Italian Army, for 160 years at the service of the country

(To Army Majority State)
04/05/21

Today, May 4, 2021, the Italian Army celebrates the 160th anniversary of its constitution, renewing the commitment of the men and women of the Armed Force at the service of the institutions, for national and international security, for the defense of citizens and their freedoms.

"Having regard to the law dated March 17, 1861, with which he assumed the title of King of Italy, the undersigned informs all the authorities, corps and military offices that from now on the Royal Army will have to take the name of Italian Army, the ancient denomination of Armata Sarda being abolished ". With this provision, dated May 4, 1861, the then Minister of War, Manfredo Fanti, decreed the birth of an institution whose history actually had much more distant and deeper roots, dating back to the date of April 18, 1659, when the duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy launched a call for the recruitment of 1.200 men to be placed in the Sardinian-Piedmontese Army, thus marking a crucial passage from the fortune militias of the time to real permanent military units that were bodies of the State.

Today's anniversary was celebrated this morning in the Court of Honor of Palazzo Esercito, with a military ceremony conducted in a restricted form, in compliance with the regulations in force on the containment of the pandemic, and broadcast in live streaming on the social and institutional channels of the Army. The Minister of Defense, Hon. Lorenzo Guerini, the Undersecretary of State for Defense, sen. Stefania Pucciarelli, the presidents of the Defense Commissions, sen. Roberta Pinotti and Hon. Gianluca Rizzo, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Enzo Vecciarelli, the affairs advisor of the Supreme Defense Council, General Rolando Mosca Moschini, the Army Chief of Staff, Army Corps General Pietro Serino, the prefect of Rome, Matteo Piantedosi, other religious, civil and military authorities.

During his speech, the head of SME wanted to underline how in all these years the Army has contributed to the realization of the ideals of freedom, independence, unity and security of the whole country, acting without saving energy and with devoted loyalty to the republican institutions. , often facing bitter difficulties and sacrifices: "Our 160 years are certainly not a milestone, they represent, rather, just another stage in our history, which the Army has lived at the service and side of the institutions and citizens, of which it is an expression and for which it wants be firm and unshakable point of reference ".

General Vecciarelli recalled how “The anniversaries, like today, must represent an important moment to underline the effort made, the ever new results achieved and to turn us, at the same time, to the future. They must induce us to reflect coherently on our priority raison d'être in order to allow us to respond on every occasion, with renewed enthusiasm to what is asked of us. Today, as yesterday, the Army continues to operate with extraordinary effectiveness and unconditional sense of duty both in the context of its institutional tasks and in inter-agency, inter-agency and multinational contexts, providing, with its presence and professionalism, a decisive contribution to the fulfillment of the numerous missions that see us committed to the service of the State ”.

"Today we can proudly celebrate our Army", said Defense Minister Guerini, "First of all, for the very high degree of consensus that it has managed to achieve across the board among all Italians, who appreciate the tireless commitment of our soldiers in protecting security, in collaboration with the Police, within the framework of operations such as 'Safe Roads'; or who have seen our military deploy a wide range of unique capabilities, which in many cases have proved indispensable to face the calamities that have hit the country over the years; the extraordinary health, operational and logistic device deployed, together with the other Armed Forces, to counter the COVID-19 pandemic, from the early stages of the health emergency to the most recent IGEA and EOS Operations. We can also celebrate our Army for the great respect it has earned internationally, both from our allies and from the populations of the crisis areas in which the women and men of our Armed Force have been called to operate ".

As evidence of the daily commitment of the men and women of the Armed Force, during the ceremony, rewards were awarded to the War Flag of the Army Health Corps and to personnel particularly distinguished for their dedication and spirit of service.

Currently, over 3.000 Italian soldiers, coming from every department of the Army's operational or logistics area, are employed in UN, NATO and European Union-led missions and operate in 15 countries, including Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Libya. , Somalia, Niger, Mali and others and crisis areas, with tasks ranging from development cooperation and support to stabilization and reconstruction processes, up to the training of local security forces, i.e. that range of activities known as Security Force Assistance (SFA).

On the other hand, more than 7.000 soldiers are currently employed throughout the national territory in support of citizens and local institutions, in competition activities following public disasters and in support of the Police Forces in the fight against crime and in the prevention of possible terrorist attacks.

Furthermore, the Army, in close coordination with the other Armed Forces, has intervened since March 2020, at the outbreak of the epidemiological emergency from Covid-19, providing the capabilities and means necessary for the management and containment of the virus. : from the sanitization of public places and places of worship to the control of areas and cities, up to the setting up of field hospitals.

Thousands of soldiers employed in the IGEA and EOS operations, launched on the initiative of the Minister of Defense Lorenzo Guerini and aimed at increasing the national capacity to carry out tampons and vaccines respectively.

Furthermore, there are numerous interventions that today, following calamitous events, the Army conducts in synergy with the Civil Protection for the rescue of the population and the restoration of traffic: from floods, to earthquakes, to fighting forest fires, from reclamation interventions of explosive devices and remnants of war found in our territory up to the technical support provided by certain specialized departments of the Army for the operation of strategic structures in the country (such as the Mo.SE. of Venice).

A multifaceted commitment that of the Army, which highlights the preparation and competence of all its men and women and which today recalls its 160 years of history in the service of Italy. The Army is a pivotal institution of the country system, founded on a solid ethical-value basis, close to the citizen and able to renew itself and adapt to sudden changes in national and geopolitical scenarios, an Armed Force ready, capable, efficient and cohesive, based on the human element, equipped with modern systems and technologies and, above all, supported by the consent of its citizens.