General of Division Paolo Rizzo assumed command in place of General of Squadron Mario Martinelli. From October 7, General Rizzo, promoted to the rank of General of Squadron, will also assume the position of General of the Armament Role of the Air Force. At the ceremony, presided over by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Squadron General Giuseppe Bernardis, religious and military authorities, as well as a representative of the civil and military personnel of COMAER, took part.
General Martinelli, in addressing his greeting to the Chief of the Air Staff, the Authorities and all the personnel present at the ceremony, expressed his gratitude to the men and women of COMAER for: “[…] The tangible results achieved, the result of a generous effort that has allowed the identity of COMAER to be restored […] and, with reference to the Role of Weapons, strongly hoped that the development path outlined: ”[…]It takes place in a regime at least equal to and equal to the Corps, without egoism, avoiding distinctions between the Corps and the Normal Roles, without forgetting the origins of our Air Force”. General Rizzo, after thanking the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for the trust placed in him in the assignment of new duties, emphasized that “[…] The current economic and financial situation and the delicate phase of restructuring the military instrument make change inevitable and require that the use of personnel is increasingly based on criteria of rationalization, efficiency and planning: “Human Governance” understood as the enhancement of human capital, stressing what is a direct consequence: “that the Role of Weapons must change to be more responsive to the renewed needs of the Air Force as a Role called upon to manage and support a wide range of functions of the Armed Forces, ranging from the purely operational area to combat logistics, combat support or combat service support”. Not least, General Rizzo wanted to recall the specificity of the command entrusted to him: “[…] It is a truly unique institution in the field of the Armed Forces, both in terms of its quantitative size with approximately 4000 personnel administered, and in terms of its qualitative characteristics due to the heterogeneity of the institutional tasks entrusted to it.”.
The ceremony concluded with the intervention of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force General Giuseppe Bernardis, who, after addressing his warm greeting to General Martinelli, who after 46 years of service on October 7 will leave active duty, emphasized that:“The handover of power at the top of complex structures is one of the most significant and emblematic events because it manages to combine a moment of continuity and innovation, as well as the culmination of past experiences and future projects.”, also highlighting the current state of the Armed Forces: “[…] It is precisely in these delicate moments, characterized by a climate of particular difficulty, that our commitment must emerge with renewed vigor and exemplary leadership, in order to fulfill our task better: to steer the Air Force towards a leaner, but no less effective configuration. The military instrument and its human resources can no longer be linked to numbers, but to excellence, quality, and the optimization of roles, capabilities, and motivation among those who are part of it.”.
The Rome Air Force Command ensures, through its subordinate branches, logistical and administrative support to all Armed Forces and Inter-Forces Entities present in the area of Palazzo A.M., as well as to the Military Justice Entities located in the city of Rome. The COMAER is also entrusted with the functions of representing the disbanded II Air Region, including the task of preparing actions for the participation of the Air Force in ceremonies, magazines and parades within the city of Rome.
