This morning, in Rome, in the presence of the army chief of staff, general of the army corps Pietro Serino, the alternation ceremony in the position of logistic commander of the Army took place between the army corps general Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, transferring, and Major General Maurizio Riccò, taking over.
During the ceremony, which took place at the command of logistic supports in the presence of civil, military and religious authorities, the Army Chief of Staff expressed gratitude to General Figliuolo and to all the men and women of the logistic command, underlining the exemplary work carried out and underlining that the commitment of the entire Army in facing this terrible pandemic, which has markedly conditioned our lives, will not change.
General Serino, in his speech, underlined how the years of the pandemic have highlighted the importance of the logistic autonomy of the Army which has allowed it to operate with continuity and efficiency in the uncertainty of the emergency, fielding the peculiarities proper to military teams. Continuing, he retraced the excellent work done by gen. Son as logistic commander and as extraordinary commissioner concluding: "Francesco Paolo, in a certain sense you have been and are the catalyst and the symbol of the collective commitment of the Army in favor of the Nation in the face of this severe test"... “For what you have done and continue to do every day for the Army and for the nation, I am sure that, in your new capacity as COVI commander, you will be able to achieve further brilliant and challenging goals. Good luck!"
The head of SME then wished General Riccò good work.
General Figliuolo, who after three years at the top of the logistic command was designated to hold the position of commander of the operational command of interforce forces, sincerely thanked all the personnel of the Army logistics area, rich in valuable military and civilian professional skills, for having faced with great energy and determination the numerous challenges related to the fight against the pandemic that have seen the Army logistic command, and its joints, to work promptly and effectively on the front line in favor of public health and the community, in very complex and difficult situations.
The role of the logistic command has been central since the beginning of the emergency for all aspects relating to the military organization of public health support: from the supply of personal protective equipment, to the strengthening of the "Celio" military hospital in Rome and the Military Hospital Center of Milan, to the deployment of field hospitals, to the use of military medical personnel in drive through and in the vaccination centers of the Defense, from the extraordinary recruitment of doctors and nurses to support the public health service throughout the national territory, to support for the Commissioner Structure for the Covid-19 emergency.
General Figliuolo concluded his speech with the wish to General Riccò, who has just left the position of head of the IV logistic department of the Army staff, to further increase the action of the logistic command so that it is more and more a solid, cohesive, efficient and effective organization in that indispensable and vital function of supporting the Armed Force.
General Riccò, taking the floor, reiterated that he will work by directing all his energies in perfect continuity with what has been done up to now, so that logistics are given the attention it deserves as the center of gravity of the Armed Force.
The logistical command is one of the top commands of the Italian Army to which the logistical organization of the Armed Force is devolved. It makes use of a staff and four specialists - Transport and Materials, Commissariat, Health and Veterinary, and Technical - who operate in the sectors of interest through specialized bodies. It also makes use of the logistic support command and the “Celio” Military Polyclinic of Rome, a national military multi-purpose hospital of reference for military and civil defense personnel. The logistic command also depends on the central inspection team with the task of carrying out constant and timely monitoring of the level of functionality and efficiency of the Armed Forces logistics.
