Parachuting Training Center

Commonly known as the CAPAR, it is located in the Gamerra barracks in Pisa, and has been and continues to be the home of all Military Paratroopers, everyone, without exception, from the post-war period to today.

Anyone who has jumped from an aircraft in flight wearing a uniform has set foot inside.

Paratroopers of the Folgore, Alpini Paratroopers, operators of special forces from every armed force, cadets from military academies, etc.

History

It was established in January 1947 by the will of some veterans of the Folgore and Nembo Divisions and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Giuseppe Izzo, coming from the experience of '46 in the Military Parachuting Experience Center, formed in Rome thanks to Captain Leonida Turrini.

In 1950 it was transferred to Viterbo, while on June 9, 1957, under the command of Colonel Carlo Mautino, with a historic march on foot from the railway station to the barracks, the Center was definitively transferred to Pisa, as the city was also the seat at the time of the 46th Air Brigade, the only Air Force brigade equipped with transport and launch aircraft.

Since that date, the CAPAR has been based at the “Gamerra” barracks in Pisa. In December 1963 it became the Paratrooper Training Center under the brigade's command, but on April 1, 1964 it was named Military Parachuting School (Smipar) under the Infantry Inspectorate. From January 1, 1983 the School returned under the command of the Paratroopers Brigade "Folgore", and since 1999 it has resumed its current name.

Structure

It is a complex and articulated regimental-level structure that grants military parachutist qualifications to all personnel serving in the airborne troops of the Italian armed forces.

The War Flag of the Capar is decorated with the Bronze Medal for Army Valor.

This center plays a crucial role in the training of paratrooper troops, ensuring that personnel assigned to paratrooper units are adequately trained to face the challenges of airborne operations.

The CAPAR offers a comprehensive and specialized training program, which includes learning parachute jump techniques, proper parachute management during descent and landing, emergency procedures, and other skills necessary to operate effectively in parachute operations.

It is also home to the Airborne Troops Health Center and includes the Parachuting Section of the Army Sports Center, which participates with great success in major national and international competitions.

Usually, in the last week of October each year, commemorating the battle of El Alamein, it is the place where the Folgore Paratroopers Brigade festival is celebrated.

The organization of the CAPAR includes:

• Command
  • Personnel and Welfare Secretariat
  • Training and Launch Office
  • Logistics Office
  • Administration Office
• Headquarters Unit
• Command and Services Company
• Training Battalion “Poggio Rusco”
• Air Battalion

It is also home to:

• Airborne Troops Health Center
• Historical Museum of Airborne Troops
• Brigade Band
• Parachuting Section of the Army Sports Center.

Sport Parachuting Section

The Parachuting Training Center hosts the Parachuting Section of the Sports Activities Unit (RAS) of the Army Sports Center, where military athletes of the Army train for sports parachuting activities. The disciplines practiced are "Precision Landing", "Style" in free fall, "Freefall Formations", "Paraski", "Vertical Formation Skydiving", and "Speed".

This competitive section, founded in the sixties, has participated in the most important sporting parachuting events and competitions in both military and civilian contexts.

Its history begins in 1962 when two officers from the then Military Parachuting School, Ottavio Guidolin and Carlo Negretti, returned from France after attending a parachuting course with the "free fall" technique. One of the advantages of this parachuting evolution was the transition to steerable canopies.

Under the impetus of an officer with a strong personality, Major Gaetano Argento, a large group of enthusiasts was formed. Thus, these paratroopers, among whom was Major Piero Goffis, began to perform in numerous demonstration jumps throughout the national territory.

During the period when sport parachuting was gaining popularity in the civilian sector, with an increasing frequency of national and international competitions, the Aero Club of Italy began to identify potential athletes among the military to participate in such events.

Until then, the Italian Army had not yet formed an "official" team dedicated to this sport. Around 1970, Lieutenant Colonel Piero Goffis, an officer of great determination and enthusiasm, learned that new sections were being developed at the Army Sports Center in Rome to represent the Army in various sports.

After meeting with his superiors, Goffis proudly announced the founding of the Army's Sport Parachuting Section, becoming its first commander.

Today our athletes, thanks to the intuition and passion of those daring paratroopers, can fully dedicate themselves to an activity that brings prestige to the Armed Forces and raises our Tricolor high by winning numerous Italian, European, and world titles.