The Alpini from Abruzzo of the 9th regiment, stationed in L'Aquila, leave for Kosovo, where they will assume, in about ten days, the leadership of the regional command West, alternating the Piedmont Cavalry, as part of the "Joint Enterprise" operation, the largest NATO operation currently underway.
The black pens of Abruzzo, belonging to the "Taurinense" alpine brigade, after concluding the entire training process last December, will leave in the next few days to reach the Kosovar theater of operations, bringing their war flag back to the Balkans.
The Alpini of the Ninth Regiment have been preparing since last September, when they were employed in Civitavecchia, in the "Orione 2/2022" exercise, aimed at validating the Italian staff who will make up the regional command West and will be based in Belo Polje, a small town not far from Pec. Subsequently, they participated in the multinational exercise KFOR31, held in Germany, as part of a mission reharsal exercise based precisely on the Kosovo scenario. In October and November, then, the operational component was exercised, obtaining validation following the multi-weapon exercises "Scorpione 4/2022" and "Laran 2022", in which other assets belonging to the Alpine brigade "Taurinense" also participated .
Under the command of Colonel Mario Bozzi, regiment commander, the Alpini from Abruzzo will assume responsibility for the western part of Kosovo, also guaranteeing the security of the Decane Monastery, the largest medieval church in the Balkans containing the best preserved fresco of Byzantine origins in today and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.
Within the Regional Command West, made up of different nations - Austria, Croatia, Moldavia, North Macedonia, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey as well as Italy - the Alpini from Abruzzo will have the task of guaranteeing security, stability and freedom of movement in their own sector of operation, according to the provisions of United Nations Resolution 1244 of 1999, thus favoring the process of dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo promoted by the European Union.
