4th Alpine Parachute Regiment

The 4th Alpine Parachute Regiment is a special forces unit of the Italian Army based in Montorio near Verona.

The 4th Alpini Parachute Regiment, although a unit with Alpine connotations, since 1 July 2014 no longer depends on the Alpine Troops Command but on the Army Special Forces Command (COMFOSe)together with the 185th Reconnaissance Objective Acquisition Regiment Folgore, at 9th Parachute Assault Regiment 'Col Moschin'. The Regiment, composed exclusively of highly trained and equipped volunteer personnel, is delegated to military tasks of sensitive strategic/tactical value, special operations, high-risk light infantry tasks and direct actions.

In 2018 has been elevated to the rank of a first-level special force (tier 1).

Its members are all qualified as Rangers, after a long and intensive training course, their prerogative is above all to be mountain parachutists, combining the best of the operational skills of the two specialities Alpine and paratroopers.

This results in strong long-range reconnaissance capabilities, high mobility in Arctic/mountainous contexts, excellent scouting capabilities (by stealth), as well as for direct actions in depth (the latter being the unit's priority task, along with general light infantry and use for sudden tasks): they are therefore frequently deployed in crisis areas (especially - but not only - in mountainous territories).

Located until December 2010 in Bolzano, since January 2011 it was decided to move to its current location in Montorio, near Verona.

History

The current 4th alpini Parachute Regiment has a relatively recent history that is mainly based on that infantry speciality, the alpini Parachutists, of which it is the only representative in the Italian Army. The unit also inherited the traditions of units that, despite having a glorious past, had been disbanded during or at the end of World War II: the Alpini Ski Battalion 'Monte Cervino' and the 4th Alpini Regiment.

Already in the early days of Italian military parachuting, we find the Alpinis: during the First World War, the 'I' (Intelligence) Service used to drop informers behind enemy lines; among them, those who distinguished themselves most were Lieutenants Alessandro Tandura of the Arditi Corps and Pier Arrigo Barnaba of the 8th Alpini Regiment.

During the autumn of 1917In different places and at different times, the two officers went into mountain areas behind enemy lines, with the task of gathering information on Austrian troops: both were decorated with the gold medal for military valour.

The concept of 'Mountain Parachutists' was forgotten until the end of the Second World War. The Royal Army, fighting with the Allies, had already, in late 1943, hypothesised the formation of a 'Mountain Regiment', with a 'Alpini Parachute Complement Company' within it: however, this never went beyond the project stage.

Other Italian paratroopers (albeit under a different flag) were trained and equipped for mountain warfare: in January 1945 Units of the RSI Regiment 'Folgore' were assigned to the Western Alpine front, in the Piedmont valleys of Susa, Lanzo and Orco. Enormous difficulties ensued, given the lack of preparation to operate in the particular terrain. From the 1st Battalion, mountaineers and mountaineers, mostly from the Veneto and Lombardy regions, were taken, and with them the '1st Alpine Parachute Company' was formed: training was conducted to habituate them to high altitudes, mountain equipment was ordered from private industry, and the unit was equipped with mules to enable the transport of supplies. As time went by, the other units assigned to the sector were also 'alpiniised'.

4th Alpine Regiment

The 1 November 1882 under the command of Colonel Giuseppe Ottolenghi: initially made up of the "Val Pellice", "Val Chisone" and "Val Brenta" battalions, like the other alpini regiments, the 4th would also see a continuous reorganisation based on "exchanges" of battalions with other regiments, especially the 3rd and 6th Alpini. 526 alpini from the 4th regiment participated in the Eritrean Campaign, which took place between 1885 and the 1896 during the Crispi government, and framed in a alpini Regiment created ad hoc for the colonial enterprise, which also fought in the Battle of Adua of 1 April 1896.

In 1899 the units of the 'Susa' Battalion (at that time in force of the 4th alpini) carry the statue of the Madonna, which still dominates the Susa Valley today, to the summit of Rocciamelone (3535 m above sea level).

