Wednesday 2nd December saw the return to the homeland upon the conclusion of the mandate of the “Devil” Task Group in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. On Wednesday 2nd December, the War Flag of the 6th Wing returned to the homeland. Having departed on 28th September for Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan, home of the “Devil” Task Group, it returned aboard a C-130J transport aircraft of the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa, landing at the military airport of Ghedi, symbolically escorted by a formation of two Tornado fighter-bombers, also returning from the operational theatre, led by Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Mignogna, Commander of the 156th Flight Group.
Welcoming the banner was the Wing Commander, Colonel Francesco Vestito, a large contingent of Wing personnel and several religious and civil authorities, such as the Episcopal Vicar, Monsignor Mencini, the Mayor of Ghedi, Lorenzo Borzi, and the President of the Town Council of Castenedolo, Dr Franca Foretti.
Following the rendering of honours to the War Flag and its placement in the formation, the Wing Commander, in his speech, highlighted the great commitment shown by the Wing and its Flight Groups in achieving the set objectives. Approximately 1,100 flight hours, an efficiency rating of 99%, the rotation of 25 crews and around 200 personnel supporting the operations; “these are the figures and the impact of Task Group Devil, a successfully completed mission that is a source of pride for the Wing, the Armed Forces and Italy”, commented Colonel Vestito.
Following the blessing of the War Flag and the personnel of the Wing by Monsignor Mencini, the standard returned to the display case kept in the office of the Wing Commander, marking the handover in the operational theatre to the AM-X fighter-bombers.
