Young aspiring musicians and singers from the “Rodolfo Celletti” Bel Canto Academy, hailing from all over the world, performed at the 16th “Force Protection” Wing, in a concert organised with the Paolo Grassi Foundation. On Friday 15 June 2018, the “Notes from the World” concert took place at the 16th “Force Protection” Wing in Martina Franca (Taranto). The initiative was promoted by the 16th “Force Protection” Wing, in collaboration with the Paolo Grassi Foundation and the “Rodolfo Celletti” Bel Canto Academy, under the patronage of the City of Martina Franca.
During the evening, numerous young students from the Academy, hailing from all over the world, performed celebrated operatic arias, drawn from the international music scene.
The event, presented by the director of the newspaper Extra Magazine, Dr Rosa Colucci, was attended by a large audience, including the highest religious, civil, and military authorities of the city and many family members of the personnel serving in the Wing. The Mayor of the City of Martina Franca, Dr Franco Ancona, and the President of the Paolo Grassi Foundation, Dr Franco Punzi, gave speeches.
Colonel Giampaolo Marin, Commander of the 16th Wing, greeted the authorities and the assembled public, recalling the already established union between the Air Force Unit and the Paolo Grassi Foundation. These institutions share the vocation to project the name of the City of Martina Franca internationally, as well as the values of peace which respectively underlie the mission of the Air Force Riflemen and the ideals of communion inherent in music. The 16th Wing is the unit of the Air Force Riflemen. Since 2004, it has been based in Martina Franca. The 16th Wing is descended from the 6th Aeroplane Group, which distinguished itself in the Battle of Istrana in 1917. Today, it is a combat unit of the Air Squad Command, under the Support and Special Forces Command, with Force Protection duties. Since 2004, it has operated in 36 different international missions, in 16 operational theatres worldwide, accumulating over 33,000 flight hours, of which 21,000 were for the security of Air Force aircraft and those on board. From August 2005 to December 2014, the Air Force Riflemen were present in Afghanistan to ensure the protection of Herat Base. On 5th April 2015, the War Flag of the 16th Wing “Force Protection” was awarded the Silver Medal of Aeronautic Valour by the President of the Republic.
