Today the 2016 edition of Ca.STA, the Alpine Troops Ski Championships, in Sestriere (Turin) opened. The ceremony of the 68 edition, which took place in the square in front of the Palazzetto dello Sport, saw the participation of many guests: gen. ca Errico, Chief of Staff of the Army, the gen. ca Primicerj, commander of the Land Operational Forces, gen. ca Bonato, commander of the Alpine Troops, the sen. Zanoni, the mayors of the municipalities in the area and the representatives of the numerous sponsors who attended the event.
Groups from Italy, Bosnia Herzegovina, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Macedonia, Poland, Slovenia, United States, Spain, Romania, France, Great Britain, Oman, Switzerland and Hungary participate in the Ca.STA. A total of sixteen state delegations in addition to the two Italian NATO commands. Lastly, Lebanon withdrew from the participants due to logistical problems.
The gen. Bonato, taking the floor, defined that the main purpose of the Ca.STA is to test the technical preparation of our troops. He then recalled the new collaboration between the army and civil life: an urn for donations to the whole will be available throughout the event Italian Paralympic Winter Sports Federation held at the Palazzetto dello Sport: solidarity is a characteristic of the Alpini and mountain people, the commander said.
Immediately after the gen. Errico brought his and all the Italian Army's greetings, not forgetting the French soldiers who died last week in training on the Alps just a few minutes from Sestriere. The Ca.STA are a fundamental proof that we test the preparation of our Forces in front of the international ones. Recent operations abroad have shown that mountain exercise with its psychological stresses has contributed greatly to the professionalism of our soldiers.
The Olympic brazier was lit by cap. head chosen Ferdinando Giannini, the Alpine who 8 November 2002, rescuing a car lost a leg on the A14 highway, Silver Medal for Civil Valor.
Before the inauguration, a small group of anti-militarist rebels did not overwhelm the certainly efficient and prepared law enforcement agencies that promptly dammed it into a parking lot outside the immediate range of the Ceremony.
So the military ski championships are starting!