The 4th alpini Regiment faced the First World War, at least initially, with its 'Aosta', 'Ivrea' and 'Intra' battalions, but was soon forced to create no less than seven new battalions ('Monte Cervino', 'Monte Rosa', "Monte Levanna", "Val d'Orco", "Val Toce", "Val Baltea" and "Pallanza"), both to increase his own strength and to replace battalions that had been wiped out during the battles he had fought and were worn out by trench warfare. It was employed on the Croda Rossa, the Isonzo and Mount Mrzli. In 1916 on the Adamello, at Monte Cima, Monte Zugna, Monte Cauriol, Monte Cardianal, Alpe di Cosmagnon, Dente del Pasubio; in the 1917 on Monte Vodice, Vette di Gallio, Monte Fior, Massiccio del Grappa. In 1918 on Monte Solarolo.

Out of a total of 31,000 mobilised men, at the end of the conflict there were 240 fallen officers and 4500 alpini, as well as 20,000 wounded and 1492 decorated for military valour (silver and bronze). With the end of the First World War, the various additional battalions created during its course were disbanded, and the three original battalions (Aosta, Ivrea and Intra) remained in force. The regiment followed the vicissitudes of the various rearrangements that took place in the Regio Esercito between the 1920s and 1930s.

The Second World War saw him enlisted in the 'Taurinense' Alpine Division and, as such, he was employed first on the Western Front against France at the start of Italy's entry into the war, then in Albania, Greece and Yugoslavia.

It was definitively disbanded in October 1943 in Montenegro after the Cassibile Armistice (in September): the 'Intra' Battalion under the command of Captain Piero Zavattaro Ardizzi took part in the resistance in Serbia-Montenegro, and the survivors became part of the Italian Garibaldi Partisan Division (Montenegro).

The 4th Regiment alpini is reconstituted by the Italian Army on 15 April 1946 with the 'Aosta', 'Susa' and 'Saluzzo' battalions under its command: several reorganisations followed until 1975, year when the regimental level was abolished, and with it the 4th Alpine Regiment.

The Alpine Parachute Company

The Alpine parachutists were born from a study carried out in the 1951 by the then head of the Alpine troops office: the study recommended the formation of a small unit (preferably with personnel qualified in military parachuting) suitable for deep reconnaissance and the execution of direct actions. This unit would be under the direct command of the Alpine brigade to meet its needs, with similar aspects and aims to those of the alpini battalions in which the Alpine platoons were embedded.

For the scouting and targeted combat functions intended to meet the needs of higher alpini commands, a small ad hoc unit was needed, made up of personnel with the same qualifications as the airmen, with the ability to also perform airdrops to infiltrate or act beyond the adversary's lines: hence the requirement for the unit to be 'also' parachutist.

The idea was approved in 1952 and the end of that same year saw the birth of the first alpini parachute platoon within the 'Tridentine' Brigade. The following year, the first drop was made on the slopes of Mount Grand Assaly just above La Thuile (on the Ruitor glacier) and platoons were formed under the 'Julia' and 'Taurinense' brigades, while in 1956, platoons of the 'Orobica' and 'Cadore' were also formed. The personnel consisted of alpinis who were additionally required to pass the parachuting course (bound jumps) in Viterbo (in Pisa from 1957).

In 1964all five autonomous platoons, reporting to the individual Alpine brigades, are united to form the 'Alpini Parachute Company' (consisting of a command platoon, three rifle platoons, a medium mortar platoon and a counterarmour platoon), which is deployed in Bolzano and placed under the direct command of the IV Alpine Army Corps.

