The 187th Paratroopers Regiment "Folgore" is one of the historic paratrooper regiments of the Italian Army, always part of the Folgore Paratroopers Brigade.
Origins
The I Paratroopers Battalion was formed on July 1, 1940 from a group entirely made up of Italian volunteer soldiers from various specialties. Fifteen days later, following the establishment of the I Carabinieri Paratroopers Battalion, it was renamed "II Battalion", due to the seniority of the Arm.
On April 30, 1941, it carried out the first war parachute drop of the Italian Paratroopers on the island of Cephalonia.
Upon returning from the Ionian Islands, the Battalion, part of the "1st Paratroopers Regiment", began training for the invasion of the island of Malta with the paratroopers of the Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke, veterans of the airborne assault on Crete.
The German paratroopers imparted to their Italian comrades not only the highly effective tactical procedures of the German airborne infantry, deep defense, and counter-assault first and foremost, but also and above all that spirit of community, sharing, and brotherhood among officers, non-commissioned officers, and troops that made their units extraordinarily cohesive.
Regiment
In the summer of 1942, having abandoned any ambition to attack the British stronghold, the 1st Regiment was renamed 187th (Battalions II, IV, and IX), part of the 185th Folgore Paratroopers Division, and sent to North Africa. In the sands of the Egyptian Sahara, the 187th took part in the battles that led to the consolidation of the front on the El Alamein line. It finally occupied the northern portion of the sector assigned to the Folgore Division, which was entrusted with the task of defending the southernmost part of the Italo-German Army's deployment, in the full desert, in contact with the lunar landscape of the El Qattara depression.
On October 23, the second battle of El Alamein began. The Regiment, deployed in the first echelon to the left of the Folgore Division's device, resisted with indomitable tenacity and success against repeated penetration attempts by the XIII British Corps, and began to retreat, undefeated, only on November 4, following the order given by Rommel to the entire Army, due to the collapse of the northern sector of the front. Without water, ammunition, or vehicles, the Regiment began, with the remnants of the Division, a heroic, last stand in the desert, ending in a dramatic defeat. With a tribute to valor from the adversary, the British granted the honor of arms. Colonel Camosso then reviewed the survivors of the 187th for the last time.
For the feats of arms at El Alamein, the Gold Medal for Military Valor was awarded to the Flag of the 187th Par. Folgore.
Post-war
The II Battalion was reconstituted in 1963, acquiring the name Tarquinia, in honor of the city where the first parachuting school on Italian territory was established in 1940, and was part of the 1st Paratroopers Regiment. The II Tarquinia Battalion became autonomous starting in 1976, guarding the Flag of the 187th Rgt.
In the 1980s, it took part in the mission in Lebanon with Italfor.
The Reconstitution
In 1992, the 187th Paratroopers Regiment Folgore was reconstituted. The Regiment, which included the Command Company "Aquile" and the II Battalion "Tarquinia", participated in all out-of-area operations involving the Italian Army from that date.
Since the 2000s, it has consisted of a regimental command, a company for logistical support, and a paratrooper battalion, the operational component of the unit.
Operations
In the operational theater
- Lebanon 1982
- Iraq 1991 (Operation Airone)
- Somalia (Operation Ibis 1)
- Somalia (Operation Ibis 2)
- Bosnia 1996
- Albania 1997 (Operation Alba)
- East Timor 1999 - 2000
- Bosnia 1999 - 2000
- Afghanistan 2003 (Operation Nibbo 2-Enduring Freedom)
- Kosovo 2004
- Iraq 2005 (Operation Ancient Babylon)
- Afghanistan 2009 (ISAF XII)
- Afghanistan 2011 (ISAF XVI)
- Iraqi Kurdistan 2015 - 2019 (First Parthica)
- Mali 2020
- Afghanistan 2021 (Resolute Support)
- Niger 2021 (MISIN)
- Lebanon 2023 (LEONTE XXXIII)
In the national context
- Garrison of the islands of Lampedusa and Pantelleria (1986-1988)
- Operation Sicilian Vespers (1992)
- Operation Safe Streets from 2008 to present
- Expo 2015 (Milan)
Organization
- Regimental Command
- 2nd Paratrooper Infantry Battalion "Tarquinia"
- 4th Paratrooper Rifle Company Falcons
- 5th Paratrooper Rifle Company Bats
- 6th Paratrooper Rifle Company Griffins
- 10th Paratrooper Maneuver Support Company Dragons
- Logistical Support Company Eagles
- Sports Section (combat and martial arts)
Emblem
The emblem of the 187th was designed in 1942 by Lt. Col. Alberto Bechi Luserna, second Regimental Commander, MOVM in memoriam, for the IV Battalion. It depicts the gladius and the stylized wing, emblem of the Paratroopers of Italy.
