Friday 14 March, at the students' room of the Air Force Academy in Pozzuoli, the individual swearing-in ceremony of 76 second lieutenants of the course took place Centaur VI and a second lieutenant of the Borea VI course. The young officers – 36 pilots, 11 from the military, 15 from the aeronautical engineering corps, 7 from the aeronautical commissioner corps and 8 from the aeronautical medical corps – swore allegiance to the Italian Republic individually, before the Institute's flag, in the presence of the commander of the Air Force Academy, air division general Luigi Casali and the commander of the courses, colonel Simone Agostino Rocca.
To give even more lustre to the solemn ceremony, the presence of the national president of theAeronautical Weapon Association, Air Force General Giulio Mainini, as well as the godfather of the course Centaur III and Lieutenant Colonel Giangabriele Lo Pilato, godfather of the course Centaur V, as evidence of the strong bond that unites the different generations of the courses Centaur.
The event, which is one of the solemn moments of the academic training path, was also attended by a representation of the permanent cadre, as well as the families of the future commanders of the Armed Forces, who came from all over Italy to share a significant stage of their lives.
In his speech, Air Division General Luigi Casali, commander of the Air Force Academy, after having brought greetings from the commander of the Schools of the AM/3rd Air Region, Gen. sa Silvano Frigerio and the commander of the air team, Gen. sa Alberto Biavati, as well as the godfather of the course Centaur IV, highlighted the meaning of the individual oath: “…Dear young lieutenants, today in front of the Institute Flag, you renew the commitment you made during the collective oath, following the transition of status to young officers of the Armed Forces. You have matured from both a professional and human point of view and this will allow you to manage the responsibilities that come with the transition of status”. At the end of his speech, addressing the parents “… Be aware of the abilities and potential of these guys, be proud of what they have done in these three years at the Academy, be proud of their choice, of having put themselves on the line, of having decided to serve the country by doing the most beautiful job in the world!”
Before the end of the ceremony, General Mainini greeted the young “Centaurs”, recalling with emotion his oath: “…You have a wonderful path ahead of you, but in moments of discouragement I urge you to think about the formula you have just pronounced and you will surely overcome any difficulty. I take this opportunity to invite the entire Centauro VI course to participate in the centenary of the Centauro courses that will take place in October 2025, an important event to remember the birth of one of the three founding courses of the Air Force Academy!”.
The individual oath represents one of the key steps in an officer's career, a key ceremony within the Academy that seals the bond with the Armed Forces. A moment of great importance, which symbolizes the assumption of responsibility and the commitment to serve the country with honor and loyalty.
The Air Force Academy depends on the command of the Air Force Schools/3rd Air Region. It is a military institute of higher education of a university nature, which has the task of providing for the recruitment and training of young people who aspire to become officers of the Air Force. By attending the regular courses of the Academy one can become a second lieutenant in effective permanent service of the Air Force, in the normal navigator role (pilots) and in the normal role of the weapons, of the aeronautical engineers, of the aeronautical commissariat corps and of the aeronautical medical corps. The Institute also holds courses for the reserve and fixed-term pilot and navigator officer students and for the directly appointed second lieutenants (both of the normal role and of the special role); finally, in the Study Plan The Academy plans to offer courses with a specialized aeronautical focus, for foreign personnel and other Armed Forces.
