On Thursday, 24 July, the ceremony for the change of command took place at the “Luigi Rovelli” military airport in Amendola. 32nd Wing between Colonel Antonio Vivolo (Outgoing Commander) and the Colonel Roberto Losengo (Incoming commander).
At the event, chaired by Air Division General Marco Lant, Commander of Combat Forces, Some former Commanders of the 32nd Wing also participated, including Air Force General Luca Goretti, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the highest civilian, religious and military authorities from the area.
The passage of War Flag of the 32nd Wing, decorated with Silver Medal for Military Valour and of the Military Order of Italy, between Colonel Vivolo and Colonel Losengo represented, symbolically, the most significant and profound moment of the ceremony. In fact, the handover marked Colonel Losengo's assumption of the prestigious role, as he is now in charge of the 32nd Wing.
It Colonel Vivolo, At the end of two long and intense years of command, he leaves Amendola to take up another prestigious position within the National Armaments Directorate in Rome. Recalling his inaugural address, he wished to underline his idea and the meaning attributed to the term “to command”, derived from the Latin “How to move forward together and converge collective efforts to achieve preset objectives.”Col. Vivolo therefore reviewed his period of Command, mentioning some key milestones from his inauguration to the latest international operations and exercises, both at home and abroad. Addressing the men and women of the 32nd Wing, he said: “[…] Special thoughts go to the personnel of the Wing who are absent today because they are deployed in Kuwait, Estonia, and on numerous missions and operations outside national borders, or who are – rightly – recovering from these commitments. The considerable number of these individuals is, once again, concrete proof of the Wing's operational readiness. […] You have been the undisputed protagonists of the Wing's successes, carrying out exceptional teamwork that has helped make my task considerably easier. […] Thank you for entrusting yourselves to me, as I asked at the beginning of my tenure, and for having “gone together” on the path taken by the Wing […] it has been a privilege for me to have been your Commander. I wish you the very best fortunes in service to the country.”
In his/her/their inauguration speech, the Colonel Losengo, expressing gratitude to the Higher Authorities for the trust placed in assigning the prestigious role of Commander of the 32nd Wing, highlighted: It is very difficult for me to hide the strong emotion and pride I feel at this moment, but at the same time, I am fully aware of the responsibilities linked to my role and how, together with all the personnel of the Department, we will fulfil the mission assigned to the 32nd Wing. [...] To the men and women of the 32nd Wing, you are the architects of the Department's results, having achieved excellence every time the Armed Force assigned you objectives, overcoming ever-new obstacles and difficulties. There will be no shortage of new challenges and more demanding new goals, in an international context that is even more uncertain and unpredictable. I will lead you, involving you and giving you confidence, with respect, consistency and transparency, aware of your value and capabilities. From you, I expect loyalty, initiative, passion and cohesion. Together we will be a team at the service of the country and we will be an example of how to do our duty.
It Commander of Combat Forces, taking the floor, wished to underline the importance and solemnity inherent in every change of command, and the emotions experienced in that moment as witnesses to a chapter closing to make way for a new one in the history of the Department. Continuing his speech, he then addressed the outgoing and incoming Commanders, expressing heartfelt thanks to the former for the complexity and quality of the work carried out and wishing the latter a path full of ambitious goals and professional satisfaction. General Lant He then turned his thoughts to the Wing's personnel: “You are the meeting point between our rich tradition and technological advancement. Here, history has merged with the future, and your ability to integrate cutting-edge assets such as F-35s and remotely piloted systems makes you a unique strategic hub, an indispensable resource for the defence of our country and for international security.”
It 32nd Wing It is subordinate to the Combat Forces Command (CFC) in Milan. Its mission is to acquire and maintain the operational readiness of all air defence, attack, and reconnaissance units, ensuring the operational efficiency of weapon systems, equipment, and materials, as well as personnel training and the continuous updating and optimisation of operational procedures, in compliance with the guidelines of Higher Authorities. The CFC is subordinate to Air Squadron Command of Milan, which has responsibility for the training, readiness and operational deployment of its Units, so that they acquire and maintain the prescribed levels of operational readiness. After achieving the Initial Operational Capability (IOC), which took place in 2018, since 2019 the 32nd Wing has participated in NATO Air Policing Operations outside national borders. Since February 2020, it has been the only Unit in the European landscape to jointly employ both the F-35A (CTOL) and the F-35B (STOVL), contributing to the capability Air Expeditionary of the Armed Force. In addition to this, since January 2022, the 32nd Wing, with its 5th generation aircraft, also performs NATO QRA duty (Quick Reaction Alert) in defence of the Atlantic Coalition's airspace. Using the MQ9-A Predator B Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) as well, the Department conducts operations of Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition & Reconnaissance (I.S.T.A.R.), both national and coalition.
