On Monday 12th September, the handover took place between outgoing Air Force General S.A. Nello Barale and incoming Air Force General S.A. Tommaso Ferro. With the Fanfara and Units formed by permanent staff from the Command of the 1st Air Region and the Linate Airport/Headquarters Command, the War Flag of the 15th Wing of Cervia, awarded the Gold and Silver Medals for Aeronautical Valour, and the banners of the Lombardy Region, the Province of Milan and the Municipality of Milan, the latter decorated with the Gold Medal for Military Valour, took part. Numerous banners of War Veterans and Service Associations were also present. In the morning, before the change of command ceremony, the outgoing and incoming Commanders proceeded to the Shrine of Milanese Fallen Heroes for the Homeland in S. Ambrogio, where they laid a wreath from the Military Garrison. In his farewell speech, General Barale, addressing the authorities and all those present, wished to emphasise his passion for flying, passed down to him by his father, a pilot in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Without wishing to mention the numerous and prestigious duties carried out during his 44 years of service, he declared himself “satisfied and honoured to have been able to carry out the tasks entrusted to me, with the memory and friendship of those who collaborated with me and shared the commitment and risk of so many undertakings, men whose trust I am proud and grateful for”. In this regard, he also wished, with emotion, to highlight that “I am the last member of the Falco III course to be discharged, thus ending the adventure of the enthusiastic lads who in 1967 donned the sky-blue uniform’. He then directed a grateful and proud thought to his own family, an essential element for every stage of his long career.
General Barale then reviewed.
At the end of his speech, General Barale offered thanks to the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and a special wish to General Ferro, who “is replacing me with a well-known wealth of experience and capability, and who will know how to lead the 1st Air Region to ever greater achievements, being able to rely on excellent and generous colleagues.” General Ferro, in his inaugural address, after saluting the War Flag of the 15th Wing, the highest authorities, and all those present, expressed his gratitude to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for the assignment entrusted to him and his thankfulness for the trust granted by their Excellencies, “preparing to take on this important and prestigious role with deep satisfaction, and, I won't hide it, with profound pride, which certainly involves me professionally, but also and even more so on a human and personal level.”.
General Ferro, while recalling the transformation process that has characterised the Italian Air Force in recent times, stressed how, following the relinquishing of operational duties, the 1st Air Region Command has simultaneously seen an increase in its “representative, liaison and community role with the territory, with the entities operating within it, with public opinion and with the community as a whole, for whose security the Italian Air Force and the other Armed Forces work’. He then, referring to the fundamental value of human resources, addressed the personnel of the 1st Air Region, considering them the institution's primary asset.
At the end of his speech, General Ferro offered a sincere and fraternal greeting to General Barale: “grateful for the wonderful legacy you leave me, I wish you, now that you are leaving active service, all the best, the satisfaction and the serenity that, together with your loved ones, you have amply deserved’. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force, after thanking the Minister of Defence for his special presence at the ceremony, paid ’a deferential tribute to the War Flag of the 15th Wing of Cervia, displayed here representing all the operational entities of the Air Force falling within the territorial competence of the 1st Air Region” and a greeting to the Banners of the Lombardy Region, the Province and that of the City of Milan, decorated with a gold medal, as well as to the Standards of the war veterans“ and armed forces” associations.
General Bernardis then summed up the work carried out by General Barale, who “throughout an Air Force career lasting over 43 years, has always distinguished himself through effective and scrupulous leadership, promoting the professional growth of the personnel who served under him and fostering their esprit de corps” and, in recognising his due merits, he stressed how “his experience, his professionalism and his high sense of duty have been valuable assets which the Air Force will continue to jealously guard”.
In describing the profound transformation process that has affected the Armed Force over recent years, and the 1st Air Region, General Bernardis turned to General Ferro, mentioning his “great and consolidated experience in the operational, logistical and tri-service sectors, a guarantee of competence and professional capability”, with the certainty that he would carry out his new role with “the same dedication, perseverance and quality of commitment as always”.
General Bernardis concluded his speech by expressing his sincere appreciation to all the military and civilian personnel of the 1st Air Region, encouraging them to be “proud of your work, of your high professional standing, of your constant dedicated commitment which is the lifeblood and fundamental prerequisite for achieving ever greater successes to which an Air Force looking towards the third millennium must aspire”.
Biography of General S.A. Tommaso Ferro
Gen. S.A. Tommaso Ferro graduated from the standard courses at the Air Force Academy, which he attended from 1968 to 1971, with the ‘Grifo III’ class.
In 1973, having obtained his military pilot licence at Laredo Air Base, Texas, USA, he was assigned to the 156th Fighter-Bomber Group of the 36th Wing – based at Gioia del Colle Military Airport, holding the rank of Captain he took Command of the 384th Squadron of the 156th Group.
After the Normal Course at the Air War College in Florence, he was assigned to the Air Force Academy as a training officer for the ‘Sparviero III’ Course.
In 1979, promoted to Major, he returned to the 36th Wing where he held the position of Head of Training Section of the 156th Group and then, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, the positions of Head of Operations Section and Head of the Wing's Operations Office.
He attended the Advanced Course at the Air War College in Florence, completed operational conversion to the Tornado aircraft and became Commander of the 156th Squadron, ensuring the achievement of Combat Readiness.
In September 1985, he joined the Training Nucleus of the air squadron then being formed, but following the postponement of its establishment, he was sent to the Air Staff where he was employed in the 2nd Office of the III Department and, subsequently, the 3rd Office of the IV Department.
In October 1986, he was appointed Commander of the Trinational Tornado Training Centre at the English Base of Cottesmore, where he remained until January 1990, holding the rank of Colonel in the interim.
He was then reassigned to the III Department of the Air Force Staff, where he held positions within the 3rd Office until September 1991, when he was appointed Commander of the 53rd Wing of Cameri.
In September 1993, he took up the position of Chief of the 3rd Office of the III Department of the Air Force Staff. Promoted to Air Brigadier General on 28 April 1996, he also carried out the duties of interim Chief of the aforementioned Department in the meantime.
On 5 September 1996, he took up the role of Commander of the 46th Air Brigade in Pisa, where he remained until 10 September 1998.
On 11 September 1998, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Air Force Schools Command.
On 30 August 2000, he assumed the role of Defence and Defence Cooperation Attaché at the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C., United States.
In January 2002, he was promoted to Air Division General.
As of 30 September 2003, he assumed Command of the ‘Aquila’ Fighter Division, formerly the Interceptor Fighter Air Division, responsible, among other things, for the combat readiness of all Flying Groups and Wings dedicated to the Air Defence mission.
On 08 September 2004, he took up the post of Vice Commander.
