On Wednesday 15 September, the handover ceremony between Colonel Stefano Marra, outgoing commander, and Colonel Gianmattia Somma, incoming commander, took place at the 31st wing of the Italian Air Force.
The ceremony, which took place in the presence of the Gonfalone of the city of Ciampino and the Labari of the Combat and Weapon Associations as well as the prefectural commissioner of the city of Ciampino, was presided over by the commander of the Mobility and Support Forces, general of the air division Achille Cazzaniga.
In his farewell speech, col. Marra, after having greeted the War Flag of the 31st flock and thanked General Cazzaniga, underlined the commitment made in the last two years in order to "lead the Department on the winding and complex road that it travels every day, trying to never miss the right direction". He thanked the men and women of the flock who managed to demonstrate in the emergency period due to Covid "exceptional strength and unprecedented resilience" and that "they followed me to the end". Finally, in a symbolic way, he "handed over" the flock to the incoming commander, col. Sum, assuring him that this experience "it will give you the joy of being the protagonist and architect of a great project, the joy of returning home tired but happy and the pride of being the leader of a great and successful team".
The incoming commander, col. Sum that, after thanks to the leaders of the Armed Force for the trust given to him, to the authorities present and to the previous commanders, he addressed the staff of the 31st wing praising the work they have always done. He wanted to point out that "In these very few days of coaching, I have seen you work with enthusiasm, passion and professionalism in the important and daily commitment required of the department. The constant work that each of you puts in place, always with value and a spirit of sacrifice, constitutes the foundation that allows the flock to fulfill their mission ". These are the words with which he concluded his speech: "I'll try to be as good as you are every day."
At the conclusion of the ceremony, gen. Cazzaniga, after expressing his heartfelt greeting to the War Flag of the 31st wing and to all those present, expressed gratitude towards the work of the department especially in this period of evident geopolitical criticalities, referring to the evacuation operations of Italian personnel and Afghan from Kabul. The general complimented col. Marra for the activity carried out in the last two years and for the goals achieved, underlining once again the importance of the public utility service put in place by the flock for "many Italian citizens in danger of life in Italy and in the world". He continued his speech by encouraging all staff to achieve ever more ambitious goals "together, enhancing and respecting everyone's professionalism", With the "awareness that personalities can undermine even the largest companies". The general concluded with a sincere wish to col. Sum that will be called a "making important decisions in a moment of strategic importance".
