Luciano Portolano, a 64-year-old Sicilian general, is the next Chief of Defense Staff and thus the highest-ranking officer in the Italian military. He had been appointed by the government. Portolano succeeds Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone (future chairman of the NATO Military Committee and advisor to the Minister of Defense on relations with the Atlantic Alliance). Throughout his military career, General Portolano has been involved in a variety of operations and missions that have enabled the Armed Forces to contribute to international stability, security, and peace, as well as to defend and safeguard vital and strategic national interests, spanning from Iraq to Kosovo to Afghanistan. In 2021, his final assignment as operations manager was the "Aquila Omnia" operation, which involved evacuating Afghan residents and civilian workers from Kabul International Airport. He was currently the Secretary General of Defense and National Director of Armaments.