We were very young, motivated, full of energy, and - as it should be -, still naive in front of life. But right there was the authentic beauty of youth: in the strength of health, in the creative recklessness, in the hope that tastes of the future.
Those who chose to compete to enter the Army as a VFP (Volunteer in Prolonged Service) between 1988 and the early 90s often did so for a combination of personal motivations and family suggestions. There were two main goals - both achievable -: fulfilling the military obligation and, at the same time, guaranteeing themselves a small salary and perhaps a career in the Armed Forces, even if the bond was not for 12 months but at least 24.
Only a few succeeded, and they told us this right away, during the first weeks of training at the then 80th Infantry "Roma", a training center for the VFP. In those years the culture of military volunteering was not yet rooted in Italy, and mass media they spoke little about it.
The VFP was seen as a new opportunity, following the experiences of the ACS and VTO. And precisely for this reason, the arrival of volunteers in the departments generated different reactions: in some cases distrust, in others curiosity.
A certain ambiguity was also felt among the superiors, many of whom were not well aware of this “novelty”.
“But who are you, what did they tell you to do?” It also happened to hear this.
So it often happened that, despite fairly clear guidelines, the VFP found itself living and working side by side with conscripts. It was not uncommon to be 17 years old and share a dormitory with 26-year-olds called up for compulsory military service. A particular situation, sometimes embarrassing, but one that taught one to grow up quickly.
Then there were those who were lucky: perhaps a farsighted marshal who understood the value of these young people and decided to make them trusted collaborators in the warehouses, workshops, maintenance centers or logistics activities of the barracks. In those cases, the path took a different turn, more human, more concrete and motivational. One thing was certain for everyone, however: at the end of the month, the “decade” - the salary - arrived on time and represented, for us, a tangible recognition of the work done.
The alternatives were the AUC courses or, subsequently, competing for the non-commissioned officer school in Viterbo, but without saints… it wasn't very easy to get there.
Not everyone held up. Some were acquitted, others lost their motivation, also due to the criticism of those who did not understand or accept that choice. Yet, for many, that experience turned into a real school of trades: some became boilermakers, welders, electricians, conductors.
Just like some conscripts, the VFPs also found the first step in their civilian career in the Army. Life in the barracks, between dormitories and daily rituals, required a dual spirit: thinking like a conscript, but acting like a professional. It wasn't easy, but it was authentic.
The quarters were usually reserved for non-commissioned officers, but some of us found adaptable spaces within the large structures, while others preferred to remain in the dormitories, in the living heart of the troop.
What today - in hindsight - really remains in the heart, is the human value of that coexistence. The conscript boys, in their diversity, were a mine of stories: artists, musicians, truck drivers, farmers, dancers. Each with their own vision of the world, with a spontaneity and an openness that today is hard to find.
We were young, yes, but full of life. And this, after all, is what makes work - in whatever form you encounter it - a worthy experience: the possibility of growing, of discovering, of building together.
