"A great army is the son of several generations and participates in the existence and historical function of a people: it is a collective work, not an individual one, a supreme national creation", It is in the words of the writer Aldo Valori that the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Danilo Errico, wanted to underline the decisive contribution made by the Italian Army in these 155 years of history, a story that began the 4 in May of the 1861 when, with the institutional decree of General Manfredo Fanti, the Armed Force was born.
Over a century and a half of history, during which the Army has always distinguished itself by reaching over 3.000 men and women engaged in stabilization operations abroad: Afghanistan, Lebanon, Kosovo, Djibouti, Iraq; to hold the leadership of the three most important missions in progress: KFOR in Kosovo (from 2013), EUTM in Somalia (from 2014) and UNIFIL in Lebanon (from 2007 to 2010 and from 2011 to date); to have more than 6.200 military in 47 provinces for the "Safe Roads" operation and other public utility tasks.
"Commitments - continued General Errico - who prove the great professionalism and the unquestionable skills, as well as the determination and unconditional dedication, of all the Army personnel who, in line with that spirit of service, silent and concrete, is confirmed as a true resource for the country in the field national as an indispensable foreign policy instrument".
Also present at the anniversary celebration, the Defense Minister, Roberta Pinotti, who stated: "There can be no democracy without the sense of duty and the spirit of sacrifice of those in charge of defending it from risks and threats. Today we all really have reason to celebrate because, if Armed Forces anniversaries mark the life of our military institutions, then let us dwell on how far our Army and our Armed Forces have traveled in recent years, to how many evolutions, transformations, commitments and accelerations they had to meet. They did it successfully. We celebrate the Army for the very high degree of consensus it has managed to achieve in a transversal manner among all Italian citizens, for the great respect it has gained in the international arena, even from the leaders of those who are considered the best armies of the world, but above all for the demonstrations of gratitude and consideration received from the local populations of the crisis areas in which the men and women of our Armed Forces have been called to operate".
"The Army, along with the Sister Armed Forces, - declared the Chief of Defense Staff, General Claudio Graziano - it is one of the pillars of our nation and continues to write history with professionalism, enthusiasm, self-denial, total loyalty and loyalty to the democratic values of the Republic. Advanced defense and internal security are increasingly part of a continuum in which the military inter-force instrument stands out for its valuable contribution, provided on the national territory, in air and sea spaces and in missions abroad".
General Graziano took the opportunity to greet the two fusiliers of Marina, "their example and their proud behavior are the symbol of the heroism and virtues that accompany the daily actions of every generation of soldiers, whatever the uniform they wear".
Five soldiers, among them Lieutenant Colonel Raffaele Aruanno, Sergeant Alessio Carducci, Chief Corporal chosen Antonio Garzia, Captain Fabio D'Andria and the first Marshal Lieutenant were awarded by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella of the Medal for the value of the Army. Davide Macrelli. "Medals - underlined General Graziano - which testify better than any word to the extraordinary human and value heritage of the Army and the Armed Forces".