The merging of the five platoons into a single unit allowed more homogenous training, a rationalisation of airdrop activities and the availability for more important, albeit 'targeted' 'direct actions', as well as enabling the corps command to have a unit to be used as a sort of 'reserve' for rapid deployment, endowed with high reactivity and capable of intervening over the entire Alpine arc in a short time. In addition, the need to also have the specialisation of 'paratrooper', acting on behalf of an even higher command, was more justified. From then on, training jumps were mainly carried out in the Alpe di Siusi area.

As in all Italian Army units of the time, also in the alpini Parachute Company served conscripts. Despite this, the unit soon built up a solid reputation and was therefore attached to the Italian contingent participating in AMF(L) during the latter's two annual foreign redeployments. AMF(L), or ACE Mobile Force - Land (where ACE stood for Allied Command of Europe), but in jargon known simply as Allied Mobile Force, was a brigade-level NATO command that had existed since 1960 to 2002, leading a force consisting (by mobilisation 'on call') of light infantry units at battalion level, supplied and designated by the various member countries.

Italy had allocated a tactical group to the AMF (which since 1986 will be called 'Cuneense') initially made up of the Alpini 'Susa' Battalion from Pinerolo, the 40th Battery of the 'Pinerolo' Mountain Artillery Group from Susa, and the 101st Field Hospital (airborne) from Turin, all units of the 'Taurinense' Alpine Brigade, to which was initially added the alpini Parachute Company and finally, in 1986, with the establishment of the 'Cuneense' contingent, also the Abbadia Alpina Engineer Guastatori Company and the Turin Counter-Tanker Company, also from the same brigade, albeit only until 1992, the year in which the brigade counter-tank company was abolished as a result of the reform transforming the Alpine battalions into regiments.

In the mid-1980s, training began for cadres (officers and non-commissioned officers) in the field of free-fall launches, both HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) and HAHO (High Altitude High Opening).

In 1990, the company received the name 'alpini parachutists' company 'Monte Cervino': the addition of 'Monte Cervino' earned the unit the traditions inherited from the battalion of the same name, which fought during the Second World War as a special unit (at that time, it consisted of 'alpini skiers'). In 1993, the company was deployed in Mozambique together with the units provided by the 'Taurinense' Brigade (later replaced by those of the 'Julia', which ended the mission in 1994).

The Monte Cervino A.P. Battalion

In 1996 the company is transformed: after restructuring and an increase in personnel, it becomes Battalion alpini 'Monte Cervino' paratroopers, initially with only two companies, later increased to three. At the end of the same year, the war flag was also granted (materially delivered during a ceremony that took place only the following year, on 10 April), which definitively sanctioned the "descent" from the aforementioned alpini skydiving battalion.

In those years, the intake of volunteer personnel began in view of the professionalisation of the entire Italian Army and the approaching abandonment of the compulsory conscription system. Initially, the personnel consisted of VFA (one-year short-stay volunteers) and VFB (three-year short-stay volunteers) who, with professionalisation at full speed, would be replaced by VFP1 (one-year short-stay volunteers) and VFP4 (four-year short-stay volunteers).

With the inclusion of these personnel, the EMS (Army General Staff) considered the possibility of further raising the quality level of the department to further improve its direct action and long-range reconnaissance capabilities and to make it capable of also supporting special forces actions or carrying out certain types of them.

By taking advantage of the increased length of service also of the troop personnel, it became possible to increase the already substantial training background of the members by making them go through a process that also included further courses, normally only attended by Special Forces members: thus began the transformation of the unit, with the assumption of new capabilities and thus of the 'Ranger' qualification.

In 1999In fact, the acquisition of the additional qualification by the unit, which from that moment on will be called Battalion alpini paratroopers 'Monte Cervino' (Ranger), was made official: an important and demanding result, given that it was achieved despite its deployment in Bosnia in 1997 and in the 'Forza Paris' operation in Sardinia in 1997. 1997 and in the 1998.

Further commitments are faced by the department: in 2002 is among the first Italian units to be deployed in Afghanistan in the operations initiated by the US in that country, aimed at the search for Osama bin Laden and the suppression of the Taliban following the attacks of 11 September 2001. In addition, some personnel are also employed in Iraq in the 2004.

