The ceremony for the change in command of the Italian contingent and the West Sector of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) between the general of division Giuseppe Bertoncello and the general of brigade Roberto Vergori.
The transfer of authority between the two commanders was sanctioned by the passage of the UN flag between the two generals, which took place before Major General Aroldo Lázaro Saenz, head of mission e force commander of UNIFIL, of the general of division Fernando Paglialunga, chief of staff of the Operational Land Forces Command e Army operational command, the Italian ambassador in Lebanon, Nicoletta Bombardiere, and the highest civil, military and religious authorities of southern Lebanon.
During his speech, General Lázaro thanked the surrendering Italian contingent for what had been done, wishing the incoming one to continue in the footsteps traced by the Aosta brigade, employed for six months in the Land of the Cedars and in its third mandate after those of 2011 and of 2019.
In his farewell speech, General Bertoncello thanked, first of all, the community of southern Lebanon for having favored interactions with the Blue Helmets of the Italian-led sector.
Under the pillar of resolution no. 1701 of 2006 of the United Nations Security Council, a legal prerequisite for the mission in Lebanon and relating to the monitoring of the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, more than 40.000 patrols were conducted in the area of operations.
One third of the operational activities carried out along the Blue Line were conducted together with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). Added to these are the joint training activities, thanks to which the Italian soldiers and those of the 5th Lebanese brigade integrated, exchanging knowledge and experience.
In support of the population, 78 civil and military cooperation projects (CIMIC) have been concluded and inaugurated since 4 August 2022, the date on which the brigade assumed responsibility Aosta.
The brigade's third term in the Land of the Cedars ended with the rotation ceremony Aosta commanding Joint Task Force Lebanon Sector West and of the Italian contingent and the third mandate of the parachute brigade has begun thunderbolt, after the 2007 missions and the one between 2017 and 2018.
