Chief of Staff Bernardis responds to the article by Comellini published on the Tiscali website. Despite the fact that I went back and forth from Trapani in the morning without having had lunch, I am very surprised that you have not realized in your own aviation experience what the true values of our organization are. In this regard, I feel it is my duty to clarify, out of respect for your readers, that the purpose of my participation in the aforementioned ceremony was solely to thank your former colleagues who have worked for years with sacrifice and dedication for the success of the program, whose implementation is part of the process of downsizing the air fleet that the Italian Air Force has been carrying out for some time in order to achieve a more rational and simplified management and maintenance of the aircraft as well as a better use of personnel. I regretfully note that the period of service you performed in the ranks of the Air Force did not allow you to assimilate the ethical values and the spirit of service that underlie the daily activities of the men and women of the Armed Forces. Of this, I obviously have to take responsibility and for that reason I apologize on behalf of the Air Force to the personnel on duty and on leave who, in contrast, believe in and fully recognize these values and whom you, with your maximalist position, fail to demonstrate appreciation for. I would not have wanted to take up your provocations, which I will no longer follow up, but I felt compelled to respond out of respect for the military institution and the personnel that represents it.