The motto on the band is Ex Alto Fulgur, Lightning from above.
Honors to the Flag
Gold Medal for Military Valor
Paratrooper regiment of the glorious Division “Folgore”, together with the divisional quotas assigned to it, for three months, without rest, valiantly engaged in numerous offensive and defensive actions, always thwarting the impetuous advance of the enemy vastly superior in numbers and means. In the epic battle of El Alamein, exhausted by the losses suffered, with all supplies of water, food, and ammunition ceased, with the faith that only the most sublime love of Country can generate, it disdainfully rejected, to the cry of "Folgore", repeated invitations to surrender, thus demonstrating that the superiority of means could overwhelm the paratroopers of Italy, but never bend them. Through countless episodes of collective and individual heroism, it prolonged the resistance until the total exhaustion of all means of combat, imposing itself on the respect and admiration of the enemy itself, thus writing one of the most splendid pages of valor for the Italian Army.
North Africa, July 22 - October 12, 1942; Battle of El Alamein, October 23 - November 6, 1942.
Silver Medal for Army Valor
The 187th Paratroopers Regiment "Folgore", part of the Italian forces in Somalia, participated in relief operations for the Somali population, dedicating itself with total dedication and high professionalism to the dangerous mission and confirming, in numerous arms searches and operations against guerrillas and anti-banditry, the highest level of efficiency, great courage, and generosity of its personnel. Involved in numerous firefights, it always reacted effectively and determinedly, highlighting the military valor, operational capability, and strong motivation of its men. Despite the heavy losses suffered in combat, it continued to fulfill the assigned tasks without faltering, with the pride and determination to restore security and humanitarian aid to the tormented Somali people and to honor the distant Homeland.
Somalia, December 27, 1992 - July 3, 1993.
Silver Medal for Army Valor
Paratrooper regiment part of the multinational north brigade engaged in Bosnia-Herzegovina, carried out the assigned tasks with extraordinary enthusiasm, total dedication, and uncommon spirit of sacrifice. During the multiple activities of territory control, monitoring, route patrolling, escorting humanitarian convoys, and site inspections, in a particularly delicate and complex operational and environmental situation, it operated with constant balance, deep sense of duty, and very high professionalism. The relentless commitment to humanitarian support for the populations, in preventing criminal activities of the underworld often resorting to thorough and risky search actions, and in saving numerous human lives, highlighted the extraordinary capabilities and exceptional qualities of courage, firmness, and solidarity of the men of the 187th regiment who fulfilled, sometimes at the risk of personal safety, a decisive function for the restoration of peaceful coexistence in the area. A clear example of a cohesive and highly motivated unit that demonstrated in its men the highest professionalism, concrete moral solidity, and high military virtues, contributing to significantly enhance the prestige of Italy and the Armed Forces in the international context.
Sarajevo, July 3, 1996 - March 24, 1997.
Knight of the Military Order of Italy
Engaged in a mountainous operational area in Afghanistan, it faced multiple difficulties and dangers caused by environmental degradation, strong social and political tensions, and a difficult and highly risky operational situation. It fulfilled the mission entrusted to it with valiant professionalism and the highest sense of responsibility, providing a constant example of valor, enthusiasm, and spirit of self-sacrifice. The full success achieved testifies to the courage and high efficiency and effectiveness of all the men and women of the Regiment, who thus contributed to enhancing the prestige of the Army and the Nation in the international context.
Khost (Afghanistan), June 15 - September 15, 2003
Bronze Medal for Army Valor
Paratrooper regiment deployed in the Afghan theater, brilliantly fulfilled its tasks with conscious disregard for danger, undisputed valor, and constant spirit of sacrifice. In particular, during violent and repeated attacks on a convoy, it engaged in fierce combat, repelling hostile forces through numerous acts of courage and thus managing to avoid the involvement of the civilian population in the clashes. An extraordinary expression of noble ideals, absolute dedication to service, and noble military virtues, with its actions it renewed the tradition and valor of the paratroopers, contributing to exalt the prestige of the Army.
Afghanistan, April 3 - October 20, 2009.
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