Italian Air Force units were present in many Italian towns and cities. Celebrations took place in the USA. The Air Force Academy and the Air Force Marshals’ School were also open to the public. From 4 to 7 November, to mark National Unity Day and Armed Forces Day, the Italian Air Force was present at the Circus Maximus in Rome, alongside the other Armed Forces and Military Corps of the State, where it displayed vehicles and equipment.During the four days of celebrations, the Italian Air Force set up an exhibition area, comprising a covered tensile structure of over 500 square metres, which showcased the specific operational activities of the Air Force. In particular, on display were a scale model of the AM-X fighter and an AB-212 ICO (Operational Capability Implementation) helicopter, both of which are currently deployed in Afghanistan, a mobile air traffic control tower and the Mobile Meteorological Unit, which can be used to support troops in international operations. Vehicles from the 17th Incursori Wing based in Furbara (Rome) were also on display, including the Lince Light Multi-role Tactical Vehicle and a ’Dragon‘ fire-fighting vehicle used at military airports.Visitors were also able to view a range of other flight assets and equipment, including a bio-containment stretcher for the air transport of highly contagious patients, engines from the Tornado aircraft and the NH-500E helicopter, as well as an Aspide missile, cut open for illustrative purposes. Flight crews, technical officers and specialist staff were also present at the Circus Maximus to answer visitors’ questions.Finally, younger visitors were able to experience the thrills of a virtual flight aboard the Frecce Tricolori thanks to an interactive simulator that dynamically recreated the sensations felt by the pilots during their aerobatic manoeuvres. The National Aerobatic Team (PAN) ’Frecce Tricolori‘ flew over the Altare della Patria on Thursday 4 November at 9.00 am and over Piazza del Popolo on Sunday 7 November at 4.30 pm. The Italian Air Force Band performed on Thursday 4 November at 4.30 pm in Piazza di Spagna.
Multimedia contributions Video: RAI1 Unomattina, Thursday 4th November, 7 AM Video: Canale 5 Morning Five, Thursday 4th November, 10 AM Video: Canale 5 TG5 Thursday 4th November8 PM
Video: RAI1 TG1 Friday 5th November 8 AM Video: RAI2 TG2 Thursday 4th November 1 pm Video: Sky TG24 of 4 November 2010 Video: RAI3 TRG Lazio from Wednesday 3rd November at 7:30 PM Video: Teleroma 56 Wednesday 3rd November at 7:30 PM Video: Teleroma 56 on Thursday 4th November at 7:30 PM Video: Romauno News Thursday 4th November 11 PM Video: T9 TG9 Thursday 4th November 10:15 PM Video: Super 3 Thursday 4th November 9:30 PM Video: Canale 10, Thursday 4th November, 10:30 AM Radio Vatican Sunday 7th November 8:40 AM Audio: Nuova Spazio Radio, Friday 5th November, 11:15 am On National Unity and Armed Forces Day, at the Military Memorial to the Fallen Overseas, the President of the Senate, Senator Renato Schifani, presided over the solemn ceremony in honour of the fallen, on behalf of the President of the Republic. Senator Schifani was received at the entrance to the Memorial by the Minister for Regional Affairs, the HonourableRaffaele Fitto, representing the Government, and by the Chief of the Air Force Staff, Air Marshal Giuseppe Bernardis, representing the Chief of the Defence Staff. Present at the ceremony were civil, religious and military dignitaries, the banners of the Puglia Region, the Municipality and the Province of Bari, and the standards of the Combatants‘ and Service Branches’ Associations, as well as a large number of citizens, among whom the Italian tricolours waved by numerous school groups stood out. The ceremony featured a parade of the battle flags of the 9th ’Bari‘ Infantry Regiment, the 82nd ’Torino‘ Infantry Regiment, the 21st ’Trieste’ Artillery Regiment, the Standard of the 31st Tank Regiment, the war flags of the 11th Engineer Regiment, the 10th Transport Regiment, the San Marco Regiment, the Naval NCO School, the 36th Wing of Gioia del Colle (Bari), the 32nd Wing of Amendola (Foggia), the Regimental Flag of the 61st Wing of Lecce, the War Flag of the 11th Carabinieri Battalion of