On the occasion of the anniversary of National Unity Day e Armed Forces Day, took place in Courtyard of Honor of the Quirinale, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, the ceremony of conferring the decorations of the Military Order of Italy to the War Flags.
The solemn ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defense, the Hon. Lorenzo Guerini, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Enzo Vecciarelli and the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces.
In particular for the Air Force, the head of state has proceeded with the delivery of the "Knight" Crosses of the Military Order of Italy to the War Flag of the 4th Wing of Grosseto and the War Flag of the 6th Wing of Ghedi (BS) with the following reasons:
War flag of the 4th wing of the Italian Air Force - Prestigious Stormo of the Air Force, with glorious traditions, employed without interruption in the various crisis theaters at the service of the international community, has operated in the context of the Unified Protector operation in Libya, Inherent Resolve in Iraq and in various police activities Air in the area bordering the Atlantic Alliance area, ensuring the defense of the Italian airspace and, since 2004, of Slovenia.
Engaged, in collaboration with other Stormi, in the Prima Parthica operation, he operated with day and night aerial reconnaissance missions in direct support of the activity of contrasting Islamic terrorism.
Department designated to carry out Personal Recovery air operations in support of recovery and rescue missions of personnel who have remained isolated in crisis areas, ensures the training and training of Eurofighter Line Pilots.
The value, the strong military virtues, the extraordinary spirit of sacrifice that have always distinguished the staff of the 4th Wing have made it possible to total a very high number of flight hours in real operations and training missions, achieving extraordinary results and receiving unanimous appreciation in the field. international. (Skies of Libya, Iraq and the Atlantic Alliance, 2011 - 2020).
War flag of the 6th wing of the Italian Air Force - Prestigious Flock of the Air Force, with glorious traditions, repeatedly employed in the main crisis theaters at the service of the international community, on several occasions since 2014, it has participated with its personnel and its aircraft in the Prima Parthica operation on the skies of the Iraq, carrying out day and night aerial reconnaissance missions in direct support of the activity of countering Islamic terrorism in Iraq.
The courage, the valor, the strong military virtues, the love of country, the extraordinary spirit of sacrifice and the professionalism of all the staff of the Department have made it possible to collect and analyze data and images on a very high number of targets on the ground, providing a decisive contribution to the security of the Iraqi population and of the Coalition troops with extraordinary results, enjoying unanimous appreciation in the international arena. (Skies of Iraq, 2014 - 2020).
Also on the occasion of the important anniversary, on Wednesday 3 November, the ceremony of delivery by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, assisted by the Minister of Defense, of the decorations of the Military Order of Italy took place in the Corazzieri hall at the Quirinale. (OMI) to the military who have particularly distinguished themselves in the performance of their duties.
The Air Brigade General Luca Maineri and Colonel Sergio Cavuoti were awarded for the Air Force with the following motivations:
Air Brigade General Luca Maineri - "Knight's" Cross of the Military Order of Italy - Commander of the Joint Air Task Force in Afghanistan, General ba Maineri, an officer with valuable professional skills, was employed in the multinational mission International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Herat.
In this context, with high command capacity and undisputed leadership, he ensured the maximum operational expression of the complex and articulated aeronautical device placed under him, managing with decisive impulse operations for the transport of men and materials, surveillance missions, tactical reconnaissance and air support to the ground forces, contributing significantly to the security of the international coalition and to the stabilization of the country.
With his daily and tireless dedication, with the exceptional work put in place, he has achieved first-rate results, conferring undoubted luster and prestige to the Italian Armed Forces and to the country.
Herat (Afghanistan), April 27 - October 28, 2013
Colonel Sergio Cavuoti - "Cavaliere" Cross of the Military Order of Italy - Commander of the Air Task Force and of the Italian Contingent in Kuwait, Colonel Cavuoti, an officer with excellent professional skills, was employed in the Prima Parthica mission in Iraq for the carrying out the continuous and pressing activities in support of the international coalition.
In this context, thanks to its high command capacity in the management of personnel and Flight Departments, which are also located on several air bases, it ensured the maximum operational expression of the complex and articulated aeronautical device placed under it, increasing the information assets of the centers. of command at the national and coalition level, thus contributing to the fight against Islamic terrorism and criminal organization in Iraqi territory.
Thanks to his leadership qualities and his exceptional work, he has achieved first-rate results, conferring undoubted prestige to the Italian Armed Forces and prestige to the country.
Kuwait, 29 October 2019 - 8 December 2020
Representatives of the Senate of the Republic, the Chamber of Deputies, the Defense Chief of Staff, the President of the Council of the Military Order of Italy with the members of the IMO Council and civil and military authorities were present.
Before the ceremony, President Mattarella met the 2020 decorations of the Military Order of Italy and a representation of students from the Military Training Institutes, including those of the "Giulio Douhet" Military Aeronautical School of Florence.
