In the presence of the Army Chief of Staff, Armed Forces General Danilo Errico and the Commander of the Army Earth operational forces and army operating command, armed forces general Riccardo Marchiò, was held today at the Tommaso Fabbri Military Airport in Viterbo, within the hangar of the 28 ° squad group AVES "Tucano", the 66 anniversary ceremony from the foundation of AVES.
Brigadier General Paolo Riccò, commander of the Army Aviation, opened the ceremony, remarking how much pride this date is, which he brings with him: "Values and sense of self-denial that have never changed over time". Riccò himself pointed out that: "We (understood as AVES ndr) we are always there. In Italy to rescue, to extinguish fires and to help people affected by natural disasters and, abroad, to support and to be able to transport troops in military operations".
A daily commitment that goes on every hour, allowing the pilots and the means to be always ready to use; what turns out to be the hardest sacrifice for soldiers of every rank and role and for their families.
"The AVES - recalled the commander - is always evolving, thanks to the awareness of the importance faced in the context of the largest armed force", An importance that has its roots also in its, albeit brief, history. Because it was only the 1951 when, at the "Oscar Savini" Military Airport in Bracciano, the first nucleus of light aviation for the Army was created with reconnaissance and observation tasks for the artillery.
Over time, the changes to the AVES were many, beginning with the introduction of the first helicopters, 50 G47 at the end of the 2 years, at the Casarsa experimental department. The beginning of a journey that saw AVES engaged in almost all of the international missions of the Army, beginning 38 years ago with the ITALAIR mission in Lebanon. Precisely the story was central in the speech of the army chief of staff, who wanted to recall a part of history in some respects, namely the first Italian woman pilot Maria Concetta Micheli (photo), also present at the ceremony, and the Italian primate of the first trip to Tripoli during the Italian-Turkish War.
"An important source - to say it with Errico's words - But at the same time - and on this the CSME also agrees with the commander of the AVES - we must not forget the commitment of AVES in Italy and abroad", A very important commitment and which is giving the Army's Air Force wide spaces of autonomy, which, with the inclusion of "thinking heads" of the AVES within the Army general staff, it would allow to further develop the youngest of the Army's specialties. Development is at the heart of the White Paper of the Ministry of Defense, which will lead to the introduction, together with the Military Air Force, of a new helicopter utility, which will replace all the old lines left in service. A very important step towards streamline flight lines and that follows the increasingly intertwined spirit of our armed forces.
(photo: Public Information and Communication Office SME)
