While most Italians spend Ferragosto on vacation or with their families, thousands of military personnel continue to ensure security on the national territory. In Bari, Undersecretary of State for Defense Isabella Rauti personally met with the men and women engaged in the operations “Strade Sicure” and “Stazioni Sicure”, bringing them the Defense's gratitude.

«On a festive day when most of the Country stops to rest, be with family, and have fun, there are those who are on duty to ensure everyone's safety, with dedication, passion, and professionalism».

With these words, Rauti addressed the military of the Raggruppamento Puglia e Basilicata, currently led by the 21st Terrestrial Artillery Regiment “Trieste”, employed in cooperation with the Police Forces.

The station in Bari

The first stop of the visit was the Bari Railway Station, one of the main nodes involved in the “Stazioni Sicure” device.

The military personnel, through shifts organized over 24 hours, ensures a continuous presence in the station area, contributing to surveillance, territory monitoring, and deterrence.

Since June 23, 2026, when the Raggruppamento Puglia e Basilicata came under the leadership of the 21st Terrestrial Artillery Regiment “Trieste”, significant numbers have already been recorded:

• over 23,600 people identified;

• about 4,000 vehicles checked;

• 140 patrol activities carried out.

Results achieved in cooperation with the Law Enforcement Agencies within the territorial security device.

On Italian roads since 2008

The operation “Strade Sicure” was launched in 2008 and has become the longest-running operation of the Armed Forces on national territory.

Over the years, the device has been repeatedly confirmed and strengthened. Since 2023, it has been joined by “Stazioni Sicure”, which provides for a static and dynamic presence, with patrols in the main railway stations and the cooperation of the Armed Forces and Guardia di Finanza in support of the Railway Police.

The device currently involves, among others, the railway hubs of Rome, Bari, Turin, Milan, Verona, Venice, Genoa, Florence, Bologna, Reggio Emilia, Naples, and Palermo.

The visit to the CPR in Bari

From the railway station, the Undersecretary subsequently went to the Centro di Permanenza per il Rimpatrio di Bari San Paolo.

Among the tasks assigned to the military of “Strade Sicure” in the Apulian capital is also the surveillance of the CARA di Bari Palese and the CPR.

In this latter structure, the military personnel cooperates with State Police and Guardia di Finanza in controlling the external perimeter and the complementary security activities provided within the framework of public order services.

Undersecretary Rauti: «A stronghold of legality on the territory»

A particular element concerns the personnel employed in the “Stazioni Sicure” operation.

During 2026, the military present in the main railway stations were also provided with velcro restraint straps (“strap handcuff”), usable to temporarily restrain offensive subjects awaiting the intervention of the Railway Police.

A measure that fits into the progressive adaptation of the tools available to personnel called to operate daily in particularly crowded and potentially complex environments.

For the Undersecretary, the results achieved in these years demonstrate the now structural role assumed by the operation in the national security system.

After 18 years of activity, “Strade Sicure” indeed represents a structured device employed in the surveillance of sensitive sites and objectives, in territory control, and in deterring threats in the main metropolitan areas.

Rauti defined the operation as a «stronghold of legality on the territory», also highlighting the value of collaboration with the Police Forces.

However, the message of the Ferragosto in Bari goes beyond operational numbers. On the day symbolically dedicated to vacations and rest, the visit aimed to especially remember the thousands of men and women of the Armed Forces who continue to serve.

An effort that concerns not only the national territory. Rauti also extended a thought to the Italian military engaged abroad, recalling the presence of the Armed Forces in 37 international peace and stability missions.

Photo copyright Ministry of Defense