The ceremony took place at the AM Troop Volunteers School in Taranto. At the ceremony, which was presided over by Air Squad General Mario Renzo Ottone, Commander of the Air Force Schools/3rd Air Region of Bari, civil, religious, and military authorities, the Banner of the Province of Taranto, and the Standards of the Veterans' and Armed Forces Associations were in attendance. 316 recruits, including 30 women, who were successful in the public competition for the recruitment of 600 VFP-1 recruits for the year 2012 – 1st block, swore an oath of loyalty to the Fatherland.
Colonel Filippo Avola, Commander of SVTAM, in his speech emphasised the solemnity of the oath formula which says that“it binds the dignity of citizens and soldiers in faithful obedience to the laws on professional military service, but it is also a moment of great reflection for its important moral significance”.
The ceremony was then sealed with the traditional “I swear!”, followed by the rendition of the Mameli Hymn by the entire cohort and the reading of the “Aviator's Prayer” by a young female student.
General Ottone, in his speech, first greeted the staff of the School “capable and aware of the importance of their mission, and in particular the instructors, whose professionalism, competence and passion are a guarantee for the human and cultural growth of our young pupils”Addressing the 16th Course directly, he went on to highlight the importance of the military training received, which is of fundamental importance for operating in the various bodies and departments of the Armed Force.“The Italian Air Force needs capable and motivated men and women.; all of us – concluded General Ottone – let's great reliance on your enthusiasm and your precious energy”.
At the end of the ceremony, the cadets, formed up in ranks under the command of the Course Commander and Deputy Commander of the School, Lieutenant Colonel Roberto Tundo, carried out a parade march past which concluded the event to the applause of the assembled public, who were made up of the cadets' families from all over Italy.
The SVTAM is the national centre for basic training of enlisted volunteers in the Italian Air Force. Its duties include managing the selection phase, incorporation, and initial military training of volunteers on fixed-term contracts of one year (V.F.P.1), who join the Armed Force via public competition. The School also conducts training courses for volunteers on fixed-term contracts of 4 years (V.F.P.4) and for enlisted personnel who, at the end of their fixed-term service, transition to permanent service (V.T.S.P.), through which the Armed Force's bodies and departments are staffed. Furthermore, since 2010, the Taranto School has been one of the national training centres for theoretical-practical training courses at Air Force departments, as part of the initiative by the Minister of Defence called “Live the Armed Forces: A Soldier for Three Weeks”. Finally, within the framework of the Euroformation Defence 2011-2013 Training Project in the Puglia Region, the SVTAM in Taranto has been identified as the Euroformation centre for implementing training pathways for young VFP1-VFP4 military personnel, aimed at enhancing their professional profiles through certified English language and IT learning courses.
