Colonel Stefano Rigoni hands over command to Colonel Paolo Papiri
On Tuesday 20 September, the Change of Command Ceremony took place at Pratica di Mare Military Airport between the outgoing Colonel Stefano Rigoni and the incoming Colonel Paolo Papiri. The event was presided over by the Commander of 9th ISTAR-EW Air Brigade, Brigadier General Danilo Morando, with the presence of numerous military and civilian authorities.
It Colonel Stefano Rigoni, In his farewell speech, he extended a greeting to the personnel of the Department, including those deployed in multiple operational theatres, and reviewed the numerous activities and ambitious objectives achieved by ReSTOGE during his two-year command. In his address, the outgoing Commander recalled the high number of products made to ensure the readiness of the Air Force’s assets in response to operational needs. Then, addressing the deployed personnel, he emphasised: “Of all the excellent results achieved, I recognise the merit to you, the ReSTOGE personnel, who have known how to work and sweat in silence, as you have been told many times, despite the multiple difficulties, aware that your work means not only guaranteeing the operational capabilities of the formations, but also protecting our colleagues, so that they can always return to their families.
It Colonel Paolo Papiri, In thanking the Superior Authorities for the trust placed in him, and the outgoing Commander for the level of excellence and relevance achieved by the Department, he focused on human resources and the current international context. “It is the human resource that I have before my eyes today, the value to protect, and it is the protection of this capital that I commit myself most of all to ensure. This is more true today than ever, facing an international scenario characterised by events destined to have systemic repercussions that we cannot yet evaluate.
The Commander of the 9th Air Brigade, General B.A. Danilo Morando, after offering a warm greeting to the distinguished military and civilian guests, wished to emphasise how the change of command ceremony mirrors the essence of military life and reminds us how rotation in roles, especially at the highest level, is on the one hand a natural element of the military order and on the other a measure capable of creating added value for the organisation. He then addressed the outgoing Commander, complimenting you on the splendid work done with great enthusiasm… “You have fully honoured your commitments and are leaving your Department better than you found it, just as your predecessors have also done. I am sorry it has ended, but your qualities and skills must be used in other areas of the Armed Forces. Addressing the incoming Commander, he expressed himself thus: “Are you ready to take over from Colonel Rigoni, to accept new challenges and to also make a positive difference, as all your predecessors have done? You know full well that here you will find a top-class team, cohesive, close-knit and dedicated to the safety of the country and the community: I am certain that you will love the Department, the Department will take care of the mission entrusted to it and will love you.
The ReSTOGE (Electronic Warfare Operational Technical Support Department), subordinate to the 9th ISTAR-EW Air Brigade (Intelligence, Surveillance, Targeting, Acquisition Reconnaissance – Electronic Warfare), accentra competencies and key processes of the Air Task Force Command, in the field of Electronic Warfare and electromagnetic environment operations, from those functional to the survival of air assets from the threat of downing, to electronic surveillance and attack operations, up to the even broader spectrum of effects related to the programming of Mission Data of 4th and 5th generation configurations.