The Alpine Parachute Regiment

The 4th Alpini Parachute Regiment is established on 25 September 2004transforming the alpini Parachute Battalion into a regiment, as part of the reorganisation of the combat units of the Italian Army.

This process, which took place during those years, involved the creation of single-battalion regiments from existing battalions or groups.

Therefore, based on its only battalion, the 4th Alpini Parachute Regiment was created, keeping the alpini Parachute Battalion 'Monte Cervino' as its only operational entity, including its rangers.

The handing over of the war flag to the 4th Alpine Regiment inherits its traditions. The regiment is initially included in the Special Operations Forces (FOS).

Its current physiognomy sees it composed of Headquarters, Command and Support Company, Battalion alpini 'Monte Cervino' paratroopers (with three companies, two of which are operational and one a school) and a reconnaissance platoon. From January 2011 the regiment moved to the 'Duca' barracks in Montorio. From 1 July 2014 the regiment leaves the Alpine Troops Command for the Army Special Forces Command.

In January 2018 it is decided to change the 4th alpini Parachute Regiment 'Monte Cervino' from 'Special Operations Force' to 'Special Force' (FS).

Induction into the Italian special forces is validated in October 2018 with the 'Dark Night' exercise 2018". In 2021 the Alpine Parachute Operational Support Battalion 'Intra' is reconstituted.

Organisation

Since January 2021 the regimental commander is Colonel Fulvio Menegazzo (2021-2023).

• Regimental Command
• Command and Logistics Support Company
• alpini Parachute Battalion 'Monte Cervino'
  • Three companies
• Intra' Training and Operations Support Battalion

Training

The candidates for the unit are chosen through a two-week selection process and trained through a long training cycle lasting approximately two years. The selection and initial training are carried out together with the Italian Army candidates for the 9th Parachute Assault Regiment 'Col Moschin' and the 185th Parachute Reconnaissance Target Acquisition Regiment 'Folgore'. If found suitable, all these candidates undertake the basic OBOS (basic operator for special operations) course at the RAFOS (special forces training unit) of the "Col Moschin", and then continue their specific training at their destination units and/or at specialised national and non-national training organisations.

This new training process, formalised in the 2008 (but gradually introduced on an experimental basis as early as 2006 for permanent and non-permanent service personnel), replaces the previous one, which provided for the following modules:

• the four-week course to obtain the military parachutist licence (tethered jumps) at CAPAR in Pisa,
• 17-week first period training at the 3rd Company of the 4th Alpini Par.
• the 'Ranger' course (initially of 6 weeks, later increased to 9 and finally to 12) carried out at RAFOS (specially developed collaboratively by the 9th 'Col Moschin' for the 4th Alpipar)
• the 16-week ski and mountaineering course, initially at the CEALP in Aosta and then directly at the 4th Alpipar
• a two-week basic amphibious course at RAFOS in Livorno (from 2003/2004).

Basic operator course special operations

Those who pass both selection phases (physical pre-selection and training) are admitted to one of the four or five (again, depending on the availability of personnel and funding) OBOS (Special Operations Basic Operator) courses organised annually by the RAFOS (Special Operations Forces Training Unit) of the 9th E.I. Col Moschin Regiment, completing the block of about 25 trainees, including aspiring E.I. raiders, rangers, recruiters, and flight units of the 26th REOS. The course has recently been restructured, and now lasts 24 weeks compared to the previous 31, but the contents, rationalised on the basis of experience gained over time and lessons learnt in operational theatres, have remained substantially unchanged, and include

• 4 weeks dedicated to obtaining a licence to skydive with a bungee cord, for those who do not hold one, at CAPAR in Pisa.
• 5 weeks dedicated to theoretical and practical training on topography, topographical marches, learning orientation and land navigation techniques.
• 12 weeks on FOS Technical Tactical Procedures (PTT). The PTT phase for FOS forms the core of OBOS training and is intended for individual and core combat training and learning the tactics and standard operating procedures of the smaller FOS units.
• 3 weeks of specific technical training: on transmissions, first aid procedures and tactical medicine with attendance of a course based on BLS (Basic Life Support), on how to intervene promptly in the event of gunshot wounds, on life-saving manoeuvres and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation procedures, in-depth training on weapons and shooting (day and night) and planning military operations.

