Yesterday, 27 November, the 2nd Anniversary Ceremony of Air Base No. 8 (BA8) was held, which also included the handover of command of that unit. 

In a ceremony presided over by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CEMFA), General João Cartaxo Alves, Colonel Agostinho Rocha, Pilot-Aviator, took office as the new Commander, replacing Colonel Sérgio Estrela, Pilot-Aviator. 

Speaking to the military and civilian workers he will now command, the new Commander said it was with great honour and a sense of responsibility that he assumed command of BA8, emphasising the great challenge of serving and honouring the history of that unit. Before concluding, he addressed everyone serving in that unit directly, emphasising that ‘much of the Air Force's prestige depends on our performance’ and calling on everyone to show professionalism and dedication in fulfilling the mission entrusted to them.

In his speech, General CEMFA emphasised the importance of BA8, stating that ‘air power instruments essential to the affirmation of the State internally are stationed here, with a fundamental component to life in society and a direct impact on the daily lives of our fellow citizens’. He also highlighted the diversity of resources and types of missions that this unit carries out, such as Search and Rescue, Medical Transport, Transport of Organs for Transplantation and, ‘last but not least, ensuring the future mission of fighting rural fires’. The Air Force Commander took the opportunity to thank the outgoing Commander, Colonel Sérgio Estrela, for his exemplary commitment while in office, awarding him the Silver Medal for Distinguished Service.

The ceremony also celebrated the 2nd anniversary of BA8, without forgetting the 58 years of that unit as Aerodrome No. 1. To mark the occasion, the National and Unit Standard Bearers were honoured, as well as those who died in the service of that Unit. The celebration was also an opportunity to recognise the military and civilian workers of the Unit who stood out the most, through an awards ceremony, which also included the presentation of campaign medals to former combatants.

Born in 1975 in Paredes, Porto, Colonel Agostinho Rocha joined the Air Force Academy in 1995, specialising in piloting, and was certified at Air Base No. 11 (BA11), Beja, in January 2001, after completing his training on TB-30 Epsilon and Alpha-Jet. As a pilot, he served in Squadron 103 – “Caracóis” and Squadron 301 – “Jaguares”, where he qualified as an operational pilot on Alpha-Jet. In 2008, he was assigned to NATO's E-3A Component (AWACS) in Geilenkirchen, Germany, where he participated in real operations of this component, such as the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and Operation Unified Protector (OUP) in Libya. After a stint with the C-130H in Squadron 501 – “Bisontes”, he moved to Squadron 601 – “Lobos”, where he was appointed Commander between 2014 and 2019. This was followed by the positions of Commander of Operational Group 111, at BA11, and Head of the Air Operations Centre of the Air Command, a position he has held to date.