The 1 in August, at the airport of Erbil (Iraq), was held the ceremony of rotation to the command of the Task Group "Griffon", among the staff of the 7 ° aviation regiment of the army (AVES) "Vega" of Rimini (ceding) and the colleagues of the 5 regiment AVES "Rigel" of Casarsa della Delizia (incoming), present numerous representatives of the components and coalitions operating in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Il Griffon Task Group is a highly specialized aircraft unit, product of an experienced procedural and training synergy developed by the Italian Army, between rotary wing components (NH90 multirole helicopters and A129 exploration and escort helicopters) and aircraft infantry of the 66th "Trieste" aircraft infantry regiment .
With this operating capacity the TG Griffon it is the only coalition structure, in the north quadrant of the Iraqi theater, called to ensure, in support of the "Inherent Resolve" operation, the Personal Recovery (PR) or the recovery of personnel left isolated on the ground.
The unit leaves the operating theater after six months of intense and demanding activity, during which it has guaranteed, with around 600 hours of flight, support for coalition forces engaged in the liberation of the city of Mosul, the ISIS stronghold from the 2014.
In addition to the ability to Personal Recovery, Italy, participates in the "Inherent Resolve" operation - second contributor after the USA - with the national mission "Prima Parthica": about 1400 soldiers belonging to all the armed forces, employed in the Baghdad and Erbil offices in the training of Kurdish (Peshmerga) and Iraqi security forces, and in Mosul guarding the dam.