The course ends with a two-week continuous exercise and final examinations. Those trainees deemed suitable (less than 50% of the initial aspirants) begin the specialisation phase, which is different for each final destination department.

Ranger specialisation phase (41 weeks from 2011)

Unlike the OBOS course held at RAFOS, which is geared towards giving common foundations at individual and small unit level to all aspiring FS/FOS operators of the army and air force, regardless of the units to which they will be assigned, the Ranger specialisation phase is specific to operators of the 4th Alpipar, it is carried out for the most part at the 3rd company of the regiment (which essentially acts as a school) and is geared towards preparing for the specific uses of rangers at squad and platoon level, as well as representing an initial amalgamation phase for the operators assigned to this unit.

The attainment of the specialisation includes from 2011 the following preparation process:

• 15 weeks: Ranger course, held twice a year at the end of the OBOS courses.
• 20 weeks: Ski course and alpinistics to obtain the necessary mobility and combat skills in the mountains, in both summer and winter environments.
• 2 weeks: Amphibious course on techniques for overcoming water obstacles, use of outboard motor boats, elements of operational surface swimming and practice of amphibious operations. Whenever possible, the module is followed by 2 further weeks of the 6C licence course, which qualifies for the conduct and operation of outboard-powered boats in inland or coastal waters.
• 2 weeks: NBC course on operations in contaminated environments.

Operation Unified Venture and back

The regiment took part in a particularly important operation on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Task Force Nibbio took part in an operation alongside US troops with the aim of surrounding the area of operation of the assault troops in order to prevent 'enemy element spillage', assist villages in the aftermath of the central operation and promote a positive image and confidence in the Afghan army among the population.

The attack carried out at the time was successful and aimed at hitting logistical and recruitment bases of terrorist centres on the border with Pakistan. The planning phase of this mission was long and delicate in order to carefully choose the elements that were to take part in it. The rangers of the 4th rgt Alpini paratroopers stood out among others in the mission. The helicopter assault is carried out with 2 AH 64 Apache helicopters and 8 transport helicopters (4 UH 60 Black Hawk and 4 CH 47 Chinook).

The rangers of this regiment have since then carried out patrols and checkpoints; all objectives were achieved and the Italian Task Force managed to integrate seamlessly with the American troops. The most recent return of the regiment's teams from the areas of operation took place in April 2008.

Dual Use

Following the natural disasters and bad weather that hit central Italy in January 2017, the 4th Regiment deployed a rapid reaction component to support the population in coordination with the civil protection, within the framework of the TF Sisma. Taking advantage of their extensive training in special operations in mountainous environments, the units infiltrated the areas of Valle Castellana (TE) to help the population stranded by heavy snowfall and the earthquake swarm. Within the framework of dual use, their special operations training enabled them to reach impervious or inaccessible areas by land, adopting special techniques.

Flag Honours

• 2 Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Italy
• 2 Gold Medals for Military Valour
• 9 Silver medals for military valour
• 1 Bronze Medal
• 1 Silver medal for civil valour
• 1 Silver Medal of Merit

Gold Medal for Military Valour

• Aldo Beltricco, captain.
• Giuseppe Failla, second lieutenant.
• Angelo Gabrieli, corporal.
• Carlo Giordana, colonel.
• Ferdinando Urli, lieutenant.
• Vincenzo Zerboglio, second lieutenant.
• Andrea Adorno, staff sergeant.
• Mario Bonini, Alpine.