Direct Line - Farewell, NASSIG

Cmdr. Patrick Moran, NAS Sigonella Executive Officer

Buongiorno Sigonella,

Yesterday afternoon I passed the duties of Executive Officer to my relief, Cmdr. Ron Cappellini. I can honestly say that it was done with more than a measure of sadness. I say this because I absolutely love this job. What made this job great is that I was able to work with every organization on the installation and was able to be, in some small capacity, at the center of most every major operation that took place here. I was able to work with the most talented, dedicated, and professional people I have ever come across, and I have been able to see our efforts produce results not only here onboard Naval Air Station Sigonella, but around the world. It has truly been an honor serving onboard the Hub of the Med.

The past three years have been some of the most rewarding and fulfilling years in my career. The past eight months have been, without doubt, some of the most uncertain and challenging, but that time also validates my love for the job. The COVID crisis, which is still affecting the entire world, has brought immeasurable loss, hardship, and change across the globe, and we are no exception to its effects here in Sigonella, Sicily, or Italy as a whole. However, we have proven with no doubt left that we can persevere when we work together.

The entirety of the Sigonella community has pulled together in the last eight months to work towards meeting our mission through what seems to be a “new normal” in which the only defining characteristic seems to be constant change. In the last eight months I have had the privilege of seeing firsthand the entirety of the community here collaborate in mutual interest to meet the new challenges and press forward. Our dedicated Italian work force, facing hardship and uncertainty locally and with their loved ones across Italy, remained steadfast to ensure our critical functions across the installation remained open in order to meet our mission and provide essential services to the community. Our Italian Air Force hosts worked closely and consistently with our teams to ensure that each response to the COVID environment had as minimal an impact as possible on our operations and our people while still maintaining safety for all. Each command, organization, department, and unit had numerous members affected by the pandemic, with challenges and uncertainty facing loved ones back in the United States and around the world. No organization was left unaffected, but as a whole, our entire Sigonella community pulled together to support each other and keep on with the mission. It is amazing to continually see this happen, and it is an honor to have been a small part of it.

Cmdr. Cappellini has boundless capability, energy, and enthusiasm, and he has completed a seamless transition. We welcome him and his family as integrates into the fantastic work being done by the NASSIG team and the Sigonella community. Grazie mille Sigonella! Sono stati tre anni meravigliosi e a me e alla mia famiglia ci mancherete tutti. Speriamo di ritornare e goderci questa bellissima isola un’altra volta!! Thank you Sigonella, for a wonderful tour!