Col. Gianluca Spina succeeds his peer Sandro Cascino. The ceremony was presided over by the Commander of the Air Force Schools and the 3rd Air Region of Bari.
Thursday 7 September at the School of the Italian Air Force Marshals / Air Force Command Viterbo, the handover ceremony took place between Colonel Sandro Cascino (outgoing Commander) and Colonel Gianluca Spina (incoming).
The ceremony, held in the presence of the highest authorities of Viterbo and the Province, was presided over by Air Force General Silvano Frigerio, Commander of the Air Force Schools and of the 3rd Air Region of Bari. The 3rd Air Region band provided the rhythm for the solemn phases of the ceremony.
It Colonel Sandro Cascino leaves the Air Force Marshals School after approximately three years of command to be assigned to a new role at the Central Bodies. In his farewell speech, he expressed words of thanks and esteem for everyone, from the superior hierarchical line to his closest colleagues, from local Authorities to the School staff, from his successor Col. Spina to the Marshal Cadets. Addressing the latter, he recalled how “There are four courses that I have seen sworn in since 10th September, three years ago, in order the Chiron, Deimos, Elios and Phobos Courses, and this is perhaps the most beautiful gift that the Italian Air Force can give to a Commander. Yes, because with you, I too have sworn in again, every year, and I have relived the emotions that ignite the heart and are fuel for our motivation. You represent our future, in you live again and will live again our emotions, our traditions, our values, but above all our memories. I like to think that in 40 years, at the end of a career that for you will surely be wonderful and full of satisfaction, you will still remember that dynamic Commander who believed with all his heart in the uniform he wore with love and in the values it represents and defends.”.
It Colonel Gianluca Spina In the last year, he held the position of Commander of Courses and Deputy Commander of the Marescialli School; this allowed him to become familiar with the dynamics of the Organisation. In his speech, after thanking General Frigerio for appointing him to this prestigious role, he addressed words of affection and esteem to his predecessor, thanking him. “especially this past year together you have been an attentive, forthright and determined leader. Today you leave a department in excellent health which you expertly guided through extremely complex times, especially during the most acute phases of the pandemic. I will try to continue in the path you have forged.”. Addressing the personnel of the Course Command “with whom I shared an unforgettable year, full of changes such as those pertaining to the training process which will see the Marshals of the 24th Normal Course say goodbye to the School eight months early” remembered “even more compelling challenges await us, such as the October appointment for the school's certification as a Maintenance Training Organisation”. Finally, addressing the permanent staff, he recalled that “We have the immense responsibility of training personnel for the Marshal role, i.e., the technicians and specialists who will operate in a modern and technologically advanced Armed Force. […] Years of great changes are foreseen at the Viterbo airport area, which will see the realisation of important and challenging projects, such as doubling the number of Marshal students as early as autumn 2024, and the creation of the Rotary Wing Mission Training Centre, a very important advanced mission simulation centre for HH-101 and NH90 helicopter crews. A joint force project, unique in its kind, which will allow realistic training in a federated environment with the rotary-wing components of the Italian Defence Special Forces. We will work in synergy with all the assets of the Armed Force and the Defence for the construction of infrastructure and the launch of a helicopter school led by the Air Force and with a joint force connotation.
The ceremony concluded with an address by Air Force Corps General Silvano Frigerio, who, speaking to the outgoing Commander, expressed his appreciation and commended his service. He then wished the incoming Commander a fruitful period of command, remarking on the challenges that will mark his tenure, characterised by increasingly complex and continuously evolving scenarios that will necessitate constant growth and general optimisation in the field of training.
The Air Force Marshal School/Viterbo Airport Command is under the command of the Air Force Schools Command and the Third Air Region. The department has a dual mission: on the one hand, as a university-level institution, it is responsible for the military and moral training and specific professional instruction of the Marshal-rank Non-Commissioned Officers, as well as for the refinement and updating of this training; on the other hand, as a military airport open to civil traffic, it ensures the provision of Air Navigation Services and guarantees, in accordance with sector operational plans, the efficiency of airport installations for flight activities.
