On September 22, 2025, in the Aula Magna of the “Arpaia” Barracks at Cecchignola, the handover ceremony at the top of the Terrestrial Support Operational Forces (COMFOTER SPT) took place. General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala, a paratrooper officer, handed over command to his peer General of the Army Corps Giovanni Gagliano, marking not only a change in leadership but also the beginning of a new phase for the Army's terrestrial instrument.
The event was enriched by the official transfer of the Command headquarters from Verona to Rome, a choice aimed at strengthening proximity to central institutions and consolidating integration with other operational and support components.
General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala bid farewell to the Army Flag with deep emotion, recalling the 44 years spent in the service of the Armed Forces. “Today I will salute the Army Flag, a symbolic element that has been a point of reference for 44 years,” he declared, recalling the stages of a career that began among the paratrooper specialty units, which instilled in him the values of boldness, esprit de corps, and operational readiness. That very identity, formed in the elite units of the Folgore, accompanied General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala in every assignment, up to the top of COMFOTER SPT.
The legacy of a paratrooper general
The command of General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala represented the perfect synthesis between paratrooper tradition and strategic vision capability. During his tenure, General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala led a complex organization that brings together fundamental specialties such as communications, engineering, logistics, NBC defense, and maneuver support in multinational contexts.
His paratrooper training led him to prioritize the human dimension: trust in the units, operational autonomy, rapid decision-making. Typical elements of the specialty that, when transposed to the leadership of COMFOTER SPT, made it possible to effectively tackle organizational changes and challenges posed by new security scenarios.
During his farewell visits, General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala reiterated his message: “You have in your DNA all the technical, professional, and personal capabilities to meet these commitments.” Words that recall the paratrooper tradition, made of resilience and adaptability, but which today apply to all components of terrestrial support.
His command tenure left a clear imprint: the idea that military value is not just technology or organization, but also and above all spirit, cohesion, and shared values. In this sense, General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala embodied the figure of the paratrooper commander who, even having reached the highest ranks, continues to convey the energy and drive typical of the specialty.
The future challenges of General of the Army Corps Giovanni Gagliano
With the handover, the baton passed to General of the Army Corps Giovanni Gagliano, called to lead COMFOTER SPT in a period of profound renewal. In his inaugural speech, he placed the human component at the center, defining it as the decisive element for achieving the assigned missions. “We need creative and motivated soldiers who make competence their center of gravity,” he emphasized.
Alongside the enhancement of personnel, General of the Army Corps Giovanni Gagliano outlined the programmatic lines of his command: technological development and innovation in emerging sectors. Among the priorities are drones and anti-drone systems, cyber defense, intelligence, targeting, satellite capabilities, and the clearance of explosive devices. A vision that looks at multidimensional warfare and hybrid threats of the 21st century.
The task of General of the Army Corps Giovanni Gagliano will therefore be twofold: to consolidate the inherited values, strengthened by the experience and leadership style of General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala, and at the same time to project COMFOTER SPT towards a technological and integrated future.
The Cecchignola ceremony made it clear that the common thread remains unchanged: the Army transforms, but carries with it the memory and spirit of its commanders. In this transition, the paratrooper identity of General of the Army Corps Massimo Scala becomes part of the moral legacy that will continue to inspire COMFOTER SPT on its path towards the challenges of tomorrow.
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