The historic handover between the outgoing commander, Colonel Paolo Tamburro and the incoming commander, Colonel Francesco Russo. Among those present at the event, the prefect of Verona, Dr. Demetrio Martino, and various civil, military and religious authorities of the Scala province.
As per tradition, representatives of the Combatant and Weapons Associations, the Banners of the Veronese Province, the City of Villafranca and the Municipality of Sommacampagna, as well as the Banner of the City of Verona decorated with the Gold Medal for Military Valor, attended.
“Allow me first of all to honor the War Flag of the 3rd wing, guardian of our history and the values it represents” the words of Colonel Tamburro in his farewell speech, in which he thanked the department staff for having faced every challenge with professionalism and pride in these two years of command, with the hope of always continuing to support the community . “To you women and men of the 3rd wing, I say thank you for the trust, loyalty, dedication and unquestionable professionalism that you have constantly shown me. You have confirmed to me that you are a unique reality in Italy, your dedication and your love for the 3rd wing can be felt in every corner of the department".
Then addressing the representatives of the local communities he continued: “My recognition goes to the mayors for the excellent things you do every day, the dedication you put into your office brings us a lot in common; in recent years I have been able to admire your work and the tireless work of your administrations, and your presence today testifies to the team spirit that unites us and which I hope will increase more and more over time".
Colonel Russo, taking the floor in turn, thanked the outgoing commander and said he was honored to take command of a wing that has made the history of the Air Force: “we are absolute protagonists of projection logistics, in Italy and abroad, actively engaged in the countless operational scenarios in which our Armed Force is present, in support of maintaining security at home and internationally. Being at the service of the country is a belief, it is a faith and it is our belief and our faith!”.
General De Simone finally spoke: “If this department enjoys great appreciation from the leadership of the Armed Forces, the credit is, without a doubt, yours; you who are always ready to intervene, even at short notice, bringing your expertise wherever it is required, honoring the capacitive brand that now distinguishes the four cats".
The 3rd wing, an organization dependent on the support service of the logistics command of the Air Force, represents an agile and cohesive team in Italy and abroad, projected towards the logistical support of multi-domain operations of the aerospace component, ready to face and win the challenges of the future. Its activity is crucial in the establishment of the first redeployments with field equipment to support the civilian population in the event of disasters, as well as for use in foreign theaters such as the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Eritrea, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.
