On Tuesday 20 April, in the presence of the Chief of the Air Force General Staff, the handover ceremony took place with General S.A. Gargini. The ceremony was attended by numerous civil, religious and military dignitaries. In addition, alongside the units formed by permanent staff from the Air Force Schools Command/3rd Air Region, the institutional flags of the Air Force Academy in Pozzuoli (Naples) – which has been awarded the Bronze Medal for Civil Valour and the Gold Medal for Aeronautical Merit – the 61st Wing of Galatina (Lecce), and the banners of the Puglia Region, the Province of Bari, the Municipality of Bari and neighbouring towns. Also present were the banner of the City of Barletta, awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour, and numerous banners of veterans“ and service associations. That morning, prior to the change-of-command ceremony, the outgoing and incoming Commanders visited the Military Memorial to the Fallen Overseas in Bari, where they laid a laurel wreath. In his farewell address, General Gargini emphasised the achievements made during his period of command. ”In the nearly three years since I assumed command at the head of one of the four main branches of the Italian Air Force, I have, together with my highly capable colleagues, tackled complex issues relating to the basic and advanced training of all personnel within the Armed Forces and, in particular, the flight training of young pilots who will subsequently be called upon to operate complex and sophisticated aircraft and weapon systems all over the world.“ Indeed, General Gargini continued, ”On average, there are around 1,200 cadets attending various training courses at our training centres every day, including at university level, leading to the award of a three-year bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree upon completion of the five-year programme. In our flight schools, around 350 pilots are trained each year across basic, advanced, specialised and supplementary courses, including pilot personnel from other Armed Forces, state agencies and allied and friendly nations, amounting to a total of approximately 19,000 flight hours.” At the end of his speech, General Gargini expressed his heartfelt thanks to all the staff for their work and wished General Preziosa every success in achieving ever greater and more prestigious goals.
General Preziosa, after greeting the Institute Flags of the Academy and the 61st Wing and paying a “reverent thought to those who were able to give their lives for the flag up to the ultimate sacrifice”, greeted the banners and standards of the Combat and Armed Forces Associations. Addressing the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force, he expressed his gratitude for the position entrusted to him within the Italian Air Force, outlining the guidelines that will direct his command.
The Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force, after thanking General Gargini “for the significant progress achieved in recent years in the diverse activities of the A.F. Schools Command / 3rd Air Region, thanks to his commitment and extraordinary professionalism, confirming himself on every occasion as a reliable point of reference,” expressed to General Preziosa the wish “that he may continue and improve upon what has been laid down by General Gargini. I am certain that the diverse experience gained in previous international and joint assignments, combined with his unquestionable capacity for far-sighted planning, will enable him to ensure the mission assigned to him.” General Preziosa was born in Bisceglie (Bari) in 1953. Enlisting in the Air Force in 1971 with the ‘Marte III’ course, he has attended various courses in Italy and abroad and has held numerous prestigious positions throughout his career. A graduate in International Diplomatic Sciences and International Sciences, he has logged over 2,300 flight hours. He has been awarded the following honours: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Mauritian Medal for fifty years of military career, Gold Air Force Medal for long navigation, Cross for length of service, NATO Medal relating to operations in the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo, ’Legion of Merit‘ Medal conferred by the President of the United States of America, and the Gold Eagle Medal conferred by the Republic of Albania. General Preziosa is married and has two daughters.
Multimedia Contributions Video of the AM Schools Command / 3rd Air Region Articles: Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno of 21 April Quotidiano di Puglia of 21 April
