Kosovo: change of command to the Italian contingent

(To Greater Defense)
12/12/18

The ceremony that marks the handover between the 5th Alpine regiment (Vipiteno - BZ) and 8th artillery regiment was held yesterday morning at the base in Peć / Peja (Kosovo) called Camp Villaggio Italia Pasubio (Persano - SA), who will take over the leadership of the Multinational Battle Group West of the mission in Kosovo, an Italian-led multinational unit - made up of Italian, Slovenian, Austrian and Moldavian soldiers - guarantor of security in the western sector of the country.

During the six months of mandate, the Italian staff carried out numerous operational activities throughout the territory of Kosovo, exercises in a multinational context and many CIMIC (Civilian Military Cooperation) activities aimed at guaranteeing direct and immediate support to the local population. Among these last activities, the donation of an incubator to the neonatology department of the Civil Hospital of Peć / Peja, and the numerous initiatives aimed at supporting some educational institutions, i.e. donations of material and equipment, deserve to be mentioned. and some health remediation interventions made by specialized personnel of the Italian contingent in Kosovo: the proximity between the Italian military and the schools was emphasized by the participation of three schoolchildren in the ceremony of change of command, with the pupils who "colored" the military ceremony waving Italian tricolors. Another ambitious CIMIC project made it possible to enhance the particular characteristics typical of an Alpine regiment: thanks to qualified instructors, it was in fact possible to conduct training in favor of the KSF and the Peć / Peja Mountain Rescue Team, aimed at increasing the skills of these organizations in the techniques and procedures typical of mountain rescue.

Colonel Ruggero Cucchini, outgoing commander of the MNBG-W, wanted to thank all the staff employed by him for the excellent results obtained in these six months of activity: despite the difficulty linked to the distance from their loved ones, the soldiers of the 5th Alpini have operated with dedication and professionalism, performing all the tasks entrusted to them by the superior command of the KFOR mission, a NATO-led mission under the aegis of the UN with the task of guaranteeing security and freedom of movement within the country.

Also present at the ceremony was the commander of KFOR, general of division Lorenzo D'Addario, who in turn thanked the soldiers of the 5th Alpini for the important contribution to the progress of the mission and best wishes to the staff of the 8th ° rgt land artillery "Pasubio" - commanded by Colonel Gianfranco Di Marco - for the next mandate.

The flags of the 5th Alpine Regiment and the 8th Regiment Pasubio cross each other once again in the course of history: the two regiments in fact, operated side by side already in January 1943 in the land of Russia, and together they forced the pocket of Nikolaevka, writing epic pages of the history of the Italian Army. The context today has definitely changed, but what has remained unchanged is the commitment and dedication with which the men and women of these two regiments - and of all the departments of the Italian Armed Forces - carry out their duties, both at home. how much abroad.