The handover ceremony was held at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait Administrative Center of Interforces Intendancy (CAI-I) between Colonel Fernando Fuccelli, outgoing director, and Colonel Paolo Milella, incoming director.
The ceremony was presided over by the commander of theItalian National Contingent Command Land stationed in Erbil, Colonel Daniele Pisani, in the presence of the Italian military and religious authorities of the area, as well as a significant representation of the personnel of theItalian National Contingent Command Air - Kuwait.
In this circumstance, the CAI-I pennant also took its place in the line-up, and its change of hand between the outgoing and incoming director effectively ratified the ritual change of baton at the helm of the Centre.
"I had the privilege of working with motivated and competent personnel [...] thanks to the commitment made by each of you and the desire to feel useful you have overcome every difficulty and never, I say never, the activity of the CAI-I has been affected ”, Colonel Fuccelli affirmed in his farewell speech, and continuing he said "the CAI-I has operated to the best of its possibilities for the benefit of all the commands present in the operational theater destined to also follow operations other than Prima Parthica, such as NATO Mission Iraq and Orice".
Colonel Milella, who comes from the VI department of the Air Force General Staff, in his inauguration speech thanked the Higher Authorities for the trust placed in him by placing him at the helm of such a prestigious Center. These are the salient words of his speech: "I am firmly convinced that I am part of a working environment of absolute excellence and of invaluable human depth [...] I am aware of having to operate in a challenging and dynamic context, in which the peculiar prerogatives of the administration must be intimately linked with the vital operational needs of all contingents supported”.
Colonel Pisani, in his speech at the end of the ceremony, wanted to emphasize the distinctive feature of the CAI-I which makes it unique for its contribution to the operational architecture of the Italian Armed Forces employed outside national borders.
In greeting Colonel Fuccelli, he expressed his thanks for the excellent work carried out at the helm of the Center, while he expressed his most sincere wishes to Colonel Milella for the prestigious position he has assumed. Finally, he addressed his most sincere applause to all the CAI-I staff both for the excellent results achieved and for the assiduous commitment always highlighted in the achievement of the assigned objectives.
Il Administrative Center of Interforces Intendancy is made up of personnel from several Armed Forces and guarantees, with its technical work, contractual and administrative support to the Italian national contingent deployed in Kuwait and Iraq as part of the operation First Parthica, to the NATO Mission Iraq stationed in Baghdad, now under Italian leadership, and to the operation Any connected to FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
