Paratrooper General "Aquila 1" Bruno Viva has passed away. He was Commander of the Folgore from 1994 to 1996.

The Paratrooper Army Corps General Bruno Viva has moved on. A long-serving officer of the Italian Army, he represented for decades a point of reference for the airborne component and the operational structures of the Armed Forces.

Born on June 23, 1942, in Ugento (Lecce), he was trained at the Military Academy of Modena and the main Italian and foreign training schools, also attending the Italian and French War Schools, thus building a solid and markedly international professional profile.

In the 1970s, as a Captain, he commanded the Air Supply Company, a strategic sector for the projection of paratrooper units. Subsequently, his career progressed through various operational and staff assignments.

From 1994 to 1996, Viva took command of the Paratrooper Brigade “Folgore”, succeeding General Bruno Loi. The period was characterized by the transformation of the Italian military instrument with the arrival of the first professionals in the troops and the start of the first major NATO-led multinational missions of the post-Cold War era.

His name is particularly linked to the Balkan theaters: as commander of the Multinational Brigade North within the SFOR “Joint Endeavour” operation in Bosnia, he led a complex device in a highly unstable operational context. For his conduct in that theater, he was awarded the Bronze Medal for Army Valor, in addition to the title of Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic and other recognitions obtained during his career.

Viva assumed further top responsibilities: he was Chief of Staff of the Multinational Command EUROFOR, based in Florence, contributing to the activities of the Mediterranean Eurocorps. Subsequently, he led the Projection Operational Forces Command (COMFOP). In 2001, he then took command of the Rapid Reaction Corps (HRF) in Solbiate Olona, a formation later reorganized into the current NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy (NRDC-ITA).

During his brilliant and long career, he also held important staff functions, including Head of Personnel Office and Head of Forces Employment Department at the Army General Staff, as well as serving as Military and Aeronautical Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Bern.

A figure of high human caliber and an officer of recognized preparation, Viva is remembered for his balance, competence, and ability in complex and operationally delicate scenarios. Numerous messages and memories shared on social networks by those who served under General Viva's command highlight his leadership style and human qualities.

We join the condolences of the family and all those who crossed paths with him in uniform and in the life of the Paratrooper Officer.

Folgore Commander Viva!