Eight aviation cadets took the oath of allegiance to their country during a ceremony held in Cadimare. In the presence of the Commander of the 1st Air Region, Air Division General Tommaso Ferro, the President of the National Organisation for Aviators“ Children, Air Division General (ret.) Piergiorgio Crucioli, and the Director of the ”U. Maddalena“ Institute, Colonel Luigi Borfiga, aviation cadets Gaetano Paolella, Cesare Mari, Alessandro Micarelli, Nicola Nicoletti, Luca Mangiacotti, Denise Recalcati, Noemi Vita and Francesca Marchitelli pronounced their ”I swear!" in front of their families, who were moved by the emotional moment.
Air Force General Tommaso Ferro, in his speech, highlighted the solemnity of the event, reminding the students, “The importance and duties that follow from the oath just taken.”and wishing them a fruitful period as members of one of the most significant entities of the Italian Air Force.
Particularly moving was the moment when the Institute's Director handed the course's oriflamme to student Francesca Marchitelli, who, as class leader, will have the moral duty to safeguard it, sharing its noble values with her fellow students.
The reading of the Orphan Aviator's prayer by cadet Nicola Nicoletti was also very significant. Accompanied by a harp accompaniment, it brought back to the minds of those present the difficult premise for their enlistment.
The ceremony continued with the presentation of scholarships to the most deserving students based on the academic results obtained during the 2011-2012 school year.
Engineer Poli, from the company M.B.D.A. in La Spezia, General Crucioli and Adjutant Silanus, representing the Gambolò (Pavia) detachment of the Air Force Association, presented awards to Riccardo Randelli and Francesco Del Giacomo for their excellent performance in passing university exams, to Doriana Scittarelli, Davide Ingrosso and Luca Pastorizia, for achieving their high school diplomas, and to Enrico Valeo and Francesca Palma, for being promoted to the 5th year of secondary school with exceptionally high academic achievement.
The awarding of scholarships concluded with an intervention by General Crucioli, who reaffirmed the organisation's support for the young students.
During the event, there was also the traditional release of tricolour balloons with a parchment signed by all the new aviator trainees as a token of good wishes, and a section of the offices was inaugurated, including a fascinating historical museum of the Institute, and the new conference room, whose renovation works have just been completed. On 15 March 2008, by order of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Cadimare Base was renamed and reorganised.
The “Aeronautical Detachment/O.N.F.A. Institute”, established in 2007, has been abolished and replaced by the Area Support Logistics Centre/“Umberto Maddalena” Institute, maintaining its unchanged dependence on the Commander of the 1st Air Region of Milan.
In 2012, the educational facilities provided for various training and development courses for the Italian Air Force, other Armed Forces and various Public Bodies hosted approximately 300 attendees.
The Organisation also provides direct assistance to ONFA (National Organisation for the Children of Aviators) pupils by hosting the children of deceased or severely ill Air Force personnel in Cadimare. The youngsters, currently 20 in number, six of whom are girls, aged between 16 and 20, have the opportunity to enlist and achieve their high school diploma, as well as attend first-cycle degree courses.
