On the occasion of the closing of the 85th parachuting course, it took place in Pisa, at the parachuting training center (CAPAR) of the "Folgore" brigade, the ceremony of delivery of the amaranth beret to 177 new paratroopers, 154 of whom volunteers on initial standstill (VFI).
The event, presided over by the commander of CAPAR, Colonel Antonio D'Agostino - supported on the occasion by the "godfather" of the course, the Adjutant Major Marshal (res.) Antonio Ciavarrella, historic parachuting instructor of the "School" - was attended by over seven hundred guests among authorities and family members of the new paratroopers.
During his speech, the CAPAR commander, addressing the young paratroopers, stated: “Today you become part of a glorious group, that of paratroopers and as such you have acquired the right to wear the legendary amaranth beret. Be worthy of it! Serve your country with courage, honor, absolute loyalty to the institutions and a lifelong commitment to earning self-respect. Be parachutists!”
The training activities at the "Folgore" brigade, a large combat unit under the command of the command for operational forces north, are conceived with training courses organized in modules, each of which is aimed at progressively increasing the technical-specialist skills of the parachutist in order to allow him to face, in the best conditions of motivation and safety, the airdrop qualification course and, subsequently , the multiple tasks that he will have to carry out in the employment departments.
In particular, after having completed the initial process at the various regiments training volunteers (RAV) of the Army, the aspiring paratroopers attended the specialization phase required by the Army of assignment in the relevant schools. In this phase, at the parachuting training centre, through an eight-week course, the new riflemen were trained, who, at the end of the specialization, were subsequently joined by volunteers from other schools, to attend the coveted course of qualification to jump with an automatically opening parachute, lasting four weeks.
Full operational capacity is then gained at the employment departments of the "Folgore", where the paratroopers carry out a training cycle of increasing complexity to achieve and maintain the highest standards of specialization, necessary to guarantee the adequate level of readiness required to the units of the brigade.
