The Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force met the personnel of the Air Force on a mission in Afghanistan
Greeting him upon arrival at the military airport in Shindand, in the central part of the region, was Colonel Luca Vitali, Commander of the Operations Support Advisor/Mission Support Advisor/Mi-17 (OS/MS/Mi-17) Italian Air Advisory Team, accompanied by US Colonel David Gossett, Commander of the 838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, within which the Italian team operates as part of the NATO Air Training Command.
The OS/MS/Mi-17 team represents the Italian Air Force unit which, working in synergy with American and Hungarian advisors, collaborates with their Afghan colleagues in Shindand to strengthen the leadership and capabilities of the premier Afghan aviation training hub across all typical Wing functions, such as personnel management, intelligence, infrastructure, financial management, telecommunications, transport, supply, firefighting, healthcare, flight operations, civil engineering, security forces and logistics.
During the visit, General Preziosa went to the Mi-17 helicopter flight simulator, used by Air Force instructors to train young Afghan student pilots. Here, the Chief of Staff met Afghan Colonel Quadratullah, the first instructor pilot fully trained by the Mi-17 team, and two female Afghan student pilots, as testament to the many successes of the training activities carried out by the personnel of the Italian Air Force.
After greeting Colonel Stefano Mega, Commander of the Transition Support Unit – Center, the RC-W unit stationed in Shindand, General Preziosa moved to the “Camp Arena” Base in Herat, where he was welcomed by Brigadier General Ignazio Gamba, Commander of RC-W, accompanied by Colonel Luca Maineri, Commander of the Joint Air Task Force (JATF), the unit that manages the flight assets of the Italian Air Force assigned to the NATO Operational Command for Afghanistan. At Camp Arena, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force was able to appreciate the various operational and logistic professional skills that the Italian Air Force is able to demonstrate across different sectors, with the over 400 personnel present, the majority of whom are employed in the JATF, the Interforce Administrative Intendancy Centre (CAI-I), the Forward Support Base (FSB) and the Stability Division.
Addressing the Italian Air Force personnel of the JAFT directly, General Preziosa stated: “
General Gamba told me about your professionalism in all areas [...]. This is the Italian Air Force, made up of people who have the mission in their hearts, highly competent men and women. I see that you pass on your ability to operate to those around you: I come from Shindand and the best message I was given today is that the work of your colleagues is highly appreciated in the field of flight training, and the Afghan personnel being instructed have established very intense relationships with our men and women working there. This is the finest way to be airmen and women and to pass on what we know how to do”.
The Joint Air Task Force (JATF), with around 200 personnel, provides multiple capabilities in both operational and support areas. The C-130 aircraft of the ‘Albatros’ Task Group represent an effective and reliable means of reaching the many areas of the country that are otherwise inaccessible, whilst the YEC27-J JEDI aircraft, capable of neutralising adversary communications and countering the threat posed by improvised explosive devices, together with the AMX fighter jets of the ‘Black Cats’ Task Group and the ‘Predator’ remotely piloted aircraft of the ‘Astore’ Task Group, constitute an indispensable support for the protection of national and allied troops, as well as the civilian population.
The CAI-I, made up two-thirds of Italian Air Force personnel and headed by Colonel Maurizio Di Sabato, guarantees administrative support activities for the national contingent, while the FSB, in which Air Force personnel hold about a third of the positions, with Lieutenant Colonel Alberto Surace as Deputy Commander, is the international unit that manages the operation of the entire Base and guarantees the necessary operational support for the air operations of the ISAF component in the west of the country.
The Stability Division, directed by Colonel Dimitri Pasqualetti, is responsible for monitoring the progress of the delicate transition process underway in Afghanistan, the developments achieved by the region under Italian responsibility in the economic, political and social fields, as well as promoting activities and events that foster this process. Tg2 Dossier Storie of 02/06/2013 at 00.16
Tg2 of 23/05/2013 at 18:15 Canale Italia News 23/05/2013 20:30
