Air force command handed over

The chief of the SA air force Lieutenant General Roelf Beukes handed over command of the force to Major General Carlo Gagiano at a parade in Pretoria on Friday.

"When I became chief of the air force, I told the air force board - using the example of Martin Luther King - that I had a dream," Beukes said during his address at the base in Swartkops.

"I had a dream for a well-disciplined, well-trained and combat-ready air force. An air force free of racism and discrimination, an air force in which every member would be recognised for their qualities and contributions and above all, a happy and smiling air force."

Although not perfect yet, Beukes said the air force had become a transformed organisation which had made considerable progress towards that dream.

Gagiano, who would officially take over on March 1, joined the air force in 1968.

He was promoted to Major General in 2000 and appointed as chief director of operation development at the joint operations division. In that position he was responsible for defence capabilities, joint force employment strategy, joint command and control, and joint doctrine.

After a three-year tour at the joint operations division, Gagiano was transferred back to the air force as chief director of air policy and plans.

Dignitaries at the ceremony included Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and SA National Defence Force chief General Siphiwe Nyanda.

An air display and fly-over by the air force's Silver Falcons and Flying Cheetahs showcased some of the aircraft Beukes and Gagiano had flown in their careers.

News24