Colonel Simone Mettini takes over from Colonel Giuseppe Bellomo as head of the Department.
Tuesday 9 July, at the “E. Comani” Airport in Latina, where the 70th Wing of the Air Force, the handover took place between Colonel Giuseppe Bellomo and Colonel Simone Mettini.
The event was presided over by Commander of the Air Force Schools/3rd Air Region Air Squad General Silvano Frigerio, and was attended by numerous civil, military and religious authorities from the city of Latina, as well as a representation of the Wing and attending students.
The symbolic moment of the ceremony was the passing of the Unit House Flag, decorated with a Gold Medal of Aeronautical Merit, between the two officers. This gesture formalised the change, officially sanctioned by the reading of the Order of the Day which decreed the handover.
It Colonel Bellomo, in his welcoming speech, he first of all expressed words of gratitude to all the personnel of the 70th Wing for the support and dedication shown during his command. Two intense years, marked by continuity on the ambitious projects initiated by his predecessors, which have seen the Wing profoundly renewed in its infrastructure and strengthened in the development of new personnel skills, having achieved objectives set by higher authorities within the given timeframe.
The new commander, the Colonel Mettini, in his inaugural speech, visibly moved by the trust placed in him by the higher Authorities, stressed that the Wing will provide the country with increasingly prepared pilots to operate in international contexts and be strongly integrated among the various defence components, as well as being ready to operate with modern and complex weapon systems with which the Armed Force is equipping itself. He then announced that his period in command will be characterised by a breath of innovation that will aim to change teaching methodologies, incorporating the use of new technologies that have now fully entered daily life, such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence. He then concluded by saying that “To achieve all of this, I need you, the women and men of the 70th Wing, I need you, your renowned dedication and professionalism, in which I place unconditional trust, your attachment to the unit and the territory, and your proud, stubborn ability to overcome even moments of uncertainty and difficulty.
It General Frigerio, concluding his remarks, the Commander of the Air Force Schools highlighted the fundamental role that the 70th Wing plays in the training of future military pilots who undertake their first flight selection here, acquiring their Airplane Pilot's Licence – he then continued – “A school that has nothing to envy from equivalent institutions in other nations and which, indeed, has become a point of reference not only nationally, but also internationally.”.
Colonel Mettini, formerly of the 6th Department of the Air Force Staff, has thus assumed command of the 70th Wing, a flight school that is a benchmark for the entire Italian Air Force and the country's system. It is responsible for the selection and training of future pilots for the Air Force, other Armed Forces and State Armed Corps, as well as cadets from other nations. The 70th Wing is under the command of the Air Force Schools Command and 3a An Air Region based in Bari, it has issued over 15,000 pilot licences to date, accumulating a total of approximately 500,000 flight hours.
