Director of the Italian Air Force Personnel Department, Air Force

Lt General Francesco VESTITO attended the Air Force Academy with the “EOLO IV” Course and, after obtaining his Military Pilot wings at the European NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) Flight School at Sheppard Air Force Base (Texas, USA), he was assigned, in March 1991, to the 36th Air Wing in Gioia del Colle AFB (IT), at the 156th Fighter-Bomber Group.

Transferred to RAMI, He was posted in UK at the TTTE – Tornado Trinational Tornado Estabishment as Pilot Instructor of the ALPHA SQUADRON from 1996 to 1999. From 2001 to 2004 he was Commander of the 156th Group of the 36th Wing.

From 2004 to 2008 he was assigned to the Air Force Staff – 3rd Department as Chief of the Transformation and Planning Office, and later Chief of the C4ISTAR Office.

After serving a duty cycle as Commander of the Joint Air Task Force for Operation ISAF in Herat, he became Commander of the 6th Air Wing in Ghedi AFB (IT). From 2011 to 2017 he was Chief of the Experimentation Office within the Defense Innovation Center and, later on, Director of the aforementioned Center (from 2014 to 2017).

From June 2016 to September 2017, he also directed the activities of the Initial Training Core of the Joint Cybernetic Operations Command (CIOC), which led to the establishment of the Command, which he led October 2019, becoming the Combat Forces Commander for the Air Force, becoming also the 1st Air Region Commander in Milan.

Since May 2024 LG VESTITO has been appointed as the Director of the Italian Air Force Personnel Department, in direct line with the Air Chief of Staff, being in charge for the employment of the active-duty personnel serving in Italy and overseas.

Education, training, courses:

LG VESTITO is a pilot with approximately 4000 flight hours on SIAI 260, T37, T38, G91T, MB339A/CD and F2000 aircrafts – of which 3,000 on the Tornado IDS (Interdiction Defence Strike) aircraft – and has attended numerous professional courses, including:

• “Crew Resource Management Facilitator For Fighter” course within the Crew Training International in Memphis (Tennessee, USA);
• Joint Transition and Combined Warfighting Course within the National Defence University in Norfolk, (USA);
• Air War College Course at the International Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama (USA);
• Safety Management System Training Course at the Joint Aviation Authorities (NDL);
• NATO/PFP Staff Officer Orientation Course at the NATO School in Oberammergau (GER);
• NATO Nuclear Operations Course at the NATO School in Oberammergau (GER);
• defence Resources Management Course at the Undergraduate Naval School in Monterey (California, USA);
• Strategic Decision Making Course & Exercise on Cyber Crisis Management at Comando Militar Conjunto – Lisbon (POR);
• Generals, Flag Officers and Ambassadors Course at NATO Defence College – Rome;
• Course on Cybersecurity – Rome.

LG VESTITO holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Science (Defense and Security Sciences) at the Universityì of Naples Federico II and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from Maxwell Air University (Alabama, USA).

Decorations, medals, awards:

• Knight Order of Merit of the Italian Republic;
• Air Force Gold Military Medal for Long Air Navigation;
• Gold Cross for 25 Years of Service;
• Commemorative Cross for the military peacekeeping mission in Bosnia;
• NATO “NON ARTICLE 5” Medal for services in NATO operations in Afghanistan;
• NATO Medal for services in Kosovo-related operations;
• NATO Medal for services related to the Former Yugoslavia;
• Commemorative Cross for International Security in Afghanistan;
• Meritorious Service Medal of United States of America;
• NATO “NON ARTICLE 5” Medal for UNIFIED PROTECTOR Operation in Libya;