At the Paratrooper Training Center (CAPAR) in Pisa, the ceremony for the 83rd anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein, one of the most legendary pages in Italian military history, took place today.
The commemoration was attended by the Undersecretary of State for Defense, Senator Isabella Rauti, the Chief of Staff of the Army, General of the Army Corps Carmine Masiello, and numerous civil and military authorities.

The Heroism of the Folgore at El Alamein

In October 1942, the Italian paratroopers of the “Folgore” Division, alongside the Divisions “Ariete”, “Littorio”, “Pavia”, “Brescia”, “Bologna”, “Trento” and “Trieste”, resisted for days against the assaults of the British forces along a 15-kilometer front. Vastly outnumbered and with limited resources, the Italian soldiers inflicted severe losses on the enemy, so much so that, upon surrender, they were granted the honor of arms.
The battle cost the Folgore over 1,100 among fallen, wounded, and missing, but consecrated the Division to myth, a symbol of courage and duty.
The words of Lieutenant Colonel Alberto Bechi Luserna, Gold Medal for Military Valor, remain etched in collective memory:

“Among sands no longer deserted, the boys of the Folgore stand guard here for eternity, the flower of a people and an army in arms. Fallen for an idea, without regrets, honored by the memory of the same enemy.”

The Ceremony at CAPAR

On the parade ground of the Paratrooper Training Center, the units of the “Folgore” Brigade were lined up, along with representations of the “Ariete” Brigade — the only Great Unit still alive among those that fought alongside the Folgore —, the 1st Carabinieri Paratrooper Regiment “Tuscania”, the Army Special Forces Command (COMFOSE), and the 46th Air Brigade of Pisa, present with its War Flag.

During the ceremony, Senator Rauti was named honorary paratrooper. Addressing the lined-up soldiers, she stated with emotion:

“In all the Paratroopers I meet, I always see the same look: proud eyes, of soldiers proud of their work and aware of their role. Italy needs your readiness, your professionalism, your steel hearts on alert, your swift and precise action even in the most extreme situations.”

The Message of General Masiello

In his speech, General Masiello, dean of the paratrooper specialty, recalled the profound meaning of this anniversary:

“El Alamein is not just an anniversary, but a living legacy that guides our choices and actions. It is the thread that unites the generations of Italian paratroopers, the seal of Us on the I. Change is not an option, it is a moral and operational duty: we must prepare for the worst of eventualities, hoping it never comes. The future belongs to those who turn memory into strength and honor into action.”

With these words, the Chief of SME emphasized how the tradition of the Folgore is not mere historical memory, but a source of inspiration and cohesion for today's soldiers, called to be ready to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

Tradition, Memory, and Service

In the days leading up to the ceremony, at the Altopascio drop zone, the traditional airdrop of the War Flags of all the Folgore Units, COMFOSE, and “Tuscania” took place, along with the medal collection of the National Association of Italian Paratroopers (AnPdI) — a symbolic gesture of continuity between past and present.

Moreover, in the month of October, all the Folgore Units in Tuscany, Lazio, and Veneto participated in blood donations organized in memory of the fallen of El Alamein, a testament to the spirit of solidarity that has always characterized the great family of paratroopers.

The “Folgore” Paratrooper Brigade, today as then, represents one of the most flexible and readily deployable tools of the Italian Army, capable of intervening swiftly in any operational scenario, at home and abroad.

The cry “Folgore!” continues to resonate as a promise of courage, dedication, and love for the Homeland — the same that inspired the heroes among the sands of El Alamein.