Air Vice Marshal Alessandro DE LORENZO succeeds Air Vice Marshal Mauro LUNARDI
On Tuesday 30 August, at the “Mario de Bernardi” military airport in Pratica di Mare, the handover ceremony took place at the Air and Space Aeronautics Experimentation Division Command, between Air Division General Mauro Lunardi (outgoing) and Air Division General Alessandro De Lorenzo (incoming).
The ceremony, presided over by the Logistic Commander, Air Squad General Roberto Comelli, was attended by numerous military authorities, both from the Italian Air Force and from other Armed Forces/Armed Corps, civil authorities and a representation of military and civilian personnel from the Air Division.
Air Vice Marshal. Mauro Lunardi he was the first Commander of the Air and Space Experimental Division, a body established on 8 March 2021, which inherited the legacy of the Flight Test Centre and the Pratica di Mare Airport Command, bringing together their expertise and duties.
“On 23 July 2020, I assumed with great enthusiasm, and at the same time with the due concern, the dual role of Commander of the Flight Test Centre and of the Pratica di Mare Airport Command, the prelude to what would happen subsequently with the merger of the two bodies, the suppression of the Airport Command and the renaming of the F.T.C. as the Air Division for Aeronautical and Space Experimentation” these were the words of General Lunardi in his farewell speech. “A not-so-simple process – continued Gen. Lunardi – took place without any break in continuity and right in the middle of the pandemic. However, thanks to the passion, determination and willpower of many, and perhaps also due to the necessity of having to operate regardless in a situation of general pandemic crisis, the transformation materialised and slowly a new synergy between the various new divisions took shape, allowing the Division to acquire its own soul and identity……. General De Lorenzo, Alessandro, I extend my most sincere best wishes for your work. You are fortunate to have excellent collaborators and staff who, with their accumulated experience, can truly make a difference” those were the words of Maj. Gen. Lunardi at the end of his speech.
In his first speech as Commander of the Air and Space Experimentation Division, the Gen. D.A. Alessandro De Lorenzo has highlighted that “Assuming command of DASAS today represents a human and professional milestone that is as prestigious as it is challenging. I therefore feel I must express my deepest gratitude to you, General Comelli, and to the Higher Authorities for the trust placed in me. Being chosen to serve the Armed Forces in the role of Commander of the newly established Division represents a new and exciting chapter in my professional life. I have experienced this transformation since its inception. I believe that the solution found is the ideal one for an Air Division that is as unique of its kind as it is fundamentally strategic not only for the Armed Forces, but for the entire Defence organisation. RThen, turning to the personnel of the Air Division, he pointed out: “The challenge that awaits us is not an easy one; it is linked to increasingly pressing operational, logistical and administrative demands, and if we think about the organisation of next year's open day, to celebrate the centenary of our Armed Forces, I see them all included. Looking at each of you, aware of your qualities, I am at ease, as I consider the personnel of the Division to be a strong, vigorous team that is eager to excel, in which the characteristics of the individual are enhanced by teamwork.
The Logistics Commander, Air Squad General Roberto Comelli, in his speech emphasised that “As General Lunardi has recalled, the Division has experienced these last two years in a decidedly intense manner, and it is within this complex and dynamic frame of reference that General Lunardi's professionalism has emerged. To him go today the amply deserved and due recognition for the results achieved, my personal thanks for the work carried out, and the high regard, esteem and affection of all. And addressing General De Lorenzo: “Yours will be a delicate task because you will be called upon to complete this phase of transition and also due to the commitments related to the scheduled events connected with the celebrations for the centenary of the Armed Force. I am certain that you will prove to be equal to the assigned role.