Puglia and the Regimental Flag of the Finance Police Cadet School. Honours were paid to the President of the Senate by a company from the 7th Bersaglieri Regiment, accompanied by its War Flag and military band. Honours to the Fallen were paid by a joint-forces training regiment, under the command of Colonel Saverio Pirro, Commander of the 10th Transport Regiment, comprising the military band of the Air Force Schools Command/3rd Air Region, a mixed company from the 9th Bari Infantry Regiment and the 82nd ’Torino‘ Infantry Regiment, a company from the Italian Navy Non-Commissioned Officers’ Training School, a company of airmen from the Air Force Schools Command/3rd Air Region, a company from the 11th Carabinieri Battalion, and a company from the Bari Finance Police Cadet School.Sunday 7 November: A splendid sunny day and the presence of a huge crowd provided the ideal backdrop for the city of Bari to celebrate the ’Caserme in Piazza‘ event. The initiative, commissioned by the Minister of Defence in preparation for the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, which will take place in 2011, took the form of a series of events held throughout the country. The celebrations in Bari began with a solemn flag-raising ceremony in Largo Giannella, on the N. Sauro seafront. The ceremony, presided over by Air Force General Pasquale Preziosa, Commander of the Air Force Schools,3rd Air Region and the Military Garrison of Bari, were attended by numerous civil and military dignitaries, who joined the entire citizenry in singing the Italian national anthem, ’Inno di Mameli‘, whilst the Italian tricolour and the city flag were raised on the flagpoles. At the end of the ceremony, all the dignitaries and the entire public were able to visit the static display of special vehicles and weapon systems belonging to the Armed Forces, specially set up along the seafront. In addition, an exhibition of ’Historical Uniforms‘ from the late 19th century to the present day was staged for the occasion in the halls of the Officers‘ Club at the Air Force Schools Command/3rd Air Region. On Thursday 4 November, celebrations for National Unity Day and Armed Forces Day took place in Martina Franca, involving the Municipal Council, the 16th Wing ’Force Protection‘, and all local military, civil and religious institutions, as well as schoolchildren from all levels of education. The festivities comprised a series of events that took place throughout the day in the streets of the town centre. The men and women of the 16th Wing and the other Armed Forces were warmly welcomed by the people of Martina Franca, who took part in the event with lively and enthusiastic participation. The celebrations began with a Mass presided over by Monsignor Franco Semeraro in the churchyard of the Basilica of San Martino, during which the fallen of all wars were commemorated. Particularly striking was the display in Piazza Plebiscito, consisting of a sea of Italian tricolour flags, waved enthusiastically throughout the event by hundreds of children from Martinese primary schools. The focus of the ceremony then shifted to Piazza Crispi, which was reached by a procession of all the participants, who were welcomed by an orchestra and choir made up of pupils from local schools. Right in front of the War Memorial, they performed the anthem ’La leggenda del Piave‘. Once again, the public gathered around the military personnel lined up at the foot of the shrine, where the solemn ceremony to honour the fallen took place, with laurel wreaths laid by the mayor of Martina Franca, Dr Franco Palazzo, and the Commander of the 16th Wing, Colonel Paolo Citta. The event concluded to the strains of the Italian national anthem, played and sung by the schoolchildren. In the same square, following the ceremony, a static display was inaugurated, organised by the Armed Forces, Police Forces, State Military Corps, voluntary organisations and local schools. In the afternoon, the focus shifted to pupils from Martina Franca’s lower and upper secondary schools. The ’V. Cappelli‘ auditorium hosted the event entitled ’The Unification of Italy… the students’ lesson – feelings, emotions and experiences of men and women in uniform’, organised and
