Lieutenant General  Gian Piero Ristori

Lt. Gen. Gian Piero RISTORI  was born on May 6th , 1948 in Florence, Italy. He joined the Air Force Academy in 1966 and attended pilot training in Canada and in Italy from 1970 – 1971. He attended Staff Officer School in 1974, the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama in 1979, the Air War College in Florence in 1983 and the Defence and Resource Management Course at Monterey, California, in 1995 and 1997.

Lt. Gen. RISTORI has held a variety of command positions, such as:
Commander, 352nd, 353rd and 354th Flight (Istrana AB ’73 – ’75); Commander, 22nd All-Weather Flight-Interceptor Squadron (Istrana AB ’79 – ’80); Chief Operations Branch 51st Wing (Istrana AB ’81); 51st Wing Commander (Istrana AB ’89 – ’90); Commander, Italian Air Force NCO School (Caserta ’94 – ’98); Chief, Plans and Operations Division, Italian Defence General Staff (’96 – ’99); and Chief, Planning Division of the air Staff (’99). In March 1999 he joined the Italian negotiating team for Kosovo at Rambouillet (France); Chief of Staff, Allied Air Forces Southern Europe (2000 – 2003); Deputy Chief of Cabinet of Minister of Defence (Apr. ‘03 – Jan. ‘06); Deputy Commander of the Schools of the Air Force (feb. ’06 – may ’07); Director of the Air Military Personnel Employing Department (May ’07 – July ‘08). Since 25 July ’08 is the Italian Military Representative to the NATO and EU Military Committees.

Lt. Gen. RISTORI has received several awards and decorations. Among them are the “Grande Ufficiale al Merito della Repubblica Italiana”, the “Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana” ,   the Gold Cross for service seniority, the “Mauriziana” Medal for military career, the Gold Medal for long range air navigation, the Medal of the Brazilian Order of “Santos Dumont” , “Commendatore di Merito con Placca del Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio” and “ Commendatore di Merito dell’Ordine Sovrano della Corona di Ferro”.
On 1 st January 2005 he was promoted to his current rank.
Lt. Gen. RISTORI has 2600 flight hours mainly on fighter aircraft including the F-104 S/TF/G, AMX, MB 326, MB 339, G91T, T-RT 33, TUTOR. Is also qualified on AB 212, P-148, SIAI 204 and NH-500.