Aviano

Aviano Air Base is a vital link in the NATO defense chain and the premier air base south of the Alps. The base population has increased substantially in recent years and it is presently experiencing a period of massive reconstruction.

It is divided into nine areas stretched between the towns of Aviano and Pordenone, nine miles south of the base. There has been an American presence in Aviano since the end of World War II. In 1954 the Italian and American governments signed a joint use agreement and by 1955, HQ United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) had moved its Italian operations from Udine to Aviano. Aviano became a war reserve material storage base and has been playing an important role in the recent deployments. Its mission today is "to support the United States interests by conducting air combat and combat support in the Southern Region".

The village of Aviano is nine miles north of Pordenone (population 50,000), provincial capital of Pordenone province. Temperatures range from the low 20s during the winters to the upper 90s in the summers.

There has been an airport facility in Aviano since 1911. The first airfields were used as training bases for Italian pilots and construction facilities for aircraft parts. The German military took over the airfield in 1943 and held it until it fell to the British and Americans in 1945. The Aviano airfields and one located just outside Pordenone were overrun by the Austro-German army during the First World War. The Pordenone airfield was completely destroyed and never reused. Aviano was less damaged and reopened after the war. Between the two wars the airfields were again used as a training base. The Germans took over the airfield in 1943 and held it until it fell to the British and Americans in 1945.

The province of Pordenone offers the quiet appeal of its people-scale cities, towns and villages, where the quality of life is soundly supported by a thriving economy. There is an enormous range of delightful country fairs, festivals, exhibitions and markets which are organized throughout the year by town and village councils all over the province.

Other points of interest in northeastern Italy include the cities of Gorizia and Trieste (castles) on the border with Slovenia; Aquileia, Grado (Roman ruins) and Lignano (beach) on the Adriatic coast; and Spilimbergo (mosaics), San Daniele Del Friuli (ham production) and Udine (Friulian artistic and historic center) in the inland hills. Venice is 53 miles away; Florence 210, Milan 215, Rome 381 miles away.

Exploring Italy will be the highlight of your tour at Aviano. Few countries can match Italy for its sheer wealth of art and architecture, not to mention music, literature, the culinary arts, fashion and modern design. Italy's identity is reflected in its regional diversity, with a wide range of dialects, cuisines and architectural styles. Even within regions, you'll experience marked contrasts as the Gothic palaces of Venice give way to the timber houses of the nearby Italian Alps, or the Renaissance splendors of Florence are left behind for Tuscany's medieval towns.

And when you tire of exploring the country itself, there's always the dining, one of the glories of everyday Italian life and one that the Italians take in leisurely fashion. Dining out in Italy usually takes longer than in the States. The typical day's dining in Italy is kick-started with milky coffee (caffee latte) and maybe a cornetto, a croissant with a jam or custard filling. Lunch and dinner typically start with appetizers (antipasto), and proceed to soup or pasta, followed by a main course of meat or fish and vegetables, and winding up with fruit and cheese and/or dessert.

Visit the Aviano Air Base website at: www.aviano.af.mil.

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

Sports

On base there is a fitness center, a small outdoor swimming pool and facilities for bowling and golf. There is a heated indoor pool in Aviano, and a number of beautiful beaches within driving distance. Horseback riding is offered through stables in the local area. Downhill and cross-country skiing is available at Pian Cavallo a resort area located on the mountain above Aviano. You can camp in the mountains or on the beaches, and mountain climbing, trekking, parasailing and hang gliding are also available in the local community.

Schools

All command sponsored family members under the age of 21 who have not graduated from high school or completed a GED must be either enrolled in and regularly attending the local DoDDS school, enrolled in an Italian private or public school or enrolled in a recognized home study program. The DoDDS system has over 1,500 students currently enrolled in its three schools and high school.

Aviano DoDDS Schools currently have the resources to educate handicapped children in the learning impaired and communication impaired (speech therapy) programs. At the Elementary level, English-as-a-Second-Language is provided for students who speak little or no English or whose limited knowledge of the language may slow their progress in other subject areas.

Colleges and Universities

Degree programs are offered by the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Central Texas College, University of Maryland and University of Phoenix.

Medical and Dental

Aviano's 31st Medical Group is located on base and has Flight Medicine, Acute Care, Family Practice, Pediatrics, Immunization, OB/GYN, Orthopedics, Internal Medicine, Optometry, Laboratory and Pharmacy. The Pordenone hospital in the nearby town of Pordenone is the primary Emergency Room and offers a variety of medical services that may be used by Aviano AB members. The base Dental Clinic offers general dentistry to active duty personnel and their family members.

Red Cross

Services on base include verification of death or sudden illness, birth announcements and health and welfare reports.

American Youth Program (AYP)

Includes includes social activities, songs, group participation activities, reading time, physical activities and leisure arts and crafts. Summer Camps are offered for the ten weeks in the summer when school is not in session.

Chapel

The chapel offers Catholic and Protestant worship services and sacraments. Activities include fellowship evenings and post-service fellowship; religious education for children, youth and adults, and men's and women's study and service groups. There is also confidential professional counseling for singles, couples, families, parents and children as well as advocacy in religious and in other areas. Please call the chapel for points of contact for the following groups: Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox, Lutheran, Episcopal, Seventh-Day Adventists and Mormon.

Commissary and Exchange

Aviano's gleaming joint commissary and exchange mall, open seven days a week, sports Italian marble columns and the traditional clock tower found in Italian villages. It sprawls 193 yards long behind a massive parking lot, offering a dry cleaner, shoppette, toyland, furniture store, auto parts store, beauty shop, barber shop, military clothing sales store and newsstand, plus a Food Mall, with Taco Bell, Popeye's Fried Chicken and Robin Hood Sandwiches. The commissary has in-store specialty departments such as a bakery, a butcher shop, a bistro, an Italian coffee bar and a fresh salad bar.

The Library

Has more than 23,000 printed video, audio and computer resources.

A Community Center

Offers a game room, cyber cafe, ballroom and coffee shop. There are officer and enlisted lounges and a woodcrafts hobby shop on base.

Information Tours and Travel (ITT)

Offers offers full commercial travel services to include airfares, overseas travel, package tours and theater tickets.

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TIME/MILEAGE CHART

The chart below shows trip lengths in miles/time (hours:minutes) between major bases and nearby cities in Italy. Distances and times are for travel from city center to city center.Distances/times reflect the shortest/quickest route from one place to another assuming the following average speeds:

Miles/Kilometers Conversion Chart

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