Giampaolo Di Paola
Giampaolo Di Paola ( born August 15, 1944 in Torre Annunziata near Naples ) is an Italian retired admiral. From November 2011 to April 2013 he was Minister of Defence in the group consisting of professionals Monti government. Previously, Di Paola was from March 2004 to February 2008 Chief of Staff of the Italian Armed Forces and from June 2008 to November 2011 Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
Military Career
Di Paola graduated from high school seniors at the Naval Academy Francesco Morosini in Venice. He was then trained at the Naval Academy of Livorno and then to a submarine school from 1963 to 1967. From 1968 he served on various submarines and frigates, from 1974 each as a commander. In 1981 he attended the NATO Defence College in Rome, after which he served until 1984 as Anti Submarine Warfare and Undersea Warfare Program Officer at the NATO command SACLANT in Norfolk (Virginia) (now the NATO Undersea Research Centre in La Spezia). Upon his return to Italy Di Paola took over for two years in command of the frigate Grecale. From 1986 to 1989 he worked in the Naval Staff in Rome, and then to take over the command of the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi until 1990. Until 1994, he worked again in the naval staff, most recently as Head of Operations (A3). From 1994 to 1998 Di Paola served with the General Staff of the Armed Forces and experienced there whose profound reform under then- Chief of Staff Guido Venturoni.
As Vice Admiral Di Paola was until 2001 Head of Cabinet of the Minister of Defence. He then took over until 2004 the post of Secretary General of the Defense Ministry. As such, he was head of department of the Ministry and thus resulted in its administrative, and a "national armaments director " and its procurement departments.
On 9 March 2004 Di Paola was succeeded General Rolando Mosca Moschini in the post of Chief of Staff of the Italian Armed Forces. Admiral Di Paola developed for this new strategic concept, which focuses on the Network Centric Warfare. At the same time he was compelled by persistent savings in the defense budget, prepare a reduction of the army.
In November 2007, Admiral Di Paola was elected Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. A position he took over on June 27, 2008. His successor in the post of Chief of Staff of the Italian armed forces was the Air Force General Vincenzo Camporini.
Minister
On 16 November 2011, Giampaolo Di Paola was appointed in the transitional cabinet of Prime Minister Mario Monti of Defence. In the history of the Republic of Italy, it was the second time that a former chief of staff, a panel of experts government ( governo tecnico ) Defense Secretary is.
On February 14th and 15th 2012 Di Paola presented in the Cabinet and in Parliament before its austerity and reform plans for the armed forces. Accordingly, the personnel strength of the armed forces is to be reduced by around 180,000 in 2012 to 151,000 in future soldiers ( 90,000 army, navy 27,000, air force 34,000 ). In particular, the number of generals, admirals, staff officers and NCOs to decline. The army loses two of eleven brigades and a number of support organizations, armored vehicles and helicopters, the Navy will initially receive only six instead of the planned ten FREMM frigates, the number of submarines is expected to be limited to four, and even with patrol boats and minesweepers it comes to cuts. Navy and Air Force get together instead of the planned 131 Joint Strike Fighter only 90