Air Vice-Marshal Roberto Comelli is succeeded by Air Vice-Marshal Gianpaolo Miniscalco. General Comelli's official farewell took place on Friday 22 February in the Chief of Staff's Office, on which occasion Air Chief Marshal Giuseppe Bernardis wished to express words of appreciation towards General Comelli and the staff of the General Office for the work carried out and the results achieved. General Comelli will shortly take up the post of Deputy Director of the Directorate for the Employment of Air Force Military Personnel (DIPMA). AIR VICE-MARSHAL GIANPAOLO MINISCALCO Air Vice-Marshal Gianpaolo Miniscalco was born in Rome on 18 July 1959.
He attended the Air Force Academy with the Uranus III course, was sent to Canada for jet pilot training, and subsequently assigned to the Istrana (TV) base as an interceptor fighter pilot on an F 104 aircraft.
In 1986, he joined the National Aerobatic Patrol (Frecce Tricolori), where he successively held the positions of right-hand man, leader, and commander.
During his career as a pilot, which saw him commanding the 9th Fighter Wing “Francesco Baracca” from 2002 to 2004, General Miniscalco flew various types of jets, accumulating over 4,000 flight hours.
Gen. Miniscalco also held various staff positions at the Air Force Staff and from 1999 to 2002 served as Deputy Military Advisor at the Permanent Representation of Italy to the UN in New York.
More recently, he attended the National Defence University in Washington, and since the summer of 2007, he has held the position of Deputy Head of the III Department of the General Directorate of Defence.
From 01 June 2011, he assumed the position of Head of the IV Department of the General Secretariat of Defence/National Armaments Directorate.
General Miniscalco is married to Mrs Marina and has two teenage sons.
