giorgio Baldacci and Brigadier General Vincenzo Romano handed over the baton as Head of the 5th “Communication” Department of the Air Staff. The significant handover ceremony was presided over by the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Air Squad General Settimo Caputo, and took place in the presence of the Department's personnel and numerous military and civilian authorities and friends.
In his farewell speech, General Baldacci recalled with passion and emotion his long experience spent – at various times – at the General Staff. A journey full of satisfaction that led him to the prestigious role of Head of the 5th Department. His words conveyed recognition, esteem and deep gratitude towards the women and men of the department for the support and harmony they have always shown him in the daily task of communicating the values and institutional image of the Armed Forces. With the pride, awareness and emotion of leaving a fully capable and totally reliable Department, he finally addressed a sincere and warm wish for good luck in his new role to General Romano.
General Romano, grateful for the trust and high recognition received, addressed all the personnel of the Unit, highlighting the importance of teamwork in an innovative manner and with a spirit of initiative. The desire to operate with dedication, honesty and enthusiasm to further enhance and promote the image of an Air Force that is reliable, credible, transparent, effective and above all useful to the country, will be the principles by which he intends to be guided during his period of command. To achieve this, General Romano concluded, “I assure all of you my utmost commitment to carrying on the work of my predecessor, with my gaze fixed on the future and without fear of facing changes”.
At the close of the ceremony, General Caputo underlined the fundamental importance of the activities carried out by the 5th Department over the past year, reaffirming the centrality of communication as a “transversal and effectiveness-multiplying function” for the entire aeronautical organisation.
Finally, a special greeting was addressed to General Baldacci as he prepares to leave active service: General Caputo highlighted, with air force affection and rich in memories, the most salient aspects of his long career in the Italian Air Force, recalling his profound human qualities, passionate professionalism and vast experience, and pointing to him for all as an “example to follow”.
The 5th Department of the Air Force Staff is tasked with communicating and promoting the values, role and image of the Italian Air Force in line with the evolving trends of society, by developing communication policies and strategies tailored to the military dimension and the mission of the Armed Force. The 5th Department carries out communication activities by using available tools in an integrated manner.
